compression ratio. Following Ferrari's development work on the 854/"Ferrarina" prototype, a new prototype called the "Mille" ("one thousand" in Italian) was shown at the 1961 Turin Auto Show on the Bertone stand. The Mille was an entirely new car based on the 854 project, with 2-door fastback coupé bodywork designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone. Although this prototype had no Ferrari badging, its design echoed contemporary Ferrari GT models and the origin of the design within Ferrari was well publicized. Despite positive publicity and official support of the project from Ferrari, at the time of the Mille's debut there were no plans for Ferrari to mass-produce the design. Ferrari engineers had planned around annual production of 3000-5000 cars, which would sell for approximately US$2600 each. Not only was the Ferrari factory inadequate for this kind of volume production, Enzo Ferrari was unwilling to expand it in order to produce the Mille. Even before the Turin debut of the Mille, Ferrari had begun searching for another company that would buy the design and bring it to market. Formation of ASA and 1000 GT production By 1962, Enzo Ferrari decided to entrust production of the Ferrarina to close friend Oronzio de Nora and his son, Niccolò de Nora. The de Nora Electrochemical Group formed a new company for this purpose under the name ASA (Autocostruzioni Società per Azioni). ASA operations were headed by Niccolò de Nora. Also involved in ASA management were race drivers Lorenzo Bandini, Gerino Gerini, and Giancarlo Baghetti and engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. The new firm had its headquarters on via San Faustino in Milan. The ASA 1000 GT production version, almost unchanged from the "Mille" prototype, was officially introduced at the 1962 Turin Auto Show. Despite this debut, due to production difficulties series production of the 1000 GT did not begin until 1964. The production 1000 GT used the 1032cc Tipo 141 I4 engine fitted with 40DCOE9 carburetors. It produced a stated at 6800 rpm, a HP/Litre ratio better than the contemporary Ferrari 275 GTB. Other sources report an output of at 7000 rpm. Production cars used a tubular spaceframe chassis designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, based on the 250 GTO. It was equipped with double wishbone front suspension and a live axle at the rear. Both front and rear of the car were equipped with coil springs, tubular dampers, an anti-roll bar and disk brakes. The coupe was bodied