THE 500 SUPERFAST

Initially coined for a series of show cars and concepts, Ferrari’s “Superfast” nomenclature was finally applied to a production vehicle in 1964 with the introduction of the 500 Superfast. Conceived as a luxurious, exclusive grand touring saloon, the new model was for all intents and purposes the ultimate development of Ferrari’s flagship Superamerica model.

While the Superfast coachwork was clearly developed from the outgoing 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico, the Tipo 578/65 chassis was derived from the 330 GT 2+2, ensuring the luxurious ride quality of a long wheelbase. These dimensions were maximized with the removal of any rear seating, providing a remarkably roomy and elegant interior. Luxury amenities included power windows and steering, sumptuous leather upholstery, and a teak-accented dashboard.

The Superfast’s 4,963-cubic-centimeter Tipo 208 V-12 was an extremely unique engine for Ferrari, combining elements of the Lampredi-designed tall-block racing engine and the long-running Colombo-designed short-block motor. Capable of developing 400 horsepower, this engine was described by the noted marque historian Hans Tanner as “one of the most powerful Ferrari GT engines ever constructed.”

Unveiled at the 1964 Geneva International Motor Show, the 500 Superfast was built in a limited quantity of just 36 examples through late 1966. As the flagship Ferrari grand touring model of its era, the 500 Superfast enjoyed ownership by jet-set luminaries such as the Aga Khan, Barbara Hutton, the Shah of Iran, and Peter Sellers.

Claiming rarity, breathtaking aesthetics, and unprecedented road-car performance thanks to its prodigious 400-horsepower 4.9-liter engine, the 500 Superfast was the ultimate expression of the Superamerica series. The highly collectable cars are now found at the center of some of the world’s most exclusive and respected stables…as they were when new.

CHASSIS NUMBER 6303SF

The 14th of 25 Series I Superfasts built, chassis number 6303SF was ordered in the spring of 1965 by the famed British Ferrari importers Maranello Concessionaires. It was equipped to the latest specification, with the recently introduced five-speed gearbox, three air ducts on the front fenders, and circular Carello turn signal lights, and was, interestingly, specified as a full two-seater, without the “occasional” rear seat, a very sporting configuration. Further, it was built to left-hand-drive, indicating its first owner intended to use it largely abroad.

At its completion the Superfast was delivered through Maranello Concessionaires’ auspices that August to George P. Livanos, the shipping magnate who maintained the largest merchant navy in Greece, and whose son, Peter, would be a well-known and astute enthusiast in his own right, eventually becoming a majority shareholder of Aston Martin. Mr. Livanos’s Ferrari was serviced at the Assistenza Clienti in Maranello in September 1965 and June 1967—by the latter, it was being kept at its owner’s residence in Gstaad.

In 1969 the car moved across the Atlantic when it was sold to its second owner, John Calley of Burbank, California, former president of Warner Brothers and a renowned sports car enthusiast and collector. Mr. Calley kept the Ferrari for three years, then sold it to Bud Pessin of Archway Motor Imports in Manchester, Missouri, who passed it in 1974 to Richard McEntyre of San Diego. Mr. McEntyre would be a very long-term caretaker of his 500 Superfast, eventually undertaking a restoration in the hands of Harold White of Fallbrook, California, between 2000 and 2004. With the restoration completed, the car was sold in 2005 and passed into the hands of Weston A. Hook of La Jolla, who displayed it at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2007.

Chassis number 6323SF remained in Mr. Hook’s care until 2010, then was acquired by a collector in Belgium, from whom the present owner, a longtime and devoted Ferrari connoisseur, purchased it a decade ago. More recently a complete fresh restoration was performed by the noted marque specialists, Fast Cars Ltd. of Redondo Beach, California, with the Superfast finished as-original in Blu Notte over Naturale leather interior, and retaining its numbers-matching major components including engine and gearbox, as confirmed in the Ferrari Classiche binder.

It is presented today still in beautiful overall condition, from stem to stern, worthy of being appreciated by the most devout tifoso—the same type of man who would have carefully specified his 500 Superfast in 1965.