Old German title

Chassis no. 18423 Engine no. F102A00000298

- The most sought-after and exclusive BB

- Sublime original Blu Sera colour

- In the same ownership for nearly 40 years

- Sold with its manuals and original warranty booklet

-  No reserve

 

In exceptional condition, this Ferrari 365 GT4 BB was sold new on 25 June 1975 by Auto Becker in Düsseldorf to a Herr W. Greising, who lived in Karlsruhe. After this, the file of invoices with the car show that it stayed with the same owner, based in Munich and then in Sendendorf, at least from 1985–2022. Amusingly, during the period it spent in Munich, it had the registration number M BB 365. At the time, it was painted red.

A few years ago, it underwent a full restoration, completed in 2020, and returned to its original colour, a magnificent shade of dark blue (Blu Sera Fer) which sets off its elegant styling, the work of Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina. The body has been very well restored, with well-aligned panels and no impact damage to the Cromodora wheels. This car exhibits all the purity of the first mid-engined Ferraris, with the six spectacular tail lamps characteristic of the model.

The interior is to the same high standard: the seats in the original black leather are lightly patinated, the dashboard is faultless and the trim has stood up well to the passage of time. The odometer is reading 54,746km, undoubtedly the total from new, to judge by the increase in the mileage recorded on the successive bills. The car was also restored mechanically, with everything checked and rebuilt, as can be seen from the photographs of the strip-down in its history file.

As well as a set of bills and photographic documents, its tool case and jack, this 365 GT4 BB comes with its original warranty booklet as well as its owner’s manuals, all stowed in the original Ferrari pouch, which bears the famous prancing horse logo.

 

It bears repeating that this model, which replaced the Daytona at the top of the company’s range, was Enzo Ferrari’s riposte to Lamborghini and the first Ferrari sold with a centrally-mounted 4.4-litre 12-cylinder engine. Mounted above the gearbox, the engine also had an innovative flat-12 layout, which led to the letters ‘BB’ being taken to mean ‘Berlinetta Boxer’, whereas the design of the crankshaft was in fact that of a 180° V12. Although the 365 GT4 BB was unveiled at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, it only went on sale at the 1973 Paris Motor Show. The 380bhp developed by this first version, the quickest, gave it the right of entry to the very select club of cars then capable of reaching 300km/h.

Produced until 1976, when it was replaced by the 512 BB (marking a change in Ferrari’s naming convention), 387 examples of the 365 GT4 BB were built, making it an extremely rare model.

 

Its purity, rarity and power ensure that the 365 GT4 BB is one of the most sought-after versions of Ferrari’s first mid-engined 12-cylinder berlinetta. The car we are presenting today is a high-quality representative of the breed, thanks to the care lavished on it throughout its life and the high standard of its restoration.