1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta Sport Speciale
Pinin Farina made this one of supercar on chassis
0490AM. It was built on the 375 MM chassis which at the time was the most
potent chassis that Ferrari was offering to private racing teams.
Like the competition cars, Pinin Farina used an
all-aluminum body for the Berlinetta Speciale. The overall shape was similar to
the regular Berlinetta except this version had a oval egg crate grill which was
first introduced on the 250 Europa GT model. Over the rear fenders, the body
kicked up more prominently and concluded with a small fin. By 1957 Ferrari’s
250 GT ‘Tour de France’ adopted similar fenders.
Made for the 1955 Turin Motor Show, the Speciale was
highly trimmed with a full leather interior and spare tire in the rear to
remind the viewer of its competition roots. Three small chromed louvres were
installed into the window which was a direct nod to the upcoming 14-louvre
‘Tour de France.’
A similar car to 0490AM was built for the Paris
Motor Show on chassis 0393GT, a 250 Europa GT. Later the theme was extended to
425GT a 250 GT ‘Tour de France’ built for the 1956 Geneva Motor Show.
Having a 375 competition chassis meant that 0490AM
benefited from the Tipo 108 60º V12 that could produce roughly 340 bhp. With
it’s lightweight body, the car was theoretically possible to reach 175 mph.
After its show service 0490AM stayed in Italy with
private owners until it was shipped to Chinetti Motors in New York and painted
red. It remained in the US and was restored in 2003 by Motion Products, Inc.
showing just 20,990 miles on the odometer. Later in 2004 it was shown at the
2004 Pebble Beach Concours, 2005 Cavallino Classic and 2005 Villa d’Este
Concorso d’Eleganza.
