Photo: Tom Gidden for RM Sotheby's
Contrary to popular belief, some things do change. In fact, all things change – including Ferrari’s approach to 12-cylinder flagships in the 1970s.
Even though Colombo-engined cars were still popular back then, the Prancing Horse of Maranello decided to try something else in order to wow its customers and the general public. Taking inspiration from the 1512, 312B, 312 PB, and 312T, the Mauro Forghieri flat-12 engine saw its first road-going application.
The first mid-engined Ferrari with 12 cylinders – the 365 GT/4 BB – isn’t exactly a boxer as the nameplate implies. Technically speaking, the powerplant is a V12 with the cylinder banks angled at 180 degrees. The difference boils down to the crankpins. Porsche and Subaru, on the other hand, have proper boxers.
After setting the stage with the 365 GT/4 BB, the company then introduced what’s often considered to be the most beautiful mid-engined Fezza of the 1970s. Only 929 examples of the BB 512 were made from 1976 through 1981, packing a larger displacement, wider tires, dry-sump lubrication, and styling by Leonardo Fioravanti.
Chassis number 35409 is one of the best-preserved survivors, featuring 820 kilometers (510 miles) from new and 34 years of single ownership. Let that sink in for a minute, then try to calculate the average mileage per year since 1981. To the point, this car’s been driven approximately 21 kilometers (13 miles) every year since it’s been manufactured by the passionate employees in Maranello.
RM Sotheby’s will auction the BB 512 tomorrow in Paris, and the estimate will surprise you. The proper wording is “underwhelm you” because this period-correct Ferrari is expected to fetch between 170,000 and 200,000 euros. To put that into perspective, the entry-level Portofino starts round about 200,000 euros.
The listing mentions “storage in the owner’s garage, still wearing plastic on its doorsills.” The year was 2014 when the 512 BB finally woke up from its slumber, purchased by the next owner who shipped it from the U.S. to the UK.
Serviced mechanically in 2016, chassis number 35409 was originally purchased for $90,000 from the Auto Palace in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In today’s money, the sum translates to approximately $253,125 adjusted for inflation.
The car wasn’t imported to the U.S. through official channels but was federalized for road use right off the bat. The purchase invoice shows 400 kilometers while EPA testing added a further 314 kilometers for a grand total of 714 kilometers in ‘81.
The first mid-engined Ferrari with 12 cylinders – the 365 GT/4 BB – isn’t exactly a boxer as the nameplate implies. Technically speaking, the powerplant is a V12 with the cylinder banks angled at 180 degrees. The difference boils down to the crankpins. Porsche and Subaru, on the other hand, have proper boxers.
After setting the stage with the 365 GT/4 BB, the company then introduced what’s often considered to be the most beautiful mid-engined Fezza of the 1970s. Only 929 examples of the BB 512 were made from 1976 through 1981, packing a larger displacement, wider tires, dry-sump lubrication, and styling by Leonardo Fioravanti.
Chassis number 35409 is one of the best-preserved survivors, featuring 820 kilometers (510 miles) from new and 34 years of single ownership. Let that sink in for a minute, then try to calculate the average mileage per year since 1981. To the point, this car’s been driven approximately 21 kilometers (13 miles) every year since it’s been manufactured by the passionate employees in Maranello.
RM Sotheby’s will auction the BB 512 tomorrow in Paris, and the estimate will surprise you. The proper wording is “underwhelm you” because this period-correct Ferrari is expected to fetch between 170,000 and 200,000 euros. To put that into perspective, the entry-level Portofino starts round about 200,000 euros.
The listing mentions “storage in the owner’s garage, still wearing plastic on its doorsills.” The year was 2014 when the 512 BB finally woke up from its slumber, purchased by the next owner who shipped it from the U.S. to the UK.
Serviced mechanically in 2016, chassis number 35409 was originally purchased for $90,000 from the Auto Palace in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In today’s money, the sum translates to approximately $253,125 adjusted for inflation.
The car wasn’t imported to the U.S. through official channels but was federalized for road use right off the bat. The purchase invoice shows 400 kilometers while EPA testing added a further 314 kilometers for a grand total of 714 kilometers in ‘81.
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