Ferrari 375 America Coupé Vignale

The Ferrari 375 America 0327AL Coupé by Carrozzeria Vignale is a true masterpiece, blending Ferrari’s high-performance engineering with the bold, stylish design of one of Italy’s premier coachbuilders. Crafted by Giovanni Michelotti under Alfredo Vignale’s direction, the car’s design stood out for its dramatic, dynamic lines and innovative use of chrome and stainless steel embellishments, a hallmark of Vignale’s work. Completed in 1954, the 375 America Coupé showcased a fastback profile that would later be embraced by Detroit muscle cars, featuring a large, wraparound rear window and a sleek, aggressive stance. Vignale’s design contrasted with the more restrained creations from Pinin Farina, incorporating scallops and ducts along the bodywork to add depth and visual interest. The car’s striking two-tone color scheme of Amaranto and metallic grey, along with a beige interior, further set it apart from its contemporaries, creating an aesthetic that was at once elegant and sporting. This particular chassis, 0327AL, was one of two 375 Americas completed by Vignale in a similar style, with 0337AL being the other. However, 0327AL was uniquely distinguished by its front and rear light configurations, which were deeply set into the fenders, and by its eye-catching color combination. The car made its public debut at the New York World Motor Sports Show in January 1954, and was later displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March of the same year. Following these high-profile exhibitions, the car was delivered to its original owner, Robert C. Wilke, the president of Leader Cards Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wilke personally traveled to Modena to take delivery of the car, marking the start of its American journey. Over the years, the Ferrari 375 America underwent several changes, including a repaint to metallic blue in the 1960s. Upon Wilke’s passing in 1970, the car was inherited by his son Ralph Wilke. In 1974, the car was sold to Dr. Robert E. Steiner, also from Milwaukee, who had it repainted yellow. In 1984, the 375 America was sold to Ed Jurist’s Vintage Car Store in Nyack, New York, before being acquired by David L. Coffin of Sunapee, New Hampshire, in 1985. Coffin had the car repainted in metallic blue once again, before selling it to Thomas W. Barrett in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1986. Barrett offered the car for sale in Hemmings Motor News in 1986 for $100,000. In May 1988, the car was auctioned at The Sportscar Auction in Geneva, where it fetched $462,600, including the buyer’s premium. After this sale, the 375 America joined the prestigious Blackhawk Collection in Danville, California. Over the next few decades, the car passed through various hands, including European collectors such as Sander van der Velden in Belgium and Frits Kroymans in the Netherlands. By 2010, the car was in the possession of Tom Price in San Francisco, who undertook a full restoration, returning it to its original burgundy and silver livery. In August 2011, the car was sold at RM Auctions’ Monterey event for $1,980,000. The 375 America continued to attract attention at subsequent auctions. In May 2016, it was offered once again by the Blackhawk Collection, and in August 2022, it was presented at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction with an estimate of $3.5 to $5 million. Although the car did not sell at that event, it found a new home at RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction in January 2021, where it sold for $2,557,000.