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Ferrari Meera S - how a one-off lost part of its individuality

Name: Ferrari 400i 1983
Brand: Ferrari

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Created on January 20, 2022

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Ahmed Qadri (Pixelhaus Media) / Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv Michelotti

Archiv

Ahmed Qadri (Pixelhaus Media) / Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Archiv Michelotti

Archiv

Ferrari Meera S (1983) - one-off with Michelotti bodywork

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Folding headlights half behind bars

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Prominent fog lights in the front apron

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - custom-made for the Saudi Prince Saud

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Looks a little mischievous

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The radiator grille continues into the headlights

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The headlights do not fully extend

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The horse in the radiator grille

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - lettering and Cavallino on the tailgate

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Fog lights from Carello and tiny indicators

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The rear lights are one of the few round elements

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Four-flow ANSA exhaust system

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Classic five-spoke wheel with Michelin TRX tires

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Tire format on the rim

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Air outlet behind the rear wheel

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Three-part, very angular glass pavilion in the rear

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Originally there were also windshield wipers on the sides

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Only the small window at the bottom opens

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Door-mounted exterior mirror

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Air outlets in the front fenders

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Air outlet in the hood

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Only one windshield wiper at the front

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Electrically adjustable exterior mirror

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Narrow roof pillars

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Interesting play of shapes on the B-pillar

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Well-hidden, vertical door handle

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Giovanni's son Edgardo Michelotti designed the bodywork

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Classic crest on the hood

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The interior was unfortunately not restored true to the original

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Originally the interior was gray and beige

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Originally the seats were upholstered in fabric

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Full-size rear seats

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Unlocking mechanism for fuel filler flap and trunk

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Momo leather steering wheel

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Color-matching air vents on the dashboard

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Retrofitted interior mirror instead of original camera

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Instead of analog instruments, there should be digital displays here

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Speedometer up to 300 km:h

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Rev counter with integrated indicator lights

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Time and fuel clock

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Oil thermometer and ammeter

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Modern, somewhat inappropriate radio

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Cumbersome heater operation

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Separate heating for the co-driver

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Small ashtray in the center console

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Rotary knobs for the rear air conditioning system

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Beautiful, unfortunately not original interior

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Only the small window section moves down

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Beautiful center console with radio as a disruptive factor

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Two separate levers for lights and indicators

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - one lever wipes and washes the windshield

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - chassis number on the steering column

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Extremely simple door panel

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Red contrast stitching on beige leather

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Upholstered armrests also at the rear

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - 4.8-liter V12 with 310 hp

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Wonderfully symmetrical engine layout

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Shrink-wrapped valve cover and a mesh of pipes

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - One six-piston injection pump per cylinder bank

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Multiple deflected throttle linkage

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - Type plate in the engine compartment

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - The original interior with digital instruments, stereo system and reversing camera

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Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale (1952) - elegantly bodied Ferrari from Vignale

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Ferrari Meera S (1983) - With open headlights it looks somewhat sadly into the world

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Summary

At the beginning of the 1980s, the golden age of special bodywork was actually already over. Nevertheless, in 1983 a young Saudi prince commissioned Studio Michelotti to redress his Ferrari 400i. The result was quite special, but packed with interesting technical gimmicks. This article tells the story of the Ferrari Meera S and shows it in many photos.

This article contains the following chapters

Michelotti with Ferrari tradition
Not the father, just the son
Modern times in the interior
Immobile challenge cup
Renewed instead of restored

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Something special was needed. A car that reflected both his social status and his exquisite taste. As the son of King Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Saud, Prince Saud ibn Fahd Al-Saud could of course not be seen in an ordinary Ferrari 400i on his trips through Europe. So in 1983, he turned to the "Studio Tecnico e Carrozzeria G. Michelotti" to have his mass-produced model, which cost almost 120,000 francs, turned into a one-off. Founded in 1949 by Giovanni Michelotti, the company already had some experience in customizing twelve-cylinder cars from Maranello. As the in-house stylist of Carrozzeria Vignale, Michelotti had designed bodies for the Ferrari 212 Inter and 250 Europa, among others, in the 1950s. After the separation from Vignale in 1967, he created a smooth two-seater with a notchback on the unabridged basis of the four-seater 330 GT, which was also available as a "Spider" with a roll bar. Anyone who has ever seen this undoubtedly elegant car will be wary of referring to the Opel Rekord P2 Coupé as a "speeding trunk" ever again.

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