The story of the Berlinetta Boxer story began at the 1971 Turin Motor Show with the unveiling of the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB. Succeeding the front-engined 365 GTB/4 "Daytona", it was Ferrari's first mid-engined twelve-cylinder road car and the first mid-engined model to bear both the Ferrari name and the Cavallino Rampante, the earlier mid-engined road cars having been sold under the Dino name. Its 4.4-litre flat-12 drew directly on the three-litre twelve-cylinder units of the Ferrari 312 B and 312 B2, which carried the Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1 from 1970. Its design, penned by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, was inspired by the one-off P6 Berlinetta Speciale shown on Pininfarina's stand at the 1968 Turin Motor Show, resulting in a strikingly low, wide and dramatic silhouette. Only 387 examples were built.

In 1976, the Ferrari 512 BB took its place at the Paris Motor Show. Its name now referred to its enlarged five-litre, twelve-cylinder engine, which gained dry-sump lubrication and produced around 360 hp. While it retained the dramatic proportions of its predecessor, a series of carefully considered changes, set the two models apart. At the front, a new lower nose wraparound chin spoiler was introduced to reduce lift at high speed. Along the flanks, NACA ducts were carved out ahead of the rear wheel arches, new door mirrors were fitted, and now subtly flared rear arches covered wider rear tyres.

Most disctinctive was the new rear: the 365 GT4 BB featured three taillights and three exhaust pipes per side, which gave way to two large circular lights and two exhaust pipes per side on the 512 BB, now shrouded by a redesigned lower apron. The wire-mesh tail panel was replaced by a satin black, horizontally louvred one. Overall, the 512 BB grew 30 mm wider and 40 mm longer, and the classic two-tone livery with a black lower body, standard on the 365 GT4 BB, became optional.

The final evolution, the fuel-injected Ferrari 512 BBi, followed with 1'007 examples until 1984, when the Testarossa carried the flat-12 legacy forward.

Officially, "BB" stands for "Berlinetta Boxer", even though the engine is, strictly speaking, a 180-degree V12 rather than a true boxer. Yet the initials hide a meaningful story. It is said that the prototype was so pure and beautiful that designer Leonardo Fioravanti, engineer Angelo Bellei and coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti fell in love with it. While perfecting it before its debut, they compared its beauty to that of Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who was then an international symbol of beauty, and began affectionately calling it "BB". As naming a Ferrari after a foreign actress carried certain risks, BB officially became Berlinetta Boxer, a somewhat poetic solution. 

This particular Ferrari 512 BB is finished in Rosso Chiaro 20-R-190 over a Pelle Nera VM 8500 Connolly leather interior with Nero carpets. With a known history, it is accompanied by various original invoices and documents, as well as the important Ferrari Classiche certification. It is offered fresh from service, holds its Swiss veteran title and shows a mileage of 42'110 km.

Please contact us for more information on this Ferrari 512 BB.

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