1981 Ferrari 512 BBLM Berlinetta

This Ferrari 512 BB/LM 'Silhouette' factory-built racer is serial number 35527. It was used by the North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) and was given many upgrades by Motion Products, such as the engine which features titanium rods, an aluminum flywheel, forged 11.5-1 racing pistons, racing-grade piston rings, titanium retainers, high lift camshafts, and ported cylinder heads. It has been rated at around 526 horsepower with maximum torque achieved at just under 400 lb/ft.

This car has a double LeMans race history and is the 19th of the 25 constructed.

In 1981 it was sold new to Luigi Chinetti's North American Race Team (NART) and entered at the 24 Hour of Le Mans the same year. Driving duties were assigned to Alain Cudini, John Morton and Philippe Gurdjian. In practice, it qualified 4th overall by Cudini and was the fastest of the five Ferraris. The 1981 lap time of 3 minutes 52.6 seconds has never been beaten. During the race, it ran well and remained in contention until an on-track altercation with another car forced the car to the sidelines in the 19th hour.

It returned the following year wearing number 72 (the prior year had been 49) and finished in an impressive 9th overall.

In 1999 the engine modifications were made with the original F102B unit (F102B 0000.23) being replaced by a period-correct F110A V-12 (number 00682) modified by Motion Products of Neenah, Wisconsin, for use in historic racing. The original engine, stamped 'Marion,' was rebuilt in 2001 and bench tested.

In 2000, the BB/LM was brought to the Cavallino Ferrari Classic IX in Palm Beach Florida and was raced in the Ferrari Historic Races in 2000 through 2003 by Todd Morici of Clifton, New Jersey. It was then acquired by Jean Guikas via broker Michael Sheehan. By 2006, Guikas had sold 35527 to Charles Wegner of West Chicago, Illinois. Wegner drove the BB/LM in several seasons of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge Series across North America. In late 2010, Wegner sold 35527 back to Guikas; this proved to be a regretful sale and Wegner reacquired it in February 2016.

A restoration was soon undertaken by Dugan Motorsports in Oceanside, California with nearly $330,000 (USD) spent on the work. The work was completed in late 2017 and it had been entirely refreshed and refinished in its 1982 NART Le Mans livery, complete with its Marion Chinetti memorial tailgate applique.

This vehicle remains the single fastest and currently, the most successful BB/LM ever completed having set three track records in a row at the Ferrari/Shell Historic Race Series where it won all six races in a row.

The car was shown in 2018 at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance as part of that year's focus on NART Ferraris and received an Amelia Award. 35527's last historic race outing came during the Sonoma Speed Festival on May 31st of 2019, where it competed in the Group 10 IMSA class.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2018