Skip advert
Advertisement

Rare Ferrari 512 BBi heads to auction

Silverstone Auctions’ Ferrari sale gets underway this weekend, offering a 512 BBi with a nigh-on, quarter-million pound estimate

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.

Advertisement - Article continues below

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.

> Ferrari 812 Superfast review

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.

> Ferrari 488 Pista: everything you need to know

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.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes
Ferrari manual
News

Ferrari has no plans to reintroduce manual gearboxes

Ferrari reckons if you want a manual, you should buy a classic, and has no plans to bring back the stick
1 Jul 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025
Can Ferrari really sell a €407k supercar with a V6?
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
Opinion

Can Ferrari really sell a €407k supercar with a V6?

The new 296 Speciale has arrived, but is a V6 the right choice for what is meant to be Ferrari’s most thrilling road car yet? The team discusses this …
13 May 2025
Ferrari Elettrica confirmed for October reveal
Ferrari EV spies
News

Ferrari Elettrica confirmed for October reveal

Ferrari will reveal its first all-electric car in October 2025 and it will be called: Elettrica
22 Apr 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement
Ferrari Amalfi front
News

New 2026 Ferrari Amalfi revealed – physical buttons return in the 631bhp Roma replacement

The Ferrari Amalfi picks up where the Roma left off, as a more capable, debugged super GT that’s finally brought back buttons
1 Jul 2025