While it is well known that Enzo Ferrari insisted that road cars bearing his name should have 12 cylinders, the desire to expand his income stream to support its core racing activities led Ferrari to develop a small displacement engine in 1959. The finished engine, chassis, and prototype car, nicknamed “Ferrarina,” were shown at the Turin Auto Show in 1961 with a body by Bertone.

Into the scene came racing drivers Gerino Gerini, Lorenzo Bandini, and Giancarlo Baghetti, who created a company called Autocostruzioni Societa per Azioni, or ASA. They recruited the Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini to join them, along with Oronzio and Niccolo de Nora, father-and-son Ferrari clients who owned a company manufacturing electromechanical components. At the 1962 Turin Show, the ASA 1000 GT appeared. Production began in 1964, and in a three-year period, less than 100 ASA 1000 GTs were built. Ultimately, the car, while well engineered and beautifully styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was far too expensive.

The stunning ASA 1000 GT was originally sold through Luigi Chinetti Motors on 16 March 1967. The original invoice notes that this car, chassis no. 01196, was purchased by Ms. Ruth Lesson of Duanesburg, New York, at a cost of $5,967, trading in her 1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone in the process for a credit of $1,570. Lesson retained the car for nearly 20 years, though it had apparently been off the road since the 1970s. She sold the car in 1986 to William G. Inglis, a noted Ferrari enthusiast from California.

The ASA remained with Mr. Inglis for many years, and in the 1990s he commissioned the highly respected restorer Mike Regalia to perform a comprehensive restoration. The ASA was repainted to a very high standard in the red it wears today, the drivetrain fully rebuilt, and the interior fully restored to original specifications using correct style black upholstery. The car traded hands in 2004, joining Ed Brown’s collection in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brown enjoyed the ASA for several more years before selling it, at which point it became part of a large collection of rare Italian sports cars.

Today, the ASA presents in beautiful condition, the restoration having matured nicely with some careful use and enjoyment. The paintwork remains in very good condition, and the delicate chrome bumpers and trim are straight and beautifully presented, as are the factory original knock-off alloy wheels made for ASA by Borrani.

Under the bonnet is the original 1,000-cc four-cylinder engine. Fully rebuilt as part of the restoration, it features a wrinkle finish valve cover and Weber 40DCOE carburetors. Records show the original flywheel was lightened during the engine rebuild, making the already eager little engine even happier to rev.

The ASA is accompanied by a history file with numerous receipts and records, original invoice, magazine articles, and photos, as well as original manuals and brochures. Eligible for numerous driving events and concours worldwide, this exquisite automobile is an outstanding example of the rare and charming scaled Ferrari, a car that was worthy of praise from Enzo Ferrari himself.