SUPERAMERICAN BEAUTY

Enzo Ferrari famously built road cars only to pay for racing. But then he built a road car so luxurious it became his personal choice of transport. Matthew Hayward drives the Ferrari 400 Superamerica Aerodinamico

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I have never wanted to be driving to the French Riviera more than I do right now. If any Ferrari was envisioned to get you there quickly, comfortably and in unrivalled style it was the 400 Superamerica. The Oxfordshire countryside will have to do for today, though, providing plenty of picturesque scenery to explore and enjoy what was once the jewel in Ferrari's crown.

This SWB Coupé Aerodinamico in particular is almost painfully beautiful. 'It's built like a Rolls-Royce, but has the performance of a Ferrari... and the rarity of a Picasso, jokes Max Girardo, who is currently selling this gorgeous car on behalf of its most recent owner. The Superamerica represents the pinnacle of what Ferrari could achieve at the time, as it wanted to pursue the top-tier grand tourer market proving that the marque was about more than merely the greatest competition cars.

It's certainly a far cry from the rawness of, say, a 275 GTB/4, and some of the exquisite detailing - such as the rear bumper-mounted lights and the intricate door handles - really elevate it to a higher level. Under the bonnet is the largest-capacity Colombo V12 engine ever fitted to a Ferrari, measuring 4.0 litres. To truly put this car into perspective, consider that the 400 Superamerica would have been more expensive than a 250 GTO when it was new, and each owner was, in effect, vetted by Enzo himself.