Lot 151

Arizona 2016

1984 Ferrari 512 BBi

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$363,000 USD | Sold

United States | Phoenix, Arizona

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Chassis No.
ZFFJA09B000050591
Engine No.
00870
Gearbox No.
855
  • Under 24,500 kilometers from new with 21 years of single ownership
  • A well-preserved, meticulously maintained, and highly original example
  • Recent engine-out, major service in November of 2015
  • A very desirable, late–1984 model year example
  • Retains matching-numbers engine and gearbox

340 bhp, 4,942 cc horizontally opposed alloy 12-cylinder engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, five-speed manual transaxle, front and rear independent suspension with unequal-length A-arms, twin rear coil springs, an anti-roll bar, hydraulic dampers, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 98.42 in.

The addition of the letter “i” into the nomenclature of the Ferrari 512 BB signified a big change for Ferrari’s Berlinetta Boxer: replacement of the tried-and-true Weber carburetors with a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection system. This new model was first seen at the 1981 Frankfurt Salon and remained in production until 1984. Hailed as making the Berlinetta Boxer much more user friendly, just 1,007 examples were produced before production transitioned to the Testarossa.

While the new fuel-injection system was the hallmark change of the 512 BBi, Ferrari made a handful of cosmetic upgrades as well. Exposed driving lights were fitted in the nose, while the aluminum egg-crate grille was shortened. At the rear, rectangular parking lights were fitted in a new shroud for the exhaust.

According to DOT paperwork supplied with the car, this particular 512 BBi is a highly desirable, late-1984 model that was purchased and first imported by Rubin Shapiro of Bondville, Vermont, on July 17, 1984. Shortly thereafter, it was purchased by Dr. Jerry Molitor of Mendham, New Jersey, who showed the car at the 1985 Ferrari Club of America Annual Meet at Watkins Glen, winning 1st in Class. Dr. Molitor owned the car for at least three years before it was purchased by Herb Wolf of Englewood, New Jersey, in August of 1988. The car remained in his ownership for another four years before it was sold again to William Gray of Malvern, Pennsylvania, on November 27, 1992, with 9,006 kilometers showing on its odometer.

Gray would go on to own the car for the next 21 years, and during this time, the car was meticulously maintained by Algar Ferrari of nearby Rosemont, Pennsylvania. During this time, the car was driven roughly 700 kilometers per year on average, and it received engine-out services in 1992, 2001, and 2011. The car was purchased by its current collector in 2013 and has been kept in a climate-controlled facility since then, remaining in highly original and incredibly well-preserved condition.

The car still sports its original coat of Rosso Corsa paint and original tan interior, with an incredibly rare tan dashboard. The dashboard shows no signs of stretching or warping, and the seats show very few signs of wear, with slight patina appropriate for its mileage, just 24,095 kilometers from new as of the time of cataloguing. Importantly, it also retains its matching-numbers engine and transmission, as well as its original exhaust. It remains in road-ready condition, having just received a major engine-out service by a marque specialist in November of 2015. Furthermore, the car also retains its original owner’s manual, toolkit, and a file of documentation with invoices from throughout its life, confirming the car’s current mileage as original.

Considered by many to be the most livable and easiest to use of the Berlinetta Boxer models, it’s no wonder that the 512 BBi has become one of the most collectable Ferraris of the 1980s. While many Berlinetta Boxers spent significant time in static storage or have been fully restored, this example has been regularly exercised and maintained throughout its life, as well as kept in completely original condition. Said to be in incredible driving condition and ready to enjoy following its recent engine-out service by a marque specialist, this all-original 512 BBi will surely please the most discerning of collectors on a concours lawn or on the open road.