All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately, this is true of everything- even the life of a rare, grey-market exotic Italian sports car.
One day after work, I stopped by my local AT&T store to pay my bill when I stumbled across this rare sight- a 1980s vintage Ferrari 400i coupe. Although these rare cars never gained the cult status of their sleeker two-seater siblings, I always liked them. They have a sexy yet tastefully understated air about them, and they do an excellent job of showcasing the crisp angular designs that famed Italian designer Pininfarina is known for. As an added bonus, their asking prices have always been pretty reasonable- when you actually find one for sale- which isn’t often. I’ve often considered dumping nearly all my Detroit classics ( except for the Olds and Corvette ) and using the cash to snag one of these unicorns when one pops up for sale. The only thing stopping me is my better judgement.
I’ve only seen these things in the wild three times in my entire life. The first time was at my old job, Jacob’s Unocal 76 in WLA / Beverly Hills. One of our regular full-serve gas customers had one of these- metallic silver with a black interior. He kept it in mint shape, and the engine is as handsome as the exterior, that long, narrow V-12 with its contrasting black wrinkle-finish valve covers and silver painted block and heads, with its six Weber sidedraft carbs or Weber injection system, and two large oil filters standing proudly in the center of the V. The second was at an independent European car repair shop / mini dealership on La Cienega just up the street from Kaiser Permanente. I don’t know what all they were doing to it, but the dashboard was completely torn apart and the seats out of it. The third was at Jama Auto House, a specialty preowned high-end vehicle dealership in Redondo Beach. They had one of these for sale, in the same shade of blue as this one. If I had the cash I would have bought it on the spot. Even as a stupid twenty-something I already knew that these cars were rare and somewhat unique.
I thought this Ferrari’s interior looked a tad peculiar, and upon closer inspection, it’s a European right hand drive model. The owner told me where he got it, but I can’t remember though.
The odd thing about these is that most of them seem to be automatics- which nearly borders on sacrilege. Owning a Ferrari, any Ferrari, is all about the total driving experience. Saddling that smooth, high-revving V12 with a slushbox seems like the automotive equivalent of forcing an NFL cheerleader to wear a burka. Simply tragic.
The car’s most recent owner, the nice fellow in the gray shirt, owns a specialty Ferrari repair, restoration, and dismantling business in Arizona. When I asked him about this particular car’s fate, he gave me the sad news that this car would not be restored, but would be completely dismantled and its components harvested to restore older, rarer, and more valuable Ferraris. Despite this 400i’s outward appearance, the body simply had too much rust in it to make it a viable restoration candidate. I then joked that that made it a prime candidate for the 24 hours of LeMons. He said he knew that, but the car’s guts were too valuable to risk flogging it like that.
So, that’s it. No more happy trails for this Italian stallion. At least its spirit will live on in other vintage Ferraris that it has donated its vital organs to. Rest in peace, 400i. Rest in peace.
I always liked the looks of these. They struck me as an elegant and expensive Italian Thunderbird or XJS, a real boulevardier and no apologies for it. I can’t help but wonder what that Lampredi V12 is like when yoked to an automatic – a Turbo Hydramatic, I guess? Pity about the rust. It’s a shame when any Ferrari dies.
To me this model always looked like a cheap on a budget Ferrari (and I love the Ferrari brand). Only the back tail lights, steering wheel, and wheels give it away as a baby Ferrari right away. The rest of the body (save the badges) could be any European Opel coupe car of the same era!
I’m sure this car when new cost allot of $$. However, I cannot help that this 400 model, Reminds me of the same execution Masarati made with the Bi-Turbo of the early 80’s (same period). It’s like without the Trident Masarati emblems on the boot and front grille, side pillars. The Mas Bi-Turbo looked like an old notch back Honda Civic.
I’m sure these entry level cars where beautiful when initially launched. But boy have they age badly (IMO). Compare it to a Porsche 911 of the same time period. Which still looks like a unique amazing sports car even today. This car not so much.
This chassis and styling was launched in 1972(!) and was built until 1989, the 400i version was introduced in the very early 80’s. As a V12 2+2 grand tourer I don’t think it would be considered their entry-level model, but definitely different than the rest of the range at the time(s). This is more like the Quattroporte at Maserati or the 928 at Porsche as regards range placement.
Hardly an entry level Ferrari. That would have been the V8 308 and such. These were in a very different league than the Biturbo, and if you saw these in the flesh, it was quite apparent. There was a reason it was built for so long; it was a classic design from day one, and it held up well over time.
I get your point that the 400 was in a different market group than the Mas Bi-Turbo.
I can also understand that this car was made I guess in 1972. My point was that some car designs are so well executed, that they age like a priceless piece of art. Due to the flawless execution of the design language being so well penned. As well as ahead of it’s time. You find out which designs worked and which failed usually 15-20 years after the final model rolls off the assembly line.
Cars that come to mind that fit this bill is the Mercedes-Benz SL coupe that ran from 72′ to 89. The BMW “Shark” nose 6 series from 77 to 89, Lamborghini Countach from the 70’s all the way to the mid 90’s. The Jaguar XJS from 72′ to the mid 90’s, practically any Porsche or Rolls from any era etc.
