Ferrari officially entered the U.S. market in 1954 as part of a strategic business decision to help fund racing efforts. Ferrari saw America as the biggest growth opportunity for their road car business. Italian born Luigi Chinetti was selected to represent the brand in the United States as Ferrari’s exclusive importer. A wildly successful racer in his day, Chinetti achieved three overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and two wins at the 24 Hours of Spa. Arguably Chinetti’s most successful year came in 1949 behind the wheel of a Ferrari 166 MM, winning both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Spa.

Well respected internally at Ferrari, his transition to the business side of the car business following his racing career was a natural progression. Chinetti’s business was initially based out of New York City and later Greenwich, Connecticut. The brand grew immensely with Chinetti as sole importer for Ferrari, and over time smaller distributors began popping up in various parts of the country, paving the way to the successful dealer network that exists today.

While serving as Ferrari’s sole importer, Chinetti, not one to leave his racing past behind him, also fielded a racing team. The North American Racing Team, or NART, as it is commonly referred to, saw numerous successes at the racetrack which allowed it special access to and support directly from the Ferrari factory. NART drivers included the likes of Pedro Rodriguez, Bob Grossman, Masten Gregory, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, Lorenzo Bandini, John Surtees, Bob Bondurant, and Jean Guichet. The team badge was a modified Ferrari emblem with a slim American flag bar at the top and a blue bar at the bottom with NART in white text. The NART racing team built the reputation of both Ferrari and Chinetti’s dealership, remaining active in racing from 1958 to 1982.

So successful was the NART racing program that Ferrari attached the name to a special U.S.-only model. Knowing the American market well, Chinetti saw the opportunity for increased sales with a convertible version of the successful 275 GTB/4. Chinetti ordered 25 of the special cars, referred to as a 275 GTB/4 NART Spider, although Ferrari only ended up building 10 examples. This scarcity led many 275 GTB/4s to later being converted to the beautiful NART Spider design.

In celebration of 60 years of Ferrari in North America, the Ferrari F60 America was introduced to the public in October 2014. Built on an entirely new chassis design with a powerplant derived from the Ferrari F12, the F60 America pays homage to Ferrari’s long-standing relationship with North America and honors one of the marque's ultimate roadgoing models, the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider. Like the NART Spider, the F60 America is an open-top two-seater with a powerful, naturally aspirated front-mounted V-12 and rear-wheel drive. The F60 America had a planned production of just 10 examples, the exact number of NART Spiders built in period. At its release in 2014, all 10 examples of the F60 America were already spoken for.

This 2016 Ferrari F60 America is finished in the beautiful shade of Blu Nart. The evocative coachwork draws inspiration from the open-top racecars of the 1960s. Weather protection is provided by either a fabric top, that can be stowed away when not in use, or a three-piece carbon fiber hardtop with bespoke storage crate. Front-end styling features a modern interpretation of the “egg crate” grille found on 1950s and 1960s road cars. Large badges are prominently displayed on both front fenders, proudly commemorating 60 years of Ferrari in America. The rear of the car also received a rework in the form of aero roll hoops behind the driver and passenger seats, a subtle “duck tail” spoiler, and larger extended taillights. The design is capped off by a large chrome fuel filler door, reminiscent of the external “quick fill” fuel caps found on Ferrari competition cars of the 1960s.

The interior of the F60 America exhibits numerous special design touches. The dash, door panels, and console are wrapped in dark navy-blue leather with red deviating stitching accented by rich dark red carbon fiber trim. The driver’s seat is trimmed in a striking red leather with an American star and stripes center line. The center console armrest is trimmed in the same red leather as the driver’s seat; it features a similar 60-year badge that is found on the fenders. The passenger seat is trimmed in the same navy-blue leather with red deviating stitching as the rest of the interior, with an American star and stripes center line. The steering wheel is a culmination of the two racing seats’ upholsteries, which ties the interior together nicely. The instruments and controls will be familiar to modern Ferrari enthusiasts with a prominent central tachometer flanked by information screens and a separate passenger display featuring a rev counter and temperature gauges for the differential and gearbox. To reinforce the rarity of this model, a plaque is affixed between the seats noting “Nr 1 of 10.” The car has covered 2,105 miles from new at time of cataloguing.

One of only 10 examples of the F60 America ever built, this is arguably one of the rarest front-engined Ferrari supercars, a retro-inspired modern-day classic that will continue to be held in high regard by collectors and enthusiasts for years to come.