Pininfarina’s renowned craftsmen produced the bodies for the 500 Superfast with exceptional care and, unlike prior high-level Ferrari/Pininfarina collaborations, with few deviations from the basic design of the 1964 Geneva Show car. Only a neat hood bulge was added for carburetor clearance, and detail differences were limited to door handles and tail lamps. Production included approximately 25 “first series” cars, followed by a dozen “second series” examples, which shared updates with the 330 GT including a 5-speed gearbox, “hanging” pedal arrangement and revised front-fender vents. Production was unhurried, at a rate of roughly one 500 Superfast per month, with the final example, 8897 SF, delivered to British Ferrari importer Colonel Ronnie Hoare of Maranello Concessionaires on August 1, 1966. Buyers of the 500 Superfast formed a “who’s who” list of top Ferrari clients including the Aga Khan, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, shipping magnate Peter Livanos, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran, German playboy Günther Sachs and brilliant British actor Peter Sellers, the star of “Doctor Strangelove” and the “Pink Panther.” This “Series I” 500 Superfast, No. 6305 SF, is steeped in fascinating early history and documented by marque historian Hilary A. Raab in “Ferrari Serial Numbers Part I” as the 15th example produced. Originally finished in Nero (black) paint over Natural (beige) leather upholstery, 6305 SF differs from the other Series 1 cars with its factory-fitted 5-speed manual gearbox. Delivered to Milanese Ferrari dealer Crepaldi S.p.A., 6305 SF was purchased new in May 1965 by Count Guido Monzino, scion of Italy’s Standa grocery chain with offices in Milan. While born in 1928 to a logical future in business, the Count lived an amazingly adventurous 60-year lifetime, one which could certainly fill many volumes or easily inspire a decades-long, James Bond-style movie franchise. Best-known as one of Italy’s premier adventurers, explorers and mountain climbers, Monzino ascended the deadly Matterhorn by his early twenties and went on to complete 20 more arduous and hazardous expeditions throughout the world by 1973. The Count’s motorized adventures were equally prolific, including ownership of numerous elite-level Ferrari models and associations with the era’s top racing drivers. Monzino was also famous for rocketing across Lake Como in his beautiful racing hydroplane, the San Marco. Featuring supercharged Ferrari 340/375 MM V-12 power, the San Marco was once piloted by Count Monzino to a new speed record of over 150 MPH in the 1950s, demonstrating his ample bravery and skill. 52 // MECUM.COM
