Description
The Ferrari 375 MM Coupé by Scaglietti is a one-of-a-kind grand touring car, built in 1955 as part of the highly exclusive 375 MM (Mille Miglia) series. While most 375 MMs were designed as open barchettas or spyders for international sports car racing, this unique coupé—bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti—represented a dramatic shift in both design language and purpose. It was a landmark creation that helped define Ferrari’s future approach to road-going supercars.
The 375 MM was powered by the formidable 4.5-liter Lampredi-designed V12 engine. In racing tune, this engine could produce over 340 horsepower, though the coupé variant may have been slightly detuned for road use. Nevertheless, performance was immense for the period, with top speeds approaching 280 km/h (around 175 mph) depending on gearing. The engine was paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, and the car’s chassis was derived from Ferrari’s competition machines, featuring a tubular steel frame, independent front suspension, and a live rear axle.
What truly distinguished the 375 MM Coupé was its revolutionary bodywork. Commissioned by film director Roberto Rossellini for his wife, Ingrid Bergman, the car was designed and built by Sergio Scaglietti. It was the first Ferrari coupé ever styled and constructed by Scaglietti and featured a dramatic, flowing fastback roofline, deeply sculpted flanks, and a minimalist, almost futuristic appearance. The design was radical for its time, with clean surfaces, flush-mounted lights, and a bold departure from the ornate styling cues of early 1950s coachbuilders.
The coupé’s design later influenced the Ferrari 250 GTs that followed, particularly the 250 GT Berlinetta “Tour de France” and other Scaglietti-bodied models. It marked a turning point toward a more modern, performance-oriented aesthetic that would dominate Ferrari design through the 1960s.
Inside, the car featured a cockpit designed for driving rather than luxury. It was trimmed in leather and aluminum, with functional instrumentation and a spartan layout. Despite its competition roots, the coupé had a sense of bespoke exclusivity, reflecting its status as a one-off built for a famous and discerning client.
Only one Ferrari 375 MM Coupé by Scaglietti was ever built, making it one of the rarest and most historically important Ferraris of the 1950s. It now resides in a private collection and has been shown at some of the world’s most prestigious concours events, celebrated for its beauty, originality, and influence on Ferrari’s design evolution.
The 375 MM Coupé Scaglietti stands as a masterpiece of mid-century automotive design—an innovative fusion of power, elegance, and forward-thinking style that helped shape the identity of Ferrari’s future road cars.