The double Agnelli
04/11/2024
60 to 70 years ago, it was still common practice to put a body design on chassis from different manufacturers. The best-known example of this is probably the "Supersonic" from Ghia, which was available as a Fiat, Jaguar and Aston Martin. But there were also fraternal twins among mass-produced models, such as the Lancia Flaminia and the Peugeot 404, both of which were based on the same Pininfarina design. A lesser-known case caused confusion for some observers at this year's Techno Classica , which we are happy to clear up here.
At the end of 1959, the future Fiat president Gianni Agnelli had his brand-new Ferrari 400 Superamerica with chassis number 1517 refitted by Pininfarina - as desired, so that it no longer looked like a Ferrari. With a panoramic windshield, twin headlights and an almost square radiator grille, the result was somewhere between a Facel Vega and the later Volvo 164, which meant that the order was probably fulfilled. Even before the production model, the silver-colored special edition was shown at the 1959 Turin Motor Show.
Less than two years later, Agnelli had the lines of his non-Ferrari transferred to a Maserati 5000 GT. Mind you, only the design and not the actual bodywork, because as similar as the two silver-grey coupés looked, they differed from each other in some details. For example, the Ferrari had an air scoop on the hood, a two-part front bumper and small air intakes on the corners of the fenders. The Maserati had a trim strip between the wheel arches and side indicators in front of the front wheels - as well as an 18 centimeter longer wheelbase.
However, there was still an intermediate step between these two variants, which were quite easy to distinguish in a direct comparison, and which was exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1960. At Agnelli's request, the rearing horse and the side air vents at the front of his Ferrari had been removed and the two half bumpers had been replaced by a continuous section. A blue and a green decorative stripe now ran along the side of the body from a blinker behind the front wheel to the rear wheel arch. At least the hat on the hood was allowed to remain.
Today, it is perhaps the biggest difference between the two silver twins, as both cars still exist. But you don't have to remember that. At least the Ferrari today once again bears a brand emblem above the radiator grille to clearly distinguish it.
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