In the late 1950s, Ferrari had the notion to craft a smaller, more accessible GT car, and by 1959, this idea materialized into reality. Enzo Ferrari extensively used it as his personal car for testing before a second version was presented on Bertone's stand at the 1961Turin Motor Show. Dubbed the "1000", the design was executed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and the engine, a 1,032cc 4-cylinder, featured typical Ferrari engineering, resembling roughly two-thirds of a 250 GT engine. The prototype bore no logo, indicating that Ferrari ultimately did not wish to associate its name with it. Indeed, Niccolò de Nora, son of a prominent Milanese industrialist and a client of the marque, acquired the rights to manufacture and market the 1000. He then established the ASA (Autocostruzioni, Società per Azioni) company, and the production prototype was showcased at the 1962 Turin Motor Show as the ASA 1000 GT, with Giotto Bizzarrini among the engineers contributing to the design of the tubular chassis. The Spyder variant was unveiled at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, featuring a fiberglass body that saved 100 kg in weight.
The concept of a genuine, smaller-scale Ferrari built in Maranello likely emerged shortly after the ASA's release, positioning it as a precursor to the iconic Dino.
This ASA will come with its FIVA card, bearing the number 047873.