Description
Author: Bruno Alfieri, Hardbound, 95 Pages, ISBN: 9788879600668, 1st Edition, 1996 - Italian - English - French Text
There is very little specific literature available on the Ferrari Americas, Superamericas and Superfasts.
This is partly due to the way the Maranello factory mixed mechanicals among its competition cars (Sport and Formula One) and standard GTs.There is a tendency to regard the "American" versions as a line — and a prestigious one at that — directed only at rulers and magnates. Certainly, the overlapping of racing and grand touring has always been a linchpin of the Ferrari philosophy — and still is with CT models such as the F50 or F512M. It has to be said, though, that the so-called "Americas" also raced, at least in the early days.
The 340America was built as a barchetta byTouring and as a coupe byVignale. Giannino Marzotto drove the first in the 1951 Coppa delle Dolomiti and Gigi Villoresi the second at the Mille Miglia the same year. It is true, however, that these ALs and SAs (from the chassis codes) formed an autonomous line of styling, which also encompassed floorpan architecture and engine feed and management. Floorpans started from a very short wheelbase (2420 mm) that evolved into short (SWB), 2600, and long (LWB), as many as 2800 mm. Ignition, feed and torque delivery were the subject of research and racing powerpacks were, so to speak, "Americanised". Or, at least, that was the idea.
The "American" adventure lasted 13 years, from 1951 (340 America) to 1964 (500 Superfast). The last Superfast came out of Maranello in 1967. Virtually all the Italian coachbuilders had a go at the concept: a fast, powerful CT coupe — and sometimes, albeit rarely, cabriolets and, in the case of the 340, barchettas — aimed at particularly demanding customers.The "America" slant was actually more symbolic and auspicious than real. Many 340s, 342s, 375s, 4 I Os, 400s and....
- from the author's long and detailed Foreword
