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, including the black lower panels which came to be known as “Boxer trim.”
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. With cleaner styling and just 367 examples produced, the 365 is the most collectible of the three variants, which were produced in considerably larger numbers (929 examples of the 512 BB and 1007 of the 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 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 matching-numbers example was imported to the United States in 2022 and thus escaped any Federalization modifications. It was originally completed in May of 1974, about six months after BB deliveries started, and delivered by the dealer Dino Ravasio in Verona, Italy to a 67 year old woman residing in Vicenza. The car remained in Italy until 2003, when it was sold at the Bonhams Gstaad auction in Switzerland. By 2008, the car was in Germany with Ferrari dealer Helmut Eberlein and received a repaint in its original hue of Rosso Dino shortly thereafter. In November of 2022, the car received its most recent timing belt service, which was performed by Joe Macari Classics in the UK, just prior to being sold to its most recent owner. Other service performed at this time included refreshing the carburetors, recharging the air conditioning, and fitting a new battery. Other significant work over the car’s life has also included the fitment of a correct style six outlet exhaust system made of stainless steel in 2009 (together with a belt service). The car covered only 100 kilometers between the 2009 and 2022 service. Also among the car’s documentation is an invoice from 1995 which shows the replacement of the clutch in Italy. The car was Classiche certified in 2009.
Today, the car is in wonderful undisturbed condition, appearing essentially as a well-preserved car that has never been restored aside from a repaint in its original color. The body panels are straight and display good fit. The paintwork was done to high standards and aside from a few small signs of aging, it is in excellent shape. The trim, glass, and lights are in excellent order as well. The wheels appear never to have been restored and have some patina. They wear new Michelin XWX tires which were fitted in April 2024.
The interior is entirely unrestored, retaining original upholstery, carpets, trim, switchgear, and instruments. The leather shows light patina and there is a small area of thinning carpet where the driver’s left foot rests, but the interior is otherwise impressively well-preserved. The dashboard is free of the shrinkage which typically affects Boxers, although there is a small area where the dye on top of the instrument binnacle has deteriorated. The gauges function properly and are in excellent cosmetic condition with no fading or other signs of aging. The air conditioning blows cold.
The engine compartment and trunk are in similarly excellent original condition with no alterations and remarkably few signs of aging. Some of the paint on the underside of the front clamshell is lifting and the spare tire and tools are missing, but the original books set is present including filled out warranty book with the original owner’s name. The engine compartment is tidy and correct in its presentation, showing signs of proper maintenance and is an impressive sight thanks to the four triple throat Weber carburetors.
The car runs and drives superbly. It starts easily and carburates well, pulling well throughout the rev range. It is an impressively flexible and civilized power unit and rewards visits to the upper rev range with fantastic induction noise and the full Italian drama that makes Ferraris almost completely peerless. The clutch is progressive, an attribute that many replacement Boxer clutches lack, while the gearbox works beautifully, with impressively effective synchromesh even from cold. The chassis has the fluid, coherent feel of a low kilometer car which has never been fully disassembled. The ride quality is genuinely superb with an impressive combination of control and ride comfort.
This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a genuinely outstanding early Boxer. Refinished in its original and fabulously 1970s color combination but otherwise unrestored, this car shows obvious pride of ownership from its entire life. The driving experience confirms this impression. The car comes with a Massini report documenting its matching-numbers status, original colors, and early history. Service invoices dating back approximately 30 years are also included, as is the original books set and the red book from the Ferrari Classiche certification.
