When well known Ferrari collector Peter S. Kalikow asked Pininfarina to build him a personalized 612 Scaglietti, the Italian coachbuilder was more than happy to oblige. There was a desire for some time in Turin to customize Ferrari products, but they lacked the solid backing Kalikow offered. He had a list of areas he wanted addressed, which resulted in a totally unique 612, sharing not one panel with the production model.

It was not the first time Kalikow had a go at creating a car. In the early 1970s he was behind the Momo Mirage coupe, which combined an American drivetrain with an Italian coachwork. Sadly only two cars were assembled, which are both in Kalikow's collection. They are joined by a wide variety of the 1950s and 1960s Ferraris, many of which were successfully shown in concours d'elegance all over the world. Both the colour and some cues of the customized 612 were inspired by the various cars in the collection. The American's collector's Ferraris all sport a license plate starting with a 'K', so he simply named the car 'Kappa'; the Greek name for the letter 'K'.

The clearest new design element inspired by the classic Ferraris is the scoop in the engine cover, which is decorated with chrome strips. Another notable change up front is the use of chrome in the headlights. A looking at the side of the car raises the question whether the wheelbase was shortened, which it wasn't. The added vents behind the front wheels are responsible for the shorter appearance. They are not just for show, but also increase the downforce by allowing air to escape from the wheel-well. The rear end is also extensively modified with the taillights moved up to the edge to a similar location as the on the F430 and Enzo.

Entry to the car is through personalized door handles, which feature the owner's initials. These were not specified, but were added as a present by Pininfarina. If this is not enough to identify the car's initiator and executioner, there is a plaque in the door sill that explains the details even more clearly. The interior is pretty much stock, although a upholstery colour is used that has not been available since the mid-1990s. What is very special is the roof fitted, which mainly consists of two panes of glass. Similar to those used in large German saloons, the glass' transparency can be changed from completely clear to pitch black.

Pininfarina turned Kalikow's desires into metal in less than a year and he could officially take delivery of the 612 Kappa at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza. Five minutes after receiving the keys, he was already asking around how far away he was from the German Autobahns. Kalikow did stick around long enough to explain that Ferrari agreed not to copy any of the unique cues of the Kappa for future models.

Peter Kalikow's Ferrari 612 Kappa is pictured here at Villa d'Este just after it was delivered by Pininfarina. We would like to thank Ferrari historian Marcel Massini and Peter Kalikow for assisting us with this feature. WM