Legacy Metrics

1954 Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet

0353 ALroadItaly
Engine
4.5L Lampredi inline configuration, detuned from 375 MM race specification
Colour
Black

Chassis 0353 AL is the sole open-bodied example among the twelve 375 Americas produced, bodied by Vignale in hand-formed alloy cabriolet coachwork and originally factory-converted from a 250 Europa. Delivered new in late 1954, it passed through a short, well-documented chain of Italian and American owners, including a brief association with racing driver Luigi Musso. Imported to California in 1958, it was shown at the 1972 Hollywood Bowl Concours d'Elegance and comprehensively restored in 1980. It retains its matching-numbers drivetrain and original hard top, confirmed by Ferrari Classiche inspection.

Ownership

  1. Auction sale
  2. 1954-12-01 → 1956-10-01Factory delivery
    Bianca Colizzi
    full documentation

    Daughter of Italian film director Giuseppe Colizzi; acquired the car directly from the factory and registered it in Rome shortly before the 1954 holiday season.

  3. 1956-10-01 → 1958-07-01Private sale
    Harry Chambers
    full documentation

    American TWA executive who had established the airline's Milan office; learned of the car through racing driver Luigi Musso and used it enthusiastically, including visits to the Monza circuit. Later honored by the Italian government and eventually led NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

  4. 1958-07-01 → 1974Private sale
    Joseph Fitch
    full documentation

    TWA flight dispatcher from Los Angeles who bought the car from Chambers and brought it to California by late 1958; had the bodywork repainted dark blue after a shipping mishap and oversaw a full mechanical rebuild completed around 1962, thereafter keeping it carefully stored at his Southern California home.

  5. 1974 → 1995Private sale
    Wayne Golomb
    full documentation

    Ferrari enthusiast from Springfield, Illinois, who found the car via a magazine advertisement; commissioned a thorough restoration in 1980 and the car featured in several marque-specific publications during his two-decade tenure.

  6. 1995 → 1998Private sale
    Dennis Machul
    partial documentation

    Illinois-based owner who actively drove the car, completing the 1995 Colorado Grand event during his brief period of ownership.

  7. 1998 →Private sale
    Current consignor
    partial documentation

    Had the exterior repainted black and the interior retrimmed, then maintained the car in climate-controlled storage; recently submitted it for Ferrari Classiche certification.

  8. Date unknownAcquisition unknown
    Doctor (unnamed, Italian)
    partial documentation

    Car was reportedly placed in storage with a physician after only about a year of use; no precise dates or identity given, and the arrangement may have been informal.

Competition

  1. 1969
    Ferrari Owners Club Meeting, Culver City

    Car was displayed by owner Joseph Fitch at this club gathering in Southern California.

  2. 1972-08-01
    Hollywood Bowl Concours d'Elegance
    1st in class

    Entered while still in Fitch's ownership; took class honors at this California concours event.

  3. 1995
    1995 Colorado Grand
    Driver: Dennis MachulSuccessful completion

    Driving tour-style event completed by owner Machul during his brief stewardship of the car.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. 1958
    Bodywork

    Coachwork repainted in a gun-metal grey shade at some point prior to the July 1958 sale; the exact date within the Chambers ownership period is not specified.

  2. 1958
    Repair

    Partial body repaint required after damage sustained during ocean shipment to the United States; the affected panels were refinished in dark blue, and the entire exterior was subsequently matched to that colour.

    Incident occurred while the car was in transit to California in late 1958.

  3. 1962
    Engine rebuild

    Gradual mechanical overhaul of the Lampredi engine and drivetrain, completed by 1962; sourcing competent mechanics familiar with Lampredi units in the US was reportedly challenging at the time.

    Work was carried out over several years during Fitch's ownership in Southern California.

  4. 1980
    Restoration

    Comprehensive restoration undertaken during Wayne Golomb's ownership.

  5. Bodywork

    Exterior refinished in black and interior fully reupholstered after the consignor acquired the car in 1998.

    Exact year of work within the post-1998 period is not stated.

  6. Inspection
    Ferrari Classiche

    Submitted to Ferrari Classiche for formal certification; confirmed to retain matching-numbers drivetrain components and original alloy coachwork, with minor outstanding items noted for the next owner to complete.

    A detailed Ferrari Classiche report is available for review; the full certification process was not yet finalised at the time of cataloguing.

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Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.