Ferrari Superamerica 45 a one-off

HENRY Ford would roll over in his grave. He once said about the Model T: "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black."

Today's customers for prestige cars can chose from so many trim options it is possible that no two cars of the same model would be the same. Maserati, for example, has nine million possible trim, colour and leather combinations, a figure that has doubled in the past three years.

One Australian family is even reported to have chosen a bespoke Maserati Quattroporte with four different leather seat colours to match the favourite colour of each member of the family. Ferrari runs a Special Projects program where customers can create a one-off special.

For example, New York Ferrari collector and enthusiast Peter Kalikow has taken delivery of this one-off Special Projects Ferrari  Superamerica 45 to celebrate 45 years since he first became a Ferrari client.

It features a carbon-fibre rotating hard-top, a carbon-fibre boot, chromed front grille and special burnished aluminium A-pillars, wing mirrors and door handles.

The Superamerica 45 is finished in Blu Antille to matches Kalikow's 1961 400 Superamerica cabriolet. The wheels are body-coloured with contrasting diamond-finish spokes. The roof and other carbon-fibre elements of the bodywork are in a special contrasting darker blue, a theme that is carried over to the cockpit which features dark blue carbon-fibre dash trim and driver zone.

The interior features a combination of Cuoio leather trim and Blu Scuro carbon fibre details and a latest-generation touch-screen infotainment system. No Australian customer has yet ordered a car under Ferrari's Special Projects program.

However, every Ferrari that comes into Australia is personalised to individual customer's particular requirements. And there is a lot to choose from.

For a start there are three different types of seat: standard, carbon fibre racing and carbon fibre racing with electric adjustment. These then come in small, medium or large sizes.

The standard seat may have the normal upholstery style, Daytona or Diamond pattern, then different parts of the seat may use differ types of leather in different colours or be combined with Alcantara. The stitching can be the same colour or different colours, in different stitching styles or piping may be used.

But wait there's so much more. The seat belts come in different colours, the boot may be carpet or Alcantara and so on.

And what about colours? There is a standard range, an historic range from Ferrari's history or customers can choose any colour they like. Even choosing a red Ferrari involves a choice - classic Rosa Corsa, Scuderia Red of the F1 team or three darker metallic and pearlescent reds.

A Ferrari spokesman says it usually takes a customer three to four hours to work out the exact specification for their Ferrari.