Home » This Is The Happiest Ferrari I’ve Ever Seen: Cold Start

This Is The Happiest Ferrari I’ve Ever Seen: Cold Start

Ferrari 375mm Top X
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While Monterey Car Week may have suffered from an overabundance of hypercars, there will never be enough of the strange one-off or limited production coach-built cars for my taste. This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance featured a bunch of uniquely-bodied cars, including an absolutely charming Ghia-bodied Ferrari.

Although Turin’s Carrozzeria Ghia did a few Ferraris, that brand will always be associated with rival design house Pininfarina in my mind. Ghia makes me think of Fords and Alfas. In fact, Ghia was sometimes judged to be “too extreme” for the otherwise conservative Ferrari.

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That’s why this 1954 Ferrari 375MM, bodied by Ghia, is such a treat. It’s just a little bit off from your average post-war Ferrari. Though it has the proportions of a 375MM, all the details are just a touch too playful and even art deco for your average 375MM (if such a thing exists).

Pebble Beach Concours D’elegance, 2024
1954 Ferrari 375 MM Ghia Coupe, Photo: Rolex

Built by Ghia on a Giovanni Michelotti design, this coupe just feels very un-Ferrari in a way. First, the chrome-trimmed two-tone paint with the character line aft of the door is charming and even frisky. Even the color itself, a bright orange, feels more Mopar than Ferrari.

Ferrari 375 Ghia 4

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Just look at this little character line, with the tiny small details along the kink. Absolutely lovely. I’m not the only one who noticed, Daniel Golson over at Jalopnik also couldn’t look away.

Ferrari 375 Ghia 3

The matching interior is excellent.

Here’s a little history on this particular vehicle, which is one of only 26 made, with most being bodied by Pininfarina:

The 375 was developed out of the 4 liter GP formula. With its big Lampredi engine the 375 was designed to out run and handle all other cars on the road. With a total of 29 units built (26 by Pini Farina) and three others. This is one of the other coach built cars and the only Ghia bodied 375 MM.

The first owner was Bob Wilke of Wisconsin, President of Leader Cards Company and sponsor of Indy racing teams. A close friend of Enzo Ferrari and no stranger to Luxury Ferrari’s having owned six within a ten year span.

Pebble Beach Concours D’elegance, 2024
1954 Ferrari 375 MM Ghia Coupe, Photo: Rolex

Unsurprisingly, this is the car that won the Ferrari Early class at Pebble Beach this year.

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Pebble Beach Concours D’elegance, 2024
1954 Ferrari 375 MM Ghia Coupe, Photo: Rolex

I just love it.

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Peter Andruskiewicz
Peter Andruskiewicz
3 months ago

So This was the product of that rumored Ferrari-Harley Davidson collaborative project!

Eric W
Eric W
3 months ago

Can’t with the reverse duct instead of a rear quarter window….

США! США! США!
США! США! США!
4 months ago

I was fortunate to have a nice place right at front of the main show lane. I especially loved the Carrozzeria Ghia emblem font on the side.
https://ibb.co/CHS8Xqw

Hugh Crawford
Hugh Crawford
4 months ago

The Wilke Family is about as American racing as you can get.

Autopizen
Autopizen
4 months ago

Styling from back reminds of Karmann Ghia, from front reminds of Volvo P1800. I wonder why …

Jesus Chrysler drives a Dodge
Jesus Chrysler drives a Dodge
4 months ago

Totally on-brand in a Home Depot parking lot.

OrigamiSensei
OrigamiSensei
4 months ago

Once again I find myself left cold by a Ghia design (I also feel the same way about Zagato). Ferrari worked primarily with Pininfarina for a reason, and it works for them.

I agree with others that the grey doesn’t really work great with the two tone, and the hood and front wheel to a-pillar lengths are entirely too long to work well. How’s the saying go? I wouldn’t kick it out of my garage but I find an awful lot of other Ferraris to be much more attractive.

Captain Muppet
Captain Muppet
4 months ago

“ It’s just a little bit off from your average post-war Ferrari. ”

Were there any pre-war Ferraris?

Mike Harrell
Mike Harrell
4 months ago
Reply to  Captain Muppet

The Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 was built after the war had begun but shortly before Italy itself declared war so it comes down to one’s preferred definitions of “Ferrari” and “pre-war.” It’s certainly fair to say it isn’t post-war.

Last edited 4 months ago by Mike Harrell
Captain Muppet
Captain Muppet
4 months ago
Reply to  Mike Harrell

So no pre-war Ferraris?

Mike F.
Mike F.
4 months ago

I think I like the car but that two-tone scheme is too distracting for me to really decide. It’s certainly cool for being a different style of Ferrari, though.

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
4 months ago

I would have preferred if the grey were white – but it’s also not my Ferrari.

That said – the chrome is perfectly placed for a two-tone paint scheme.

Twobox Designgineer
Twobox Designgineer
4 months ago

Not sure whether it’s saying Ghia or just a remnant of earlier auto styling, but the features that seem unusual and are indicating one of those to me are the rather rounded roof and boot.

Alex Rockey
Alex Rockey
4 months ago

Well, orange you going to be happy being an orange Ferrari?

