1960-1964 Ferrari 400 SuperAmerica

Carmakers do strange things sometimes, even maestros like Enzo Ferrari and Pinin Farina. How else to explain their main attraction at the 1959 Turin show?

Apparently the first in a new 400 Superamerica series, it bore a plain, boxy body with a wrapped windshield and an almost square grille flanked by quad headlamps almost a parody of contemporary American styling. Surely, this couldn't be Ferrari's future.

Happily, it wasn't, for the real 400 appeared at Brussels in January 1960 as a more conventional, Farina-designed cabriolet

Though mechanically much the same as the superseded 410, it sported a number of interesting changes. Up through the 410 (and continuing with the 250 GTs and the forthcoming 275/330 series), Ferrari model numbers had always represented the cubic-centimeter displacement of each engine cylinder (rounded off, of course). Thus, the 250 GT's total capacity was 3000 cc, that of the 410 engine (which actually had about 413 cc per cylinder) almost 5000 cc. Starting with the 400, the number indicated total displacement in deciliters (in cc's here, 4000).

More substantive was a new development of the 1947-vintage Colombo V-12, replacing the long-block Lampredi engine that Ferrari now abandoned. As in its other recent aplications, spark plugs were mounted outboard of the vee, coil valve springs replaced hairpin-type, and cylinder heads were removable. On 9.8:1 compression, horse power was an alleged 400 at 6750 rpm, which seems optimistic in view of the fact that the last 410 engine, almost a litre larger, had the same rating. A compression drop to 8.8:1 left later 400s with 340 bhp at 7000 rpm.

Like it's contemporary linemates, the 400 received a single dry-plate clutch (replacing the old multi-disc unit) and standard Laycock de Normanville electric overdrive (from Britain) behind a 4-speed all-synchromesh gearbox. Wheelbase shrunk from 102.3 to 95.2 inches (ending up fractionally longer than that of SWB 250 GTs), Koni telescopic shocks replaced lever-action hydraulics, and modern Dunlop disc Brakes ousted aluminium drums all-round. Omce again, production of the "senior" Ferrari was extremely limited. Just six 400SAs were built in 1960, all cabrios with only minor detail differences. An American-style lift off steel top was offered, and several of these cars were so equipped. There was also one speciale on this chassis, a cabriolet with covered headlights as on the

S[yder Californias. But the 400 was far from finished. The next development for this chassis was inspired by a 1960 Turin showpiece called "Superfast II" (not to be confused with the earlier 410 Design of the same name). Pininfarina claimed he'd created it with the aid of a wind tunnel, and it showed. The fastback body reminded some observers of an airplane wing: markedly tapered at each end, with retractable headlamps and half-skirted rear wheels. During the winter of 1961-62, a hood scoop was added, the fender skirts removed, and the headlamps exposed behind clear plastic enses. Called PF coupe aerodinamico (no translation needed there), this revided body was adopted for all subsequent 400s.