1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series I Coupe (Estimate: $2,750,000 – $3,500,000)
One of Only 12 Series I 410 Superamerica Coupes Built by Pinin Farina
Delivered New to Bao Dai, The Last Emperor of Vietnam
Presented in Original Colors with Wonderfully Patinated Original Interior
Extensive Mechanical Restoration by Marque Specialists Patrick Ottis and Bill Attaway
FIVA Award Winner at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®
Ferrari Classiche Red Book Certified; Documented by Ferrari Historian Marcel Massini
One of only 12 Ferrari Series I Superamerica Coupes built by Pinin Farina, this example, chassis 0493 SA, was completed in 1956, finished in a magnificent bright blue with a contrasting ivory roof and natural leather upholstery. A car truly fit for a king, it was sold to its first owner, Bao Dai, the 13th and final reigning Emperor of Vietnam and the final Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of Vietnam. Bao Dai was officially removed from power in 1955 after Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem declared himself the president of the new Republic of Vietnam, spurring the Emperor to flee to France in 1956, where he lived in exile for the rest of his life.
It was at this time that he acquired 0493 SA as a companion car to his other Lampredi-powered Ferrari, a 375 MM Spider, chassis 0450 AM. Following the Emperor’s ownership, the 410 SA passed through a succession of French owners, and in 1980, was sold to respected Italian car collector Fabrizio Violati, who displayed it in his famous Maranello Rosso museum among the finest Ferrari and Abarth competition cars.
This 410 Superamerica eventually made its way to its current owner, who was eager to return 0493 SA to its original specification. The consignor commissioned respected early Ferrari specialists Patrick Ottis and Bill Attaway to perform an extensive mechanical restoration spanning the course of nearly a decade. This process included an engine rebuild and overhaul of the suspension, driveline, and braking system. Ferrari Classiche certified as it was undergoing this work, upon completion, 0493 SA was displayed at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it seamlessly completed the 50-mile Tour d’Elegance and earned the prestigious FIVA Award for the best-preserved postwar vehicle.
Today, 0493 SA presents in beautiful condition, still wearing Bao Dai’s royal crest and retaining its wonderfully preserved, richly patinated original Connolly leather upholstery. This historically significant example is accompanied by a voluminous file of documentation, including a report by Marcel Massini and a custom book covering this car’s magnificent story, complete with assorted ephemera relating to Emperor Bao Dai.
