Entering production in 2017, the Ferrari 812 Superfast represented 70 years of continuous development from Maranello engineers. Prior to its official launch at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2017, Ferrari proudly proclaimed that the new supercar ‘not only introduces a plethora of innovative features but is also particularly significant as the V-12 series marked the official start of the glorious Prancing Horse story in 1947, 70 years ago this year.’ When production began amid great anticipation, the 812 Superfast instantly became the fastest and most powerful Ferrari yet.

The 812 Superfast was created as a modern supercar that embraced Ferrari’s past, creating a timely opportunity to celebrate Maranello’s vaunted history with a one-off special version. The example offered here was built to order by Ferrari’s exclusive Tailor Made department and configured to pay homage to this car’s forebear, a 410 Superamerica bearing the chassis number “0719 SA”. The beautiful, Pinin Farina-bodied coupé was the second made of its model and drew acclaim as it was presented on motor show stands in both Paris and Turin in 1957.

The original car wore the fetching colour scheme of Blu Genziana with an Avorio Roof and Naturale interior, and was sold in late-1957 to US-domiciled Dutchman, Jan de Vroom. Through his close friendship with Margaret de Cuevas, a granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, de Vroom had been introduced to Luigi Chinetti, purchasing several early Ferraris—most notably a 500 TRC and 290 MM—prior to acquiring chassis 0719 SA. A keen amateur racer, de Vroom subsequently become a co-founder and early financial backer of Chinetti’s New York-based North American Racing Team (NART) before his premature and mysterious death in 1975.

As such, this 812 Superfast wears the same eye-catching livery as the famous 410 Superamerica. In early 2018, the Belgian Ferrari Dealer, Monza NV of Sint-Martens-Latem, near Ghent, fulfilled a special order to the wishes of the car’s first owner. A detailed list of bespoke modifications was drawn up for submission to Ferrari’s Tailor Made division, which focussed on recreating 0719 SA’s distinctive two-tone paint finish and replicating—in so far as possible—the original car’s demure Naturale leather interior. Indeed, such was the attention to detail that the factory incorporated the original 1950s-style vertical ribbed stitching into the new car’s seats, and the embossed Cavallino headrest motifs were omitted. These modifications did not come cheap, with the three-page order sheet (available to view on file) showing a cost of some €68,728 for the Tailor Made modifications alone, in addition to a further €298,414 for the base vehicle and €41,201 for the “standard” factory options.

The prominence of this important Ferrari came to a head when the 812 Superfast sold at auction in 2020. At that point its odometer read only 3,929 kilometres and the car has been used sparingly since, reading just 4,083 kilometres at the time of cataloguing. The unexpected reappearance of this car at auction presents this as a lucrative opportunity for those who missed out last time to acquire the Tailor Made car. With its astonishing power, breathtaking performance, and stunning design, the 812 Superfast is the pinnacle of a long line of Ferrari grand tourers and a must-have for any diehard tifoso.