Introduced at the Nürburgring in 1996, Ferrari’s Pininfarina-designed 550 Maranello replaced the outgoing F512 M. While based on the Ferrari 456 and sharing its engine, the 550 Maranello was strictly a two-seater GT car. Capable of nudging 200 mph, a 550 Maranello set a production-car speed record in testing. The 575M Maranello followed in 2002 with a larger, more powerful V-12 engine and ushered in Ferrari’s first application of the quick F1 paddle-shift automatic gearbox with a V-12 engine.

While the 575M was a success from inception, Ferrari clients still desired an open variant. The prior 550 Barchetta did provide the thrilling open-air experience of a pure roadster, but buyers demanded greater sophistication. Answering the call for a grand tourer of particular comfort, style, and versatility, Ferrari’s Pininfarina-designed 575 Superamerica provided the best of both worlds with its radical Revocromico rotating-hardtop system. Capable of variable opacity at the turn of a dial, it was the first roof of its kind fitted to a production car. At the touch of a button, the Superamerica transformed into a brilliantly executed convertible, with the glass roof panel rotating back to rest flush with the slightly recessed bootlid in just 10 seconds, leaving the rear window in place as a wind deflector.

Just 559 examples were built in all, and it is a testament to Ferrari’s regard for the car that it was given such a hallowed name by the legendary Modenese company. A stylistic and technical tour de force on all levels, the 575 Superamerica stands as a true open-supercar that is eminently capable of daily use and enjoyment.

The Ferrari 575 Superamerica offered here was originally sold in Texas in January 2006 before coming to California in 2010. It has been a part of the consignor’s formidable collection of postwar sports and luxury cars since 2018. Perhaps the perfect color combination for this rare and fascinating Ferrari, it is finished in Nero BB (Black) with tan and black-leather Daytona-style seats, and a pair of recessed Scuderia shields, and silver modular wheels complement the retractable coupe’s sleek look. In 2020, at 5,230 miles, the Superamerica received one of the very last remaining NOS (new old stock) glass-roof panels, which was installed by official Ferrari dealer, Ferrari Los Angeles.

At the time of cataloguing, this Superamerica had covered just 6,544 miles, and is accompanied by its manuals in their factory leather folio, an emergency interior cover with its storage bag, tools in their leather case, and an air compressor. Deserving of a place in any sophisticated collection, this Superamerica is poised to thrill its next caretaker on the most idyllic of roads.