2009 Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta

The Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta began with a cinematic idea and became a physical road-going commission.

History and purpose

The Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta began with a cinematic idea and became a physical road-going commission. Ferrari’s December 2009 announcement, preserved as an attributed company release, names Edward Walson and describes inspiration from the gold Ferrari associated with Federico Fellini’s Toby Dammit. The new car used the 599 GTB Fiorano as its starting point and received Pininfarina-designed open coachwork. That history joins film, client and engineering in one subject. The original screen car remains an inspiration, while the P540 is the later commissioned object with its own design and construction record.

Design and engineering

The photograph shows the gold P540 at Ferrari’s 2016 Finali Mondiali gathering in Daytona. A broad, low grille and smooth front wings create a calm horizontal face, while the open passenger compartment gives the body a long, uninterrupted upper line. The gold finish is unusually important here because the manufacturer’s release connects it to the original brief. Ferrari also describes structural strengthening for the conversion from a closed donor package. An open body changes more than the roof silhouette: the engineering account explains why a bespoke roadster requires a considered structural solution as well as attractive new panels.

Identifying the original configuration

The name should be kept complete. A reference simply to a gold Ferrari could lead a reader toward the film car, an older coachbuilt model or another custom paint scheme. P540 Superfast Aperta identifies the 2009 commission. The supplied photo’s source names the P540 and gives the event context; nearby cars remain background subjects. The original Ferrari release establishes its one-off status and donor relationship. The six-litre V12 description is tied to the documented 599 GTB platform, rather than presented as a newly certified specification for every detail of this individual body conversion.

Collector context and preservation

The collector story is unusually rich because its design brief can be compared with a pre-existing cultural image. An archive can place a period film reference beside the P540’s completed photographs and examine what was translated: colour, openness and the sense of a special grand touring body. It should also preserve the distinction between interpretation and recreation. The car is not a replacement identity for the historic film vehicle. Commission documents, body construction records and later event images each help explain how a client’s idea became an individual Ferrari. That combination gives the P540 a stronger story than rarity alone.

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 P540 Superfast Aperta?

A 2009 open Ferrari commission based on 599 GTB architecture, inspired by the gold car in Toby Dammit. It is a separate vehicle from that historic film subject.

What engine and transmission does it use?

599 GTB-platform front-mounted 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V12. 599 GTB donor architecture; individual ratio specification not restated. 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 2009 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 P540 Superfast Aperta commission described by Ferrari’s 2009 release as a one-off. Not the historic gold film car that inspired it.

Who took the supplied photograph?

350z33 via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. 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
• Ferrari: documented platform architecture
• Ferrari event record naming P540

Photograph: 350z33 via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Gold Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta at the 2016 Ferrari Finali Mondiali in Daytona, Florida; other cars appear in the background.