A wonderful 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi will be auctioned by Gooding & Company specialists at their Amelia Island sale, scheduled for March 6-7 next year. A delicious opportunity is on the horizon to add a four-wheeled jewel of the Prancing Horse that marked an era to your garage.
1984 Ferrari 512 BBi heads to auction in Florida
For several years, this creature, in its various iterations, stood at the pinnacle of Maranello’s product lineup and in car enthusiasts’ dream books across the board. The example being offered to potential buyers bears chassis number ZFFJA09B000051803. It presents itself in splendid condition, thanks to extensive restoration by Newman Automotive R&D Inc., which has restored it to its original glory.
The mileage accumulated over time is low: just over 7,500 miles, equivalent to almost 12,100 kilometers. It’s not easy to find another Ferrari 512 BBi that has been used so little over the years and is in such pristine condition, based on the impressions from the images. This is one of the Italian brand’s most iconic cars of the modern era, although it has now fully (and for some time) joined the ranks of classics.
While waiting for the Amelia Island auction listing to be enriched with complete descriptive elements of the lot, let’s briefly review the characteristics of the Ferrari 512 BBi. This version introduced Bosch K-Jetronic injection to the model, replacing the classic carburetors, to meet U.S. emission regulations. This removed a touch of romanticism and power but made it smoother to use.
The two Bs in the name stand for “berlinetta boxer,” although the engine is actually a 180-degree V configuration. Perhaps the “boxer” designation was used to evoke the initials of the divine Brigitte Bardot, whose charm it transferred to the automotive realm with its sinuous, sensual curves. In its initial version, this car, created to replace the 365 GT4 BB to which it is closely related, had the aforementioned carburetors. Then came the fuel-injected version.
The dynamic energy of the Ferrari 512 BBi comes from a 5.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, mounted in a mid-rear position, which capitalizes on Maranello’s racing experience. In this version, it produces 340 horsepower, with intoxicating mechanical sounds destined to be forever etched in the emotional memory of those privileged to hear them. Even the great maestro and conductor Herbert von Karajan was enchanted by it.
The performance figures are in line with the thoroughbreds kept in the stable. A few numbers are enough to give you the idea: acceleration from 0 to 400 meters in 14.2 seconds, from 0 to 1000 meters in 25.1 seconds; maximum speed over 280 km/h. In its time, few cars could match it. As written in another post, the Ferrari 512 BBi is uniquely splendid. This supercar captures the eyes with its extraordinary stage presence as soon as it catches your gaze. The splendor Pininfarina bestowed upon its bodywork is incredible. After it came the Testarossa: also a queen of beauty, but with a completely different and even more charismatic visual approach.