Meet Luigi Chinetti: the Italian who made Ferrari big in North America

Rewind to 1954: Burger King launched its first restaurant in Miami, West Germany won the FIFA World Cup, and Ferrari sold its first prancing horse in the United States.

Enzo Ferrari reportedly never left Italy, despite his desire to introduce his race and road cars to the United States. He appointed Luigi Chinetti as the American importer, and this is his story…

Meet Luigi Chinetti

If there's one name you should remember today, it's Luigi Chinetti. Chinetti was an Italian racing driver who immigrated to the United States during World War II. He competed in twelve 24 Hours of Le Mans races, winning three times, and claimed first prize twice at the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. In addition to his racing talent, he excelled in the car sales business, making him the ideal candidate to work for and with Enzo Ferrari.

And, you're right. They met during their time at Alfa Romeo, becoming good friends and business associates. Eventually, Enzo appointed Chinetti as the American Ferrari importer.

Chinetti was born in Jerago con Orago, a small town north of Milan, in 1901. His interest in cars sparked early, leading him to secure his first job in the automotive industry at 16. He started as a mechanic at Alfa Romeo and gradually worked his way up to a sales position at their dealership in Paris.

Chinetti was also passionate about racing and honed his skills in his spare time. His first major appearance came at the 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he and co-driver Raymond Sommer won the endurance race in the No. 8 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MM.

He went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans two more times: in 1934 in the No. 9 Alfa Romeo 8C 3200 MM-LM with Philippe Étancelin and in 1949 in the No. 22 Ferrari 166 MM with Peter Mitchell-Thomson, 2nd Baron Selsdon. A year later, he won the 1950 12 Hours of Sebring in class with the No. 17 Ferrari 195 S and Alfredo Momo as his co-driver and the Carrera Panamericana in 1951 with Piero Taruffi in their No. 34 Ferrari 212 Inter by Vignale.

In 1958, Chinetti founded the North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.).

North American Racing Team

Luigi Chinetti established a strong reputation and his existing relationship with Ferrari ensured a steady supply of former works cars and ongoing support for many years. In 1958, he founded the North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) with financial backing from American businessman George Arents and Dutch-American socialite Jan de Vroom.

The North American Racing Team had great succes in the World Sportscar Championship in the 1960s, such as winning the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans in the No. 21 Ferrari 250 LM, 1962 1000 km of Paris in the No. 1 Ferrari 250 GTO and 1964 2000 km of Daytona in the No. 30 Ferrari 250 GTO Series II.

Another notable event includes that of the blue Ferrari F1-cars. When the FIA refused to homologate the Ferrari 250 LM for international sports car racing in 1964, Enzo Ferrari returned his competition license and vowed never to race in Ferrari Red again.

With the championship on the line, Ferrari's cars appeared in N.A.R.T. colours for the 1964 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen and the Mexican Grand Prix.

The last race of the North American Racing Team was the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans where it campaigned the No. 72 Ferrari 512 BB/LM to a ninth overall finish. In those 24 years, the North American Racing Team participated in over 200 races with more than 100 different drivers.

Ferrari importer

During the Second World War, Chinetti relocated to the United States. In December 1946, he returned to Italy to meet with Enzo Ferrari, who was contemplating starting a company. Chinetti suggested building race cars, and eventually road cars, and when Enzo asked about selling these exclusive vehicles, Chinetti assured him he would handle it. Enzo agreed, and it proved to be a wise choice. Chinetti's racing abilities were exceptional, his sales skills were even more impressive.

Enzo and Chinetti, along with a few other executives, devised a plan to sell race cars to privateers. To finance production, they planned to eventually introduce road cars. Just a year after the first Ferrari was introduced in 1947, Chinetti successfully sold his first Ferrari: the 0002M 166 MM Barchetta to Tommy Lee, a Californian radio executive, seen above.

In the early years of his importing career, most of the sales Chinetti made were kept secret to protect the privacy of his clients. In 1954, he officially started as the US-importer for Ferrari.

Winning team

Chinetti opened his first dealership in Manhattan before eventually relocating to Greenwich, Connecticut. The business still operates today and is now owned by Miller Motorcars, a Ferrari-Maserati dealership.

The American market was expanding annually and presented significant potential for Ferrari. This demand led them to produce models exclusively for the U.S. market. The first of these was the 340 America (1950–1952), a front-V12 grand tourer producing approximately 197 bhp. Ferrari built only 23 units, featuring different bodywork styles: 11 by Vignale, 8 by Touring, and 4 by Ghia.

The Ferrari America series also featured the 342 (1952), 375 (1953–1954), 410 (1955–1959), 400 (1959–1964), 500 (1964–1966), and 365 (1966–1967). One of the most iconic Ferraris, the 250 GT California Spyder, was created through the collaboration of Chinetti and West Coast representative John Von Neumann. They recognized the potential for an open-top car appealing to wealthy Californian clients. Initially priced around $13,000, it now commands a value in the $15-$20 million range.

NART Spyder

Another iconic model was the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spyder. Chinetti discussed the idea of a successor to the 250 GT California Spyder with Sergio Scaglietti and Enzo Ferrari. Although the NART name, referencing his racing team, was never part of the official name, Ferrari still fitted the cars with a NART badge.

Over the years, several cars were designed with the U.S. market in mind, including the 333 SP, 575 Superamerica, California, and the F60 America. The latter celebrates all of Ferrari's successes since 1954.

The impact Luigi Chinetti had on Ferraris legacy is indescribable: the US-market remains their most profitable market to this date.