1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB

The Ferrari 365 GT4 BB, the first 'Boxer', was shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. It was designed to compete against the Maserati Bora, Lamborghini Miura, and the newly introduced Lamborghini Countach. The production version was shown in 1973 at the Paris Motor Show and during its production lifespan, 387 examples were built with 88 being right-hand drive (58 were sent to the U.K. market). The design was courtesy of Pininfarina and followed the P6 show design which included the pop-up headlights. The Pininfarina design was low and wide, and built by Scaglietti.

It had the same numerical designation as the Daytona, yet it was radically and dramatically different. It had a mid-engine layout housed in its tubular/monocoque combination chassis. It was powered by a flat-12 engine that was mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. With 380 horsepower, it produced slightly more than the Daytona. The motor was placed above the gearbox and final drive, thus allowing for a shorter wheelbase. The ensemble was clothed in low-slung Berlinetta coachwork, the result of extensive wind tunnel testing. It was assembled by Scaglietti and comprised a superstructure mixing aluminum-alloy and steel panels, complemented by matt black-finished glassfibre elements beneath the front and rear overhangs.

The 365 GT4 BB was named for the displacement of a single-cylinder, as well as its four-cam overhead-valve actuation. It was the first of a family of Berlinetta boxers with increasingly powerful engine specifications, none of which were ever federally approved for American road use (except with aftermarket conversion).

Production would continue through 1976, before being succeeded by the 512 BB. At the time of its introduction, it was the world's fastest and most expensive car.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Scaglietti
Chassis number: 18553

The Ferrari 512 BB, successor to the 365, had increased engine displacement yet was slightly less powerful and a bit heavier than its predecessor. This was due to the imposition of more stingent government regulations, making it a notably slower car.

In 1971, Ferrari introduced the mid-engine replacement for its 365 GTB/4 Daytona and was positioned to compete against the Lamborghini Miura and Maserati Bora supercars. The car was all new from the ground up; the low, wide Pininfarina design was built by Scaglietti and powered by a mid-mounted 4.4-liter boxer twelve-cylinder engine. It had a five-speed gearbox and a rear-mounted transaxle. The new model was designated the 365 GT4 BB, for 'Berlinetta Boxer', and in 1975 it was proclaimed 'the fastest road car we've ever tested' by American magazine Road & Track. It was a bona fide supercar and an enduring stylistic icon, and would remain in production through 1976, before being succeeded by the 512 BB. IN total, Ferrari built just 387 examples of the 365 GT4 BBs.

Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer with chassis number 18553 was completed at the Ferrari factory on May 28th of 1975, making it one of the last examples produced before the introduction of the updated 512 Berlinetta Boxer. It was finished in Grigio Ferro with a beige leather interior. The car was delivered to Campagnano Automobili S.p.A. where it was sold to its first owner, Sig. Germani. In 1976, it was exported to the United States where it was fitted with extended front and rear bumpers to comply with EPA and DOT regulations. It was sold to actor and Ferrari enthusiast Clint Eastwood in December of 1977. While in his care, it was converted to a 'targa top' configuration.

The car would then pass through several West Coast owners before it was sold to a dealer in Nagoya, Japan, who retained it in his personal collection of classic cars for many years. It remained in Japan for many years, before recently returning to the United States. While in the Far East, the bumpers were returned to their original European configuration.

The current odometer reading is 27,171 miles and is believed to be accurate.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, California. It was estimated to sell for $180,000 - $210,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $211,750 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe by Scaglietti
Chassis number: 18657

Ferrari introduced its production-ready Berlinetta Boxer at the 1973 Paris Motor Show. It featured stylistic inspiration from the Pininfarina P6 concept shown at the 1968 Torino Motor Show. The 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer in prototype form first appeared at Torino three years later.

The Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta, the successor to the 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' was the company's first 12-cylinder mid-engine road car. Production commenced in late 1973 for a 1974 model release. The first-series 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxers saw production reach just 387 examples though 1976, prior to subsequent variants continuing through 1984.

This particular example is a late-production example and is the 353rd in production sequence. It is finished in Rosso Chiaro (light red) with beige leather upholstery, and was completed on September 15th of 1975. It was delivered new to dealer Motor S.a.s. Di Carla Allegretti e C. in Rome. In 1976, it was sold from Italy to New York City and then brought to US EPA/DOT compliance by Dick Fritz's Amerispec Corporation in Danbury, Connecticut.

Dr. Ron Finger of Savannah, Georgia, was the car's first owner and took possession of the car in 1977. In October 1980, Dr. Richard Sternberg, became the car's second owner. In October 1986, it passed into the care of another Chicago-area owner before being acquired by Jim Greenwell of Evanston, Illinois, who retained the Boxer for nearly three decades.

Currently, the car has approximately 50,700 km on the odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

The 365 Series was introduced in the late 1960's and stayed in production until the early 1970's. The 365's were often powered by a Columbo SOHC 4390 cc V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors capable of producing around 300 horsepower. The front and rear suspension for most of the series was independent with double wishbones and coil springs. The 365 GT4 2+2 had an independent with transverse parallelograms and coil springs suspension. The 365 California had a live axle with coil springs rear suspension. The chassis was an oval tube ladder-type frame layout.

