The America series for Ferrari was to be chain of large touring models combining the largest V12 engine with luxurious coach bodies. They were to be the most luxurious and the most expensive of all Ferraris. They were to be the absolute elite of Ferrari's already elite line of automobiles.
The America series from Ferrari was all about the absolute best, even the extravagant, being put together with some of the most beautiful body styles ever to be created. The basis for the America series came from the Superfast concepts. Each one of the models in the series were anything but lack-luster performers, but starting with the 400 series, the America line would become absolutely insane.
The Ferrari 375 America utilized a new 4.5-liter Lampredi V12 based upon the same engine used in the Ferrari Formula One team. Construction of the car would run from 1951 on through 1955. Despite being in production for five years, Ferrari would only sell a relatively small number.
Sales of the 375 would be minimal perhaps due to the fact of the price, or, because customers were willing to wait and see what Ferrari would come up with next. Ferrari had created a line of custom cars that were also quite quick when it created its America line. However, in 1955, Ferrari would launch into the ridiculous by launching its new model called the 410. It would be the first of the incredible Superamericas.
Whereas the America series combined incredible luxury with incredible power and performance, the Superamerica series would introduce incredible luxury with unheard-of-power. The 410 Superamerica series cars would come with a 5.0-liter V12 engine that varied in power from 335 hp on up to over 360 hp. They would come with four-speed Synchromesh manual gearboxes, independent coil-spring front suspension, a live rear axle on semi-elliptical leaf springs and an interior to match the quality of the sound made by the engine.
On top of the incredible performance upgrade, the car would still come with custom bodywork offered by some of the most talented coach-building companies of the day. Scaglietti and Ghia were involved in making custom bodies for the car. But of course, Pinin Farina couldn't be left out of the list.
What Ferrari and these coach-builders would combine to create was something very special. The 410 Superamerica wasn't just an evolution of the 375 America; it was a step up into the realm of the unequivocal.
Toward the late 1950s, Ferrari would take the 410 and would shorten the wheelbase of the car by some 200mm. While the resulting car would receive a different moniker, for many, it would simply become known as the Series II.
source: http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8593/Ferrari-410-Superamerica.aspx
by Jeremy McMullen
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