Unless you live in Beverly Hills, the French
Riviera, or the United Arab Emirates, you’re not likely to find Ferraris
exactly what you might call “common” or “ubiquitous”. Even so, some are rarer
than others. Like this 1954 Ferrari 375 America, for example.
The Prancing Horse marque only made a dozen 375
Americas, based on the 250 GT but with a bigger engine and more of a
grand-touring disposition for discerning US customers. Each one was custom
bodied by a variety of coachbuilders, including this one, by Vignale, which was
the star of the 1954 Geneva Motor Show.
Chassis number 0327 AL was uniquely styled by
Alfredo Vignale (long before selling his carrozzeria to Ford) and delivered new
to Robert Wilke, a Wisconsin native and Indy team owner. With a 4.5-liter V12
delivering some 400 horsepower – a heck of a lot for its time – it could cover
Midwestern miles with ease. And with such unique and elegant coachwork, it
could really turn heads.
The car passed through the hands of a number of
prominent collectors. including the famous Blackhawk Collection and former
Ferrari importer Fritz Kroymans, and featured at some major concours, repainted
and restored several times over the course of its history.
Now returned to its original two-tone Amaranto
burgundy and metallic grey livery, it’s sure to garner its fair share of
attention in Monterey, where RM Sotheby’s will sell it off to the highest
bidder, marking the first time that one of these unique 375 Americas will have
come up for auction in the past seven years.
