The Ferrari automotive marque is undoubtedly among the most highly revered marques in the world. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari, the company’s first road cars were reluctantly produced and sold to fund Enzo Ferrari’s racing ambition through his racing team, the Scuderia Ferrari. Nonetheless, the cars went on to win several car enthusiasts’ hearts and the brand has continued in the same vein to date. While its first set of cars was produced in Modena, Italy, subsequent models, as well as the current makes, are produced at the company’s Maranello factory.
Notably, the current Ferrari models are the rave of the luxury sports car segment, and they include incredibly alluring models like the F8 Tributo, F8 Spider, Roma, and the 812 Superfast among others. Also, as seen with the Novitec Monza and Mansory Stallone 812, several Ferrari cars have undergone great transformation courtesy of some highly talented tuners. One other significant example of such is the incredibly awesome one-off 1983 Ferrari Meera S, and here are some new details about the legendary car.
8 Builder
The Meera S was built by the amazing Giovanni Michelotti, one of the world’s most creative sports car designers of the 20th century. Michelotti is well known for the several designs and building jobs he did for Lancia, Triumph, Maserati, as well as the Ferrari brand.
Upon receiving the custom order, the base car was sent from Ferrari’s Maranello factory to Michelotti, who then transformed it into an entirely different and unique piece of an automobile. Also, the Meera S is quite significant, being the last Ferrari ever worked on by Michelotti.
7 Naming
Officially, Ferrari launched its “One-Off” personalization program at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. The program aims to give Ferrari’s most esteemed customers a unique opportunity to build a Ferrari of their vision. However, several Ferrari cars have been built into one-off cars way before the 2008 launch of the unique program, and the Meera S is an example of such cars.
It’s a one-of-one car that was commissioned exclusively in 1983 by Saudi Arabian royalty Prince Saoud, who named it after a very important woman to him.
6 Base Model
The Meera S is based on the Ferrari 400i, a front-engined V12 2+2 grand tourer produced by the Italian company from 1979 to 1985. Originally, the Ferrari 400i was introduced as the replacement for the Ferrari 400 (the first Ferrari model to adopt automatic transmission), and it was initially available with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection.
Subsequently, the 400i received further updates which include new exhaust headers and camshaft profiles, earning it an improved output of 311 horsepower. Interestingly, Meera S is based on a 1983 model of the 400i.
5 Powertrain
Meera S adopted the Ferrari 400i’s powertrain, and it has retained the same powertrain configuration to date. Hence, the engine powering the Meera S is the awesome fuel-injected variant of the 4.8-liter Colombo V12, which churns out as much as 310 horsepower at 6,500 rpm.
In the Ferrari 400i, the engine was optionally available with either a 3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, and we believe the Meera S is fitted with and retained the latter, which helps it to a top speed of 149 mph.
4 Innovative Features
Some form of experimental innovations went down in the construction of the Meera S. The car notably received novel features which include rain wipers on all four window sides and twin-air conditioning for the front passengers.
Furthermore, the Meera S didn’t have the widely adopted traditional rearview mirrors in most cars. Instead, it was innovatively fitted with a monitor that provides video feeds. That wasn’t all, as the awesomely built car also features an electric roof for ease of control.
3 Exterior
The biggest transformation on the Meera S took place on the exterior, as its form has been completely altered in comparison to the Ferrari model it was based on, the Ferrari 400i. Though based on a Ferrari 400i, the Meera S however looks completely different from its donor car.
It is built with a low profile and looks totally unrecognizable due to its wedge shape as well as its retractable headlamps. Furthermore, the Meera S has a slatted grille and protruding body panels.
2 Restored
The Meera S has been restored. In November 2010, it received about €252,000-worth of restoration transformation courtesy of the Ferrari Classiche program. Launched in 2006, the Classiche program is a Ferrari restoration package designed to help owners of classic Ferrari sports cars restore their vehicles.
The Meera S’ restoration effort includes a rebuilt engine, reconstructed electricals, and a new exhaust system to name a few. All these have helped restored the Meera S’ automotive significance.
1 Up For Auction
Built by Michelotti in the ‘80s, the Meera S has remained one of the most amazing Ferraris ever produced. In 2010, having been around for about 30 years after production, age was already telling on the Meera S. Hence, it was comprehensively restored.
The Meera S is up for grab at the RM Sotheby’s Paris Auction on February 2, 2022. The car with Chassis No. ZFFEB06B000041421 will be in LOT 233, and from estimates, it is expected to be auctioned off between $105,000 and $125,000.