Disc brakes were standard on all the vehicles, as was the five-speed manual gearbox. Many of the series received standard options such as power steering and air conditioning, uncommon at the time. When most manufacturers such as Lamborghini and DeTomaso were creating vehicles with mid-engined design, Ferrari continued to use their tried-and-true front-engined, rear-wheel design.

In 1967 Ferrari dominated the Daytona 24 Hours race with a first, second, and third-place finish. At the 1968 Paris Auto Show, the public and press were expecting Ferrari's new Berlinetta to be dubbed 'Daytona'. They were proven wrong when Ferrari dubbed the vehicle the 365 GTB/4, however, the name Daytona is a common reference to the vehicle even to this day. Ferrari had intended on using 'Daytona' but it was revealed prematurely so the traditional Ferrari naming sequence was used.

During its production lifespan lasting from 1968 through 1974, 1383 examples of the Pininfarina designed 365 GTB/4 Daytona vehicles were created.

The famous coachbuilder Pininfarina was tasked with creating many of the designs for the 365 Series. The designs were not new, rather they borrowed many of the styling cues of the prior 330 GTC and 275 GTS models. The headlights were courtesy of the 500 Superfast. The result was a visually stunning automobile with proven Ferrari mechanics and performance.

GT represented Gran Turismo. GTB represented Berlinetta or coupe. GTS stood for open models which were either a Targa roof or a full convertible. '4' represented four-cam engines. 'C' represented 'Competizione' or 'Corsa' meaning 'to race'.

365 California

In 1966 Ferrari introduced the 365 California at the Geneva Auto Show as a replacement for the Ferrari 500 Superfast. The famous coachbuilder, Pininfarina, had been tasked with creating the body for the vehicle. The result was a two-door, two-seat, convertible. The 365 borrowed many of the mechanics of its predecessor including the five-speed manual gearbox, chassis, and suspension. The front of the vehicle was similar in design to the 500 with the remaining portions all new. With a top speed of 240 km/h, it was the fastest convertible in the world at the time. Disc brakes provided excellent stopping power for the 1300 kg vehicle. Production continued for only a year with a total of fourteen examples being created.

365 GT2+2

In 1967 Ferrari introduced the 365 GT2+2, only its second production four-seater vehicle. The vehicle would stay in production until 1971 during which around 800 examples being created.

The rear passengers had limited headroom but there was sufficient legroom for most passengers. The purpose of the vehicle was to provided performance and comfort. As a result, the vehicle was outfitted with electric windows, leather interior, power-assisted brakes, full carpeting, and optional air conditioning.

365 GTC

Near the close of 1968, Ferrari introduced the 365 GTC which stayed in production until 1970. During the production lifespan, 168 examples were produced. The 365 GTC was basically a 330 GTC with a SOHC 4390 cc V-12 engine. Visually, the vehicle was very similar to its predecessor except for the air vents in the front wings had been removed. In their place were black vents placed in the back corners of the hood.

365 GTS

The 365 GTS was a replacement for the 330 GTS. It featured a 4390 cc SOHC engine and had its cooling vents removed in favor of vents in the hood. Only twenty examples were created.

365 GTC/4

In 1971 Ferrari introduced the 365 GTC/4 as a replacement for the 365 GT 2+2. It sat atop a Daytona chassis and given an independent suspension. The same Daytona ventilated disc brakes were used. The gearbox was mounted in the front and the engine was the 4390 cc V12 but with six side draught Weber carburetors and wet-sump lubrication resulting in 340 horsepower.

The design was once again handled by Pininfarina. The two-door, 2+2 coupe had pop-up headlights and five-spoke alloy wheels. During its production lifespan lasting until 1972, around 500 examples were produced. Strict American safety and emission regulations were partly responsible for the demise of the GTC/4.

365 GT4 2+2

The 365 GT4 2+2 was debuted to the public at the 1972 Paris Auto Show as a replacement for the 365 GT 2+2 and the 365 GTC/4. It sat atop an enlarged 365 GTC/4 chassis and given the same mechanics. The larger chassis meant more interior room for the passengers, especially the rear passengers, and their luggage. The styling was once again assigned to Pininfarina. The design was different from the prior 365 models.

During its production lifespan lasting until 1976, 524 examples were created.

365 GT4 BB

The 365 GT4 BB, meaning Berlinetta Boxer, was introduced to the public at the 1971 Turin Auto Show. Its styling was similar to the P6 show car built in 1968. The engine was a flat-12 cylinder power-plant mounted longitudinally. The gearbox was mounted under the engine. This was a great design but ultimately created an unbalanced weight distribution with most of the weight over the rear axle. The weight distribution problem and the fact that the engine was mounted high in the vehicle resulted in a car that had poor handling and never achieved successful racing status.

The 365 GT4 BB was replaced by the 512 BB in 1976. The 512 BB was similar in design but featured a five-liter engine.

by Dan Vaughan