TOSSABL
TOSSABL
4 months ago

I like it simply because it doesn’t look like the owner takes it terribly seriously: would almost say it expresses whimsy.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
4 months ago

Can’t help wondering what Adrian would do with that long hood. This Ferrari makes an XKE look nose positively conservative.

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
4 months ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Yeah, didn’t he complain about the A-pillar to front wheel well distance on the XKE? The 375 MM definitely “outperforms” the Jag in that respect.

This gives me an idea, we need a “Goth vs. the [design] Gods” feature in which Adrian points out the flaws on some of the classic designs of the hallowed designers.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
4 months ago

I’d read it.

Gilbert Wham
Gilbert Wham
4 months ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Me too. And be utterly agog at the comments.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
4 months ago

This Ferrari does have an advantage over the XKE in that it doesn’t look like a tongue.

Beer-light Guidance
Beer-light Guidance
4 months ago

Love the car, not a fan of the paint scheme. I really don’t understand why that muddy gray color has become popular on cars.

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
4 months ago

Normally I would agree as I’m all for widening the spectrum of color for cars. But I like a two-tone paint scheme when a muted color is used with a really bright color, especially when it isn’t the way more common black/white+primary colors. Obviously this car, with its already attention grabbing shape, would look like a joke if it were all this shade of orange. This shade of gray works really well with safety-vest orange.

Tangent
Tangent
4 months ago

What, you don’t like the “gloss primer” look?

Ben
Ben
4 months ago
Reply to  Tangent

For some reason I kind of like that gray and I hate myself for it.

Nicklab
Nicklab
3 months ago
Reply to  Ben

Thats about the only type of non-color I like, otherwise give me something vibrant

TDI in PNW
TDI in PNW
4 months ago
Reply to  Tangent

I think it looks fantastic. I’m all for colorful cars but what’s the deal with people getting so up in arms about shiny grey? It’s popular because people like it. I feel the same way about black wheels. I think they look great but I see a lot of disdain towards them.

Feel free to buy more orange and yellow cars, I love those, but who makes any? Look up how many color choices you get for pretty much any random car not made by Porsche. 4, 5, perhaps as many as 6(!) colors. That’s not so much a “choice” as it is being forced to take what they give you.

Toecutter
Toecutter
4 months ago

I love Michelotti’s designs. The Triumph GT6 I have is quite a looker thanks to him.

Last edited 4 months ago by Toecutter
10001010
10001010
4 months ago

Is finding the happiest Ferrari like finding the happiest Cure song?

(I know everyone thinks it’s Friday I’m In Love but really it’s Wrong Number.)

Church
Church
4 months ago
Reply to  10001010

+10 internets for looking past Friday I’m In Love. Truly a connoisseur.

AssMatt
AssMatt
4 months ago
Reply to  10001010

Thanks for the tip, I’d never heard this before. I don’t know about happy, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a Cure video and thought “Robert Smith seems fun.”

Cyko9
Cyko9
4 months ago
Reply to  10001010

“Mint Car” has to be a contender. But like I told my kid when she got into the Cure, you’re going to get “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” as well as “Love Cats”. Depending what mood you’re in depends which Robert you’ll connect with.

About the Ferrari, it’s fun, but I think the Volvo P1800 wore it better.

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
4 months ago
Reply to  10001010

Close To Me has just enough silliness to overcome some of the other emo whining.

Rad Barchetta
Rad Barchetta
4 months ago

Right now Ferrari is preparing to sue someone over that paint job. Which makes me like it even more.

Taco Shackleford
Taco Shackleford
4 months ago

Beautiful car, and thanks for more info and pics! I’ve been waiting to hear about this since the Reddit AMA.

Torque
Torque
4 months ago

From the top rear 3/4 shot and in side profile it looks like someone had a custom Italian body put on top of a 1964 mustang or custom Italian body on top of a 1959 Chrysler prototype the color scheme certainly is bold, overall a pretty design

Last edited 4 months ago by Torque
Justin Thiel
Justin Thiel
4 months ago
Reply to  Torque

I agree, there is some Mustang in this things family line.

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
4 months ago
Reply to  Torque

Considering the age of the car – it’s the Mustang Fastback that was knockoff of the Ferrari.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
4 months ago

Love Ferraris, especially the very old ones.

This one? No…looks just weird as hell with this color scheme, and excess chrome crap on it.

Fight me…

Anders
Anders
4 months ago

Should’ve been a character in Cars; “Giovanni”, the dapper, sigar-smoking and fun-loving Italian with movie star looks.

StillNotATony
StillNotATony
4 months ago

Is that thing stretched? The last photo makes the schnozz look cartoonishly long!

Edit: almost like it’s happy to see everyone!

Last edited 4 months ago by StillNotATony
Mike F.
Mike F.
4 months ago
Reply to  StillNotATony

“Is that a Ferrari in your garage or are you just happy to …..”

Rollin Hand
Rollin Hand
4 months ago
Reply to  StillNotATony
Viking Longcar
Viking Longcar
4 months ago

A color scheme reminiscent of concrete and construction fencing. I actually kinda like it.

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