Rare Ferrari 512 BBi heads to auction

On 18 May 2018, Silverstone Auctions will host an all-Ferrari sale at its namesake race circuit. Amongst the highlights, we’ll see a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi go under the hammer with an estimated price range of £210k - £240k. The hefty valuation reflects the car’s exclusive nature – it’s just one of 42 right-hand drive 512 BBis sold in the UK.

A289 HPL’s odometer reads just 21,000 miles; the bulk of which were accrued prior to 1994 when it was acquired by an owner with an extensive Ferrari collection – since then it’s covered less than 1,000 miles. Complete with a detailed history this Rosso Cosra example has been well cared for.

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Already a seldom-seen Ferrari with a total production volume standing at 1,007, this specific 512 BBi is rarer still, courtesy of the Ermenegildo Zegna-designed wool inserts to the seats and door panels.  It’s one of just twenty-one models that were so trimmed.

The 512 BBi was the third in Ferrari’s BB (Boxer Berlinetta) model series – comprising the 365 GT4 BB, 512 BB and 512 BBi – that was sold in the ‘70’s and 80’s. It’s the BB suffix that marks out these cars in Ferrari’s lineage, denoting their rare, flat-12 engine layout. Two cylinder banks, horizontally opposed, formed a completely flat plane, consistent with the boxer arrangement, which lives on today in Porsches and Subarus.

This boxer installation was a development from the engines sat in preceding BB models. However, the aluminum, 4.9-litre flat-12 was fuel-injected for the first time. The modification, forced by stricter emissions regulations, brought about a drop in power output to 335bhp – 20bhp less than the 512 BB that went before. Despite that, the 512 BBi was good for a 174mph top speed.

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Fuel delivery systems aside, the 512 BBi’s mechanical specification was identical to the 512 BB. As such, dual overhead camshafts, a dry-sumped oil supply system and disc brakes were all found within the car’s tubular steel frame.

This 512 BBi is one of thirty-plus Ferraris, presented by Silverstone Auctions, that will roll across the auction block this weekend, along with a Daytona, Testarossa, F430 and many more.