Presumably few Ferrari enthusiasts know that in 1969 Luigi Chinetti Jr. began working on a project to offer his clientele a luxurious and sophisticated, high-performance, four-seat bespoke automobile at a reasonable cost.

It was a simple and rather ingenious design that would require relocating the front-wheel-drive engine and sub-frame from the Cadillac Eldorado into a body constructed by the famous coach building firm Zagato, in Italy.

A 400-horsepower, 500 cubic-inch mid-engine car was the result. It had four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes.

The large engine fitted with the light weight body offering neck-snapping performance and acceleration, and the reserve rear window was reminiscent of the one used in the Ferrari Dino.

In 1971, the prototype car was displayed on the Zagato stand at the Turin auto show and a few month later on the Chinetti stand at the NY auto show.

Nevertheless, Junior’s project failed, as the sale of Ferrari products took off for Chinetti, and only one car was built and offered for sale at the RM auction in Monterey, Calif.