2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica

The Ferrari 575 Superamerica turned a front-engined V12 grand tourer into an unusually inventive open car.

History and purpose

The Ferrari 575 Superamerica turned a front-engined V12 grand tourer into an unusually inventive open car. Ferrari dates the Superamerica to 2005, correcting the source inventory’s 2004 heading. The manufacturer describes Pininfarina styling and a rotating glazed roof based on Fioravanti’s patented mechanism. An original auction record supports a completed series of 559. Its appeal is easy to understand without a superlative: a substantial twelve-cylinder road car changes character through a roof movement that becomes part of the visible body, rather than disappearing into a conventional folding stack.

Design and engineering

The credited rear-quarter photograph is particularly useful because it shows the open configuration. The roof panel sits behind the passenger compartment, giving the rear deck a layered appearance above the rounded tail. Paired circular rear lamps and bright wheels retain the visual weight of a traditional Ferrari grand tourer. The dark roof surface contrasts with the red body, making the opening mechanism legible at a glance. This is a car whose engineering idea can be studied through its silhouette. The relationship between panel, rear screen and boot is more informative than a generic front view would be.

Identifying the original configuration

Superamerica has been used at different times in Ferrari history. Here it identifies the 2005 rotating-roof road series, not a 1950s coachbuilt V12 or the later Superamerica 45 commission. The 559-car tally covers the whole original series, rather than one country or one gearbox choice. The photograph is credited as a 2005 Superamerica; its exterior does not establish which transmission is fitted. A manual-only claim would therefore narrow the subject beyond the evidence. Keeping both documented transmission choices in the table gives the model a useful identity without mislabelling the pictured individual.

Collector context and preservation

A Superamerica collection file benefits from a sequence of roof photographs as much as a conventional specification sheet. Closed, moving and fully open views record how the distinctive components relate to the body. Service paperwork should follow the same logic, connecting roof operation and glazing with the car’s chassis identity. For comparison, place this model beside a conventional closed 575 and the bespoke Superamerica 45. That arrangement makes the different answers to open V12 motoring visible. The original programme’s small scale matters, but the roof architecture explains why this Ferrari remains memorable beyond its production number.

Reading the evidence for this profile

The original source links below identify the programme and the historical statements used in this article. The photograph has its own creator and licence record, separate from the manufacturer’s vehicle history. Keep both when transferring this profile into a collection catalogue. A manufacturing tally describes how many cars belong to a defined original programme; it does not measure how many survive, how many are publicly visible, or how many retain all their original components. Those individual questions require dated chassis and restoration evidence. The reference year likewise describes the programme’s introduction or named historic configuration, while the supplied caption states the photographed setting and any established individual identity. This lets future research expand the car’s history without blurring the scope of the record already assembled here.

Specifications and verified rarity

Frequently asked questions

What is the 575 Superamerica?

A limited-series open V12 Ferrari distinguished by a rotating glazed roof. This profile covers both original gearbox choices in the complete 559-car programme.

What engine and transmission does it use?

Front-mounted 5.75-litre naturally aspirated V12. Six-speed manual or six-speed F1 automated manual. These entries describe the documented vehicle or explicitly named donor architecture. They should be read alongside the body and programme scope, rather than transferred to every Ferrari carrying a similar badge.

Why is 2005 the reference year?

The title follows the documented introduction, public presentation or custodial model-year record explained in the history section. An individual delivery can occur later. Original workbook titles remain identity aliases when research corrects their year.

How should an individual example be identified?

Start with its chassis record and original configuration, then compare dated photographs, factory or commission paperwork and the service history. Model-level specifications explain the design, while the individual file establishes the identity and condition of the particular car.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Complete original 2005 Superamerica road-car series: 559 manufactured examples, across transmission choices. Not the earlier coachbuilt Superamerica family.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY 2.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Ferrari profiles

• 2011 Ferrari Superamerica 45
• 2014 Ferrari F60 America

Sources and photo credits

• Original manufacturer, commission or custodial record
• Original auction record: 559-car series

Photograph: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY 2.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. 2005 Ferrari Superamerica in open-roof configuration; transmission choice is not identified from the exterior photograph.