This 400 model and models like it, are just examples of lazy styling with no imagination (I’m sure a great engine though). Hiding behind the, it has clean lines etc seems like an excuse!
Ferrari knows better than to green light the 400 in the example shown above!
Personally, I very much appreciate the styling of the 400, and have always thought of the 73-89 R107 SL as dowdy, especially relative to the W113 that it replaced. But that’s just my opinion, obviously very different from yours.
I never much cared for this kind of European styling. To my eye, looks like an old Honda and so, meh.
Of course, I’m not this kind of car’s target market anyway. One, I don’t have that kind of money (well, I wouldn’t spend it on a car at least) and two I’m a proud Midwestern aficionado of automotive gingerbread
De gustibus though…
“To my eye, looks like an old Honda and so, meh.”
And ironically, it’s actually the other way around. In the early ’80s, Honda was cribbing the clean styling of the Europeans.
I know that. My point is that I don’t care for that look and even though Honda and Toyota cribbed Pininfarina and others, I don’t think it was much of a look to begin with. Fitting for a blah penalty box, but odd to think it originated so far up the food chain. Again, de gustibus, obviously many people think that style works.
When Lexus and Acura copied Mercedes, I think that worked and looked good, but I think the lines of that era of Benz looked good anyway.
The styling is beautiful (to me anyway). So purposeful. I drove one once, back when I was a valet in high school. Like the author’s sightings it was also in the L.A. area, this time at Braemar Country Club in Encino. But lest anyone get the idea that these things are as plentiful as Honda Civics in SoCal, they aren’t 🙂
+ 1 On the styling.
I always thought this was a good looking car. but I have never been one to care much for the super exotics. I like the idea of a two door four seat car with some oomppff behind it. honestly I’m not even much of a sports car person,
as seen in rain man:
https://youtu.be/HyWkLUGB-no
I used to see 7’1″ Wilt Chamberlain driving his 400i on the Santa Monica freeway out to Venice Beach, where he played volleyball. He obviously had the front seat moved back drastically, and undoubtedly the rear seat cushion was removed to accommodate him. It looked like he was sitting in the back seat when he was driving it. I have this very clear picture of being next to him in traffic, and giving him a big grin. Watching him get out and in must have been a sight.
The understatement this car makes is why it’s so beautiful .
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More’s the pity but the tin worm stops for no one .
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-Nate
I remember seeing one of these parked on in front of my fancy boarding school main building in about 1985 or 1986 and thinking it was just about the most elegant, understated and beautiful car a truly rich person could drive! I imagine it was a board member, and possibly the same board member who also drove a Maserati Quattroporte.
For years since I’ve loved this Ferrari, and only recently it came to my attention that it looks very much like one of my favorite Buicks, the 1977-1979 Buick LeSabre Coupe. I wonder if it was a design inspiration for GM.
Recently, though, I’ve soured on Ferrari’s as someone here shared an article from Road Test Magazine saying that Ferrari’s were a huge con, that their performance was lacking and designs literally defective. Does anyone know the article of which I speak?
Yes, The Great Ferrari Hoax: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/vintage-article-ferrari-road-test-magazine-deflates-the-dream/#more-187381
It was hurtful to read 🙁 I’ve always lusted after them (the 250 SWB since I used to see them advertised in R&T in 1969-70). They’d always outpaced my income__now by MILLIONS!!
Even in the early 70s, to the cognoscenti, it was “drive it a day, work on it a day; drive it a week, work on it a week; drive it a month…”
Absolutely beautiful. It’s a shame this particular car’s life is over, as that design in exactly that color combo is just near perfection to my eye.
While I’m always lamenting the absence of 2 door coupes on current new car lots, I did spot a new BMW just the other day in just this combination of colors, and it was the first new coupe from any manufacturer in years to really inspire car lust in me. I’m admittedly jaded, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself attracted to a new 2 door. Maybe there’s hope yet.
If I can barely see the rust in the photos and windows are so broken, it must be the rusted out floors. Remember to shut the windows and doors.
I’ve always found these have a quiet elegance about them. The subtle Ferrari… Shame this one is beyond redemption though. Rust never sleeps.
It also spawned some clear imitators. Witness the Bitter SC:
I loved the subtlety of the 400/412 (as well as the Bitter)… that was the appeal of these cars for me: A Ferrari that didn’t scream out to be noticed. For that reason, I think they look best in understated colors like the blue example here.
In addition to the restrained design, there’s something irresistible about a front-engine, 4-passenger V-12 Ferrari that makes it much more alluring to me than a mid-engine sports car.
Ah! When I read the daft comment above about Opels, I did kinda think “Bitter, maybe.”
Nice call out on the Bitter–it is amazing how similar they look. Hard to believe that an Opel Senator chassis could be made to look that good–it reminds me of Bill Mitchell’s blatant cribbing of Ferrari design for the hatchback roofline of the Chevrolet Monza. If only U.S. GM coupes had rooflines that looked more like this in the 1980s, instead of the tyranny of the “formal look.”
