CONTESTED ORIGINS CLARIFIED AND FIRST NOTABLE OWNER IDENTIFIED

STARTING POINT
Ferrari 400 Superamerica chassis no. 3673 SA has long been regarded as one of the most unusual and debated examples of the entire Superamerica production. Its identity as a one-off — visually resembling a 250 SWB despite being based on the luxurious 400 SA mechanical platform — has made it famous, but also subject to persistent controversy. The origins of the car were surrounded by uncertainty, and its early history was often treated as ambiguous or speculative. When the research was commissioned, the owner’s primary objective was to enrich the car’s documentation through the recovery of period imagery.

RESEARCH
The Automotive Masterpieces investigation focused on clarifying those disputed beginnings. By adhering strictly to documented evidence, the research reinforced the conclusion that the car was built as a coherent Superamerica from the start, with its distinctive tailor-made specifications rather than as a later reconstruction. Equally significant was the resolution of the question of first ownership. Although the car was formally purchased by FIMA S.p.A., our research established the personal link behind that registration: the actual owner and intended user was Count Vincenzo Balestrieri Cosimelli, president of the company. He was not a marginal figure, but a remarkable personality in postwar Italian sport and entrepreneurship, achieving historic international success. Identifying Balestrieri as the first owner gives this car a far more meaningful and prestigious point of origin than previously assumed and an unexpected value to its present custodian. In parallel, the research also succeeded in locating period photographs and references, fulfilling the original request for imagery.