Lot 109: 1979 Ferrari 512 BB

The success of Ferrari's Dino 246 soon led the company to build a mid-engined bigger brother. In 1973 it announced the 365GT4/BB which immediately established itself as the most desirable car in the world. A new multi-tube frame took the double overhead camshaft 4.4 litre flat 12 engine, mounted in-line amidships, the all independent suspension followed Ferrari's contemporary practice, and the Pininfarina studio surpassed itself. The body remained in production for 12 years, an unprecedented length of time for a Ferrari, and it remains high on anyone's list of most beautiful post-war cars. The 365 Boxer was the first production Ferrari not to have a V-engine. The new unit followed the pattem set by the marque's successful flat 12 Formula One and sports-racing units which had won World Championships in both categories, but in detail it was closely related to the engine in the Daytona which the Boxer eventually supplanted. It was 'Boxer' because the opposing pistons move away from each other, like boxers sparring. With 380bhp @ 7,200rpm and 3181b/ft torque @ 4,500rpm, top speed was 181mph with 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds, and even today few cars can match a welldriven Boxer cross country. The usual Ferrari development and improvement programme took place and culminated in a new, more powerful Boxer in 1976. The revised model, called the 512BB, used an enlarged version of the original Boxer engine bored out to 4.9 litres, thus enabling Ferrari to increase horsepower slightly whilst achieving a substantially higher torque rating. In 1981 the glorious banks of Weber carburettors gave way to Bosch fuel injection in order to meet US emissions requirements, and, although horsepower remained officially unaltered, in practice the cars lost their performance edge. The 512 BB with carburettors is the most desirable and sought after of the Ferrari 'Boxer' models and is the one to have: Its predecessor the 365 GTB/4 BB was more akin to mechanical mishaps due to its underdevelopment whereas it later brother sported a fuel injected version of the classic flat 12 engine which developed less power.This immaculately presented and highly original Ferrari 512 Boxer Berlinetta has only two recorded owners from new and a genuine mileage of just 37.000 kilometres. It's owner, a well know Italian classic car specialist has looked after the car meticulously, paying attention to a strict maintenance schedule. The body of the car finished in the classic period colour scheme of red over black has never required repainting and the interior is original. It would in our opinion be difficult to locate a better example. With a recent rise in price of other notable Ferrari models, namely the 250 GT 'Lusso' and the 365 GTB/4 'Daytona', this classic rear engined Ferrari like a good wine has now matured and makes sense both for investment and 'drinking now!'