The SC would have made a great premium Buick product. Ramp up production a bit to get the price down, and put a 3.8 Turbo in it. Better than a Reatta by far.
The SC would have made a great premium Buick product in 1981 when it started production (and at that time you would have needed to keep the Opel engine, as the turbo 3.8 was no great shakes in ’81). By the time the Reatta came out in 1988, the Bitter was old news and its sharp-edged styling outdated; it went out of production in ’89.
They actually did sell the car through a very few Buick dealers in ’84 and ’85, but sales were very low. If it had been wearing a Buick badge, earlier, and had been more widely distributed, then it might have been a different story and an effective halo car. Run it with the Opel engines at first, and then switch to the turbo 3.8 for ’84 when it was making 200 HP (same as the Opel 3.9 I6) and 300 lb-ft (substantially more), and then 230 HP for ’86.
Coulda been a contender…
Two years ago I’m running thru Rockville, VA (between Richmond and my former home of Montpelier), and I see what I was sure was a Ferrari 400 at a local repair shop. I’m kind of stunned because this is a shop that usually works on Jeep Cherokees and Ford F-150; and despite it’s very good reputation, I couldn’t see them having any idea of what to do with a Ferrari V-12.
So I pull in to take a look and discover my first ever Bitter SC. In rather nice condition, although it sat outside in the establishment’s parking lot for about a month, which couldn’t have done the car any good. But at least the Opel I-6 had to be less demanding than a Ferrari V-12.
By the way, THIS is the one Ferrari I’ve always had a desire to own. Like a lot of previous comments, the subtlety of the design really does it for me.
Wears an August 1977 on British licence plate still on the front so suspect its from the “old Country” . Once worth beer money but later good ones hitting £10k, still cheap when the “entry” Ferrari goes for £250k!.
It is fun to imagine the car’s first owner. Did every other guy at the club have an Aston Martin, RR, or Bristol? Did he not think he could not handle the commute into London without a Ferrari V12. This was a Ferrari designed to be daily driven. It would be interesting to meet a person who would actually do it.
There is no such thing as a “cheap Ferrari”. A low initial purchase price may seem to be a bargain, but it is just a low ball entry fee giving the owner access to a very expensive fraternity with continual high maintenance and parts costs for his or her Ferrari. Think of the concept of an old house with severely deferred maintenance issues, a.k.a “a money pit”. That is what a Ferrari without a continually updated service record becomes, and probably why this Prancing Horse is going to the “glue factory” for parting out.
Similarly a Porsche 928 can be another classic inexpensive “money pit” when cursed with deferred maintenance issues.
So beware of “inexpensive” classic supercar bargains. Superficial beauty can be deceiving and what lies underneath, the bones and muscles of a car, so to speak, are what really matter. Who knows what the real mechanical and body status of this 400i actually is, but likely “not a whole lot of good” since it is on its way out to parts heaven.
This is true, great points.
These are beautiful. I think the main reason these don’t earn much respect nowadays is because this design language was copied so prolifically.
I always find the grand touring Italians more alluring than the “regular” ones. But as fascinating as I find the Lamborghini Espada, this is a much more attractive design.
William
You make a good point I never considered before, in regards to the copied design language made the car feel unimportant.
I think that the Cadillac Allante’, which I love. Probably hit the same problem, it looked expensive but the lines of the car were too 80’s at a quick glance. It’s like you have to get up close to the Allante’ to really appreciate the design language.
I thought those wheels looked period correct familiar (if they were OEM?)
” Lower profile Michelin TRX tyres were adopted, on metric sized wheels.”
I had a very similar set of metric wheels, of the same era, on a very early, BMW e24 630cs parts car (1977?)
Quantity of these 400i’s:
” A total of 1305 examples were produced, 883 Automatics and 422 GTs.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_365_GT4_2%2B2,_400_and_412#400_i
Great find Chris. I love this shape, but I think it could have done without the chisel.
I know it is blasphemous to say but this would make a really cool rod after you back half it and slap a turbocharged LS motor under that sexy hood! 🙂
If the body was solid but the drivetrain was wrecked, I’d be right on board with you. Sadly the situation seems to be the reverse of that.
Chris I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been tempted by an old forgotten car at JAMA in Redondo Beach. I very much enjoy seeing the names of streets and places I know in these Curbside Classic posts.
Always loved the lean lines of the Ferrari 400i. Like the Aston Lagonda and Maserati Biturbo, the car was sporty and at the same time very elegant. Too bad no one ever made anything along these lines that was reliable.
If you’re including the Biturbo in that group, what about the Volvo 780? Not in the same league obviously, but arguably the most premium product Volvo ever made, and the profile quite is similar (I’ve had a passer-by tell me they mistook mine for a Biturbo from a distance). Quite reliable with either engine, particularly with the later turbo redblock.
The Lagonda and 400i…now that’s rarefied company, and I don’t know that I’d even place the Biturbo in the same category as those two.
Ferrari repair and restoration must not be paying very well these days, based on the tow rig and 2 sizes to small rusty trailer.
The tow rig was clearly built from two trucks (not the dually bed and axle, with SRW front wheels)…and the trailer looks fine for what I would guess is a <3200lb parts car.