Ferrari 2+2 Passion: From the 212 Inter to the Amalfi, All the 4-seater Berlinettas from Maranello
ROME – Named after the former autonomous state on the Tyrrhenian Sea that in the 9th century became one of the four maritime republics of the peninsula, the new Ferrari Amalfi interprets with class and contemporaneity the eclectic tradition of the 2+2 configuration cars, produced by the Maranello company. A tradition almost 75 years long.
Here are the 2+2 Prancing Horse models that made history.
1950s
The first chapter of the story rewinds memories to the post-war period when the Maranello manufacturer introduced the 212 Inter. It is one of the first Ferrari 4-seater grand tourers (the rear ones very narrow) and the model also purchased by the President of Argentina Juan Peron, was produced in very few examples by coachbuilders such as Vignale, Touring, Ghia. The Sothebys estimate for this last version is around 2 million euros. In 1954 it was the turn of the 250 GT Europa considered the first true Ferrari GT. Here begins the bond with Pininfarina that will give shape to the subsequent 2+2.
Having reached the fabulous sixties, the Prancing Horse matched the enchantment of the epoch in progress by introducing the 250 GT 2+2 (GTE) in 1960, which became the first Ferrari produced in series with a 2+2 configuration. The model was equipped with the iconic V12 Colombo Ferrari 330 and four years later its evolution called the 330 GT 2+2 was born. In addition to the greater emphasis on comfort, the car was also offered in the quad headlights version. The levels of space and comfort were raised to a new level with the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 of 1967, so much so that it was nicknamed "Queen Mary". The sports flagship had independent rear suspension and was powered by a 4.4-liter V12 with 320 hp.
70s-80sIn the 1970s, the rounded design themes of the previous decade took on more angular solutions, cleverly captured by the style of the Ferrari 365 GT4, also designed by Pininfarina.
The grand tourer marks the debut of the front-mounted V12 that powered the Ferrari 400/412 from 1976 to 1989. Specifically, the luxurious 400 (produced from 1976-1985) was called "Automatic" or "GT" (with carburetors), before acquiring the "400i" acronym in 1979 by virtue of the Bosch injection. The 412 is instead the final model of the series characterized by the 4.9-liter V12, ABS as standard and, like the previous editions, the choice between manual or automatic transmission.
Even more closely linked to the Gordon Gekko era is the Ferrari Mondial (1980-1993) introduced as the successor to the 308 GT4. The model uses a central V8 (initially 2.9L, then 3.2L and finally 3.4L in the T version) and thanks to the longer wheelbase compared to the GT4, offers better habitability in the rear seats. Also available in a convertible version, the Mondial is the emblem of a decade lived in fast forward. Italy has recently won the soccer World Cup, high-waisted jeans are all the rage and finance will soon adopt the mantra “money never sleeps”.
Over the next twenty years, Ferrari introduced the award-winning series of open-top V8s (348, F355, 360 and F430), harking back to the two-seater "berlinettas" of the past, while the 2+2 configurations were exclusively for the V12s designed for touring, such as the 456 GT of 1992. A synthesis of elegance and performance, the car can be considered the modern heir to the grand tourers of yesteryear.
The sequel is instead the even more spacious and technically refined 612 Scaglietti introduced in 2004 which, through the 12-cylinder 5.7-liter, can reach a top speed of 320 km/h. The next milestones in the evolution of the 2+2 models are the Ferrari California with retractable hard top, the all-wheel drive FF (shooting brake launched in 2011 with four real seats) and the GTC4Lusso also available in a V8 turbo version.
The balance between design, performance and comfort of the 2+2 Ferrari finally shifts to the retro-chic proportions and shapes of the Roma. Unveiled in 2019, the model celebrates Italian style by finding inspiration in the Gran Turismos of the 50s and 60s.
Like the new Amalfi, the 2+2 from Maranello named after the capital of the Bel Paese and also offered in a cabriolet version, blends classic elegance with cutting-edge technical and dynamic technologies. In the retrospective dedicated to four-seater Ferraris, the Purosangue cannot be missed, although it belongs to a sui generis segment, at the same time proving to be the most habitable model in the history of the Prancing Horse.
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