1981 Ferrari 512 BB

The Ferrari 512 BB followed the 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta Boxer to market in 1976 after the original BB’s short production run. The 512 was a similar car, using the same mid-mounted flat-12 engine as its successor, only with a displacement increased from 4.4 litres to 5.0 litres. It also carried the same wedge-shaped Pininfarina body, only the 512 also gained a front spoiler and ducts just ahead of the rear wheels, and retained the same semi-monocoque chassis with front and rear subframes. Body proportions were slightly larger, and the rear track was widened to aid handling. A dry sump was also added, which helped lower the car’s center of gravity. Other than that, the 512 retained the car’s 5-speed transaxle and most all other components.

The car's low profile and the longitudinally mounted, horizontally opposed boxer engine suited one another quite well. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta Boxer was free-revving and quick with a top speed of 188mph, though a 40/60 weight distribution could make handling tricky at high speeds.

Despite slightly less power, the Ferrari 512 had a longer stroke and produced more torque, which allowed for better drivability and acceleration. Coupled with the added girth, the road manners of the 512 were a marked improvement over its predecessor.

The final iteration of the Berlinetta Boxer family arrived at the 1981 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Bosch fuel-injected Ferrari 512 BBi was the culmination of all Ferrari had learned from its boxer models, and it was the last Ferrari built entirely by hand.

For all their ferocity on the street, Ferrari Boxers never enjoyed much success on the race tracks of the world. Privateers had little luck with the 365, while factory-prepared Ferrari 512 BB/LMselongated caricatures of the street cars-—raced at Daytona, Le Mans, and elsewhere, but with meagre results.

In all, 1,926 Ferrari 512 BBs and BBis were built over an eight-year run. In recent years they have become more collectable as enthusiasts acknowledge their combination of power, hand-built quality, and fashionable wedge shape. Now worth significantly more than their more famous Ferrari Testarossa successor, they are considered one of the most collectable of late 1970s and early 1980s Ferraris.