1963 Ferrari 400 SA LWB Coupe Aerodinamico Series II by Pininfarina

1963 Ferrari 400 SA LWB Coupe Aerodinamico Series II by Pininfarina
RM Auction, Monterey, CA. 2014
Sold For $2,915,000 Including Commission
Chassis# 4113 SA
340 bhp, 3,967 cc SOHC V-12 engine with three Weber 40 DCZ 6 carburetors, four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive, independent front suspension with unequal length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 102.3 in.
The sixth of eighteen Series II long-wheelbase examples
The third of four open-headlight Series II Coupes
Matching-numbers example; Ferrari Classiche certified
Single owner for 30 years
Recent comprehensive restoration by Motion Products Inc.
By the dawn of the 1960s, the concept of a premium, luxury grand touring Ferrari had come a long way. From the 342 America of 1953 to the 410 Superamerica that debuted in 1956 and continued through three series of limited production, the gradual development of a top-shelf grand tourer with no direct relation to the marque's competition cars confirmed Enzo Ferrari's admission that luxury cars were useful to Maranello's overall strategy. Yet, despite the beautiful exterior design, the sophisticated interior appointments, and the powerful Lampredi engines that graced the early Superamericas, the 410 models were known to be heavy, unforgiving cars that were somewhat limited by drum brakes and four-speed gearboxes.
At the Turin Auto Show in October 1959, Ferrari addressed these limitations with a new Superamerica, one that was clothed in unique brushed aluminum coupe coachwork by Pinin Farina. Although the body shell on chassis number 1517 SA was essentially a one-off, the show car's underpinnings were soon produced in series in the 400 Superamerica. This model most principally differed from its predecessor by the use of the Colombo short-block V-12, which was bored from its 250 GT dimensions to displace almost four liters and was fitted with the outside-plug arrangement proven to be so effective in the Testarossa sports racers. The 400 also improved upon the 410 with the use of Dunlop disc brakes all around, as well as an overdrive that increased the top-end ratio by 28 percent. In every way, this was a car that was eminently easier to drive and was a better performer under most road conditions.
Initially, the early 400 Superamerica examples were built on the company's shorter 2,420-millimeter wheelbase and clothed in cabriolet bodies by Pinin Farina, but that all changed with the appearance of a new show car at Turin in November 1960, one year after the prototype's debut. That car, chassis number 2207 SA, was dubbed the Superfast II, and it featured a revolutionary take on body aerodynamics, with a pointed open-mouth nose leading to a slippery roof and belt lines that converged in a delicately swooped fastback tail. Such an emphasis was placed on a clear unobstructed profile that the car even featured retractable pop-up headlights and rear wheel skirts.
These last two features were removed when the car appeared the following year at Geneva, as it was now wearing a design that basically became the blueprint for Pininfarina's Coupe Aerodinamico body style, which debuted in production form on chassis number 2373 SA. As with the 410 Superamerica before it, no two Aerodinamicos were precisely the same, and its semi-custom coachwork became the predominant body style throughout the remainder of Series I 400 Superamerica production.
At the London Motor Show in September 1962, Ferrari introduced a second-series 400 Superamerica on chassis number 3931 SA, which featured the Aerodinamico body style now mounted on the 250 GTE's 2,600-millimeter chassis, with the longer wheelbase becoming the platform of choice for the remaining cars. By the time Series II production came to a close in 1964, approximately 18 long-wheelbase Coupe Aerodinamicos had been constructed, with only 35 Series II examples being produced in total (including the earlier short-wheelbase examples). The 400 Superamerica was the ride of choice for sporting aristocrats and extremely well-heeled clients, including such owners as Gianni Agnelli, Michel Paul-Cavallier, Count Volpi, and Nelson Rockefeller. It continues to be regarded as one of Ferrari's most exclusive luxury cars and one of the progenitors of a longstanding tradition of limited-production flagship Ferrari grand tourers.
Robert Myrick Photography