The Superfast's welded tubular steel ladder type chassis, designated Tipo 578, was in many ways similar to the Tipo 571 frame of Ferrari's 330 GT. Sharing an identical 2650mm wheelbase, this newer version was enhanced with strengthened mounting points to cope with the additional weight of it's five-litre engine. There was indepenent coil sprung front suspension, a live axle to the rear and telescopic shock absorbers all-round. Centre-lock Borrani wire wheels were standard along with disc brakes. Engine-wise, displacement of the Superfast's unique Tipo 208 engine was 4943cc, this 60° Colombo V12 being the largest capacity Ferrari motor available. Bore and stroke were 88 x 68mm respectively, output a huge 400bhp at 6500rpm. Compression was set at 8.8:1 while carburettors were normally three Weber 40 DCZ 6's although some customers may have opted for six. Despite having no racing pretension whatsoever, the 500 Superfast was an exceedingly quick machine - 0-60 taking just six seconds while over 170mph was possible flat out.

Pininfarina were chosen to design and build bodies for these cars, the Turinese carrozzeria producing an elegantly restrained machine that was very much in keeping with buyers requirements. It had evolved from earlier Superfast show cars and Coupe Aerodinamico predecessors, the vast 500's ranking among the most distinguished looking vehicles of their era. Despite having been the longest Ferrari produced up until that time, the Superfast somehow managed never to appear awkward or ungainly while the interior was a sixties paradise. Beautifully detailed and superbly built, it featured a teak veneered facia with chrome surround instruments, Connolly leather and carpeting, a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel and an exquisite stainless steel ashtray. After chassis 5951 debuted at 1964's Geneva Salon, the Superfast instantly became Ferrari's most expensive road model, customers including the Aga Khan (6049), Prince Bernhard of Holland (6267), Peter Sellers (6679), the Shah of Iran (6605 and 7975), John von Neumann (8565) and Colonel Ronnie Hoare (8897).

Similarities between the Superfast and aforementioned 330 GT extended to the developments Ferrari made during production. Coinciding with the replacement of the 330 GT’s four-speed overdrive gearbox for a five-speed during the summer of 1965, Ferrari introduced the same upgrade to the Superfast. Additional improvements made around this time included a Borg & Beck hydraulic clutch (to replace the Fichtel & Sachs unit) and up-hinged pedals. Perhaps most obvious though were new three-louvre engine cooling vents carved out from behind each front wheelarch, these instead of the earlier eleven-louvre items. However, there was no distinct switch from a Series I to II specification, Ferrai's changes being gradually phased in and meaning the easiest way to distinguish Superfast production is based on the type of gearbox fitted (four or five-speed).

While subtle differences could be found from one Superfast to the next, manufacturing techniques were advancing quickly by the mid 1960's and it just wasn't practical for far-reaching modifications to be made. As a consequence, we believe that only one Superfast was completed with genuinely bespoke features, chassis 6039, the ninth car built, having been uniquely manufactured with a covered headlight Coupe Aerodinamico-style nose. Displayed at 1965's Geneva Salon, it was sold through Georges Filipinetti's Garage Montchoisy to Prince Karim after the show. Rather, tailoring on the 500's came primarily in the form of colour combinations, trimmings and instrumentation instead of unique bodies and bespoke interiors. Production ended in August 1966 after 36 examples had been completed, 25 with 4-speed boxes and eight in right-hand drive. It was to be the last of Ferrari's special order coupes, the Superfast being replaced by the even more scarce 365 California of which only 14 were ever made.