When it debuted in prototype form at the Turin Motor Show in November of 1971, the 365 GT4 BB represented a stark departure for Ferrari. Their flagship road cars had always used front-mounted V12s and Enzo Ferrari was apprehensive about putting the less-forgiving handling characteristics of a mid-engined high-horsepower car in the hands of the public. Even in racing cars, he was somewhat resistant to the idea although Ferrari did eventually start racing mid-engined 12 cylinder cars in 1960, debuted the 250LM in nominally road-legal form in 1963, and displayed the now iconic three-seat 365 P show car in 1966. But they still lacked a production 12 cylinder mid-engined car with which to respond to Lamborghini’s groundbreaking Miura of 1966. The Boxer changed that, beginning a 20 plus year mid-mounted flat-12 experiment that sired both the Boxer and Testarossa lines.
Technically, the car was extremely advanced, with a horizontally opposed alloy quad-cam 12-cylinder engine derived from that of the 312B Formula One car. This was mounted atop the 5-speed transaxle, which kept the powertrain dimensionally compact. The chassis used semi-monocoque construction with double wishbone suspension all around. This was all clothed in Pininfarina styling penned by the legendary Leonardo Fioravanti.
The model was developed over the course of three major variants: the carbureted 365 BB and 512 BB, followed by the Bosch CIS fuel injected 512 BBi. No variant of the Boxer line was ever officially sold in the United States on account of the emerging safety and emissions regulations, although a fair number of gray market imports made their way to the United States and were federalized to varying degrees through the fitment of different bumpers, addition of crash structure, and modifications to the engine and lighting systems.
This particular example is a beautifully-preserved unrestored car with extensive documentation. It was imported to the United States new, and its original owner purchased the car through Algar Ferrari in Pennsylvania. He collected it at the Ferrari factory in December of 1983, an event documented by photos of the car and its owner at the factory. He drove the car around in Europe before importing it. As the 512 was never officially imported to the United States, it was federalized by Amerispec, with the EPA release completed in April of 1984. Federalized as a 49-state car, this 512BBi did not receive California BAR certification during this process. Though the car was officially federalized, it escaped the unsightly additions of side reflectors and impact bumpers that saddled so many gray market cars at the time. The car comes with its original invoice from the factory, which notes that this example was finished in red without black Boxer trim, over a black leather interior.
The first owner kept the car until August of 1989 when its second owner acquired it. He owned the car until December 2005, when its third owner purchased it with 15,539 kilometers. The car has regularly received major services (including belts) in February 2005, May 2007, October 2015, and August 2021. The most recent service also included 12 new injectors, rebuilt CIS fuel distributors and warmup regulators, and new fuel pumps, which, along with the major service, totaled more than $26,500.
Overall, this 512BBi presents as a well-preserved unrestored car that is not without flaws but still shows nicely throughout. The body panels are straight, fit, and operate well, while the paint appears to be largely original, with a few small marks that have been touched up over the years. The wheels are in very good shape, as are the spinners, and the tires are correct Michelin TRXs in a unique 240/55 VR415 size although they are old and due for replacement. Exterior trim is very nice throughout, as are the lights and glazing. The car has Cibié flat front headlamps and Cibié “airport” fog lamps. The overall impression of the car is of an honest, well-cared for low mileage car that is aging gracefully.
The interior also appears to be substantially original, the seats have a nice, even patina with light wear on the driver’s seat back piping, and the various leather-trimmed items, such as the headliner and center console, are all in very good condition. The dashboard benefits from a recent recovering in original specification black leather and was completed to a very high level. The original Ferrari-branded Pioneer head unit, speakers, and equalizer are still in place, and the carpet remains in good condition, although the passenger floor mat is missing.
The front compartment is also in very nice shape, with the spare cover present, as is the strap for the tool roll, which is affixed, complete, and in excellent shape. The inner fenders are in very nice original condition and show no signs of damage. Under the rear bonnet, the engine compartment is also very clean, in keeping with a well-cared-for largely unrestored car, but does benefit from refinished intake runners and manifolds, and the foam on the underside of the engine lid has also been replaced.
This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire a superb late-production example of one of Ferrari’s most important models. It is worth noting that BBi is noticeably faster than the Testarossa that replaced it, in addition to being arguably better looking and rarer. One thing that’s for sure is that the driving experience is wildly different from a Testarossa. While the Testarossa is civilized and nearly easy to drive, being most in its element as a comfortable long-distance tourer, the Boxer has an intense and hard edge that makes it much closer to the beastly character of a Countach or Miura. As a flagship Ferrari, it stands alone in that respect, and it demands a level of finesse from the driver that gives it a lot of appeal for the experienced driver.
