Steve Cropley was originally employed as a writer/editor of the Australian Auto Magazine, “Wheels”, before emigrating to the UK where he became editor of British Auto magazine, “Car”. He eventually became an impassioned Ferrari owner himself when he bought and wrote about his ownership of an early, lighter fiberglass bodied, carburetor Ferrari 308 GTB — one of the retsina 308’s — before the 308 GTB’s were built with steel bodies. Cropley always communicated his love of Ferraris to his readers.
Ferrari has used varying nomenclatures in naming its cars. In the case of the 365 GT4BB, the 365 is the displacement measurement of each individual cylinder of the 12 cylinder engine. The GT refers to this being a Gran Turismo type car capable of traveling in comfort for long distances. The 4 references that this is a four cam engine, with two cams on each cylinder bank. The BB stands for Berlinetta Boxer. The Berlinetta is a sports coupé typically with two seats, but also including 2 +2 cars.
The Boxer part of Berlinetta Boxer for this series of production Ferrari’s is actually a marketing falsehood. These flat 180 degree twelve cylinder engines are actually flat 180 degree engines with each pair of cylinders sharing a single crankshaft crank journal rather than having 180 degree opposed separate journals seen in true boxer type engines like the VW four cylinder engines or the 6 cylinder 911 Porsche engines. This Ferrari 180 degree flat 12 design of a single crankshaft journal for a cylinder pair was also used by Porsche for its successful racing 12 cylinder 917 Race cars.
So this Ferrari engine, in actuality, has a traditional Ferrari V12 crankshaft architecture with the angle between the cylinders flatted to 180 degrees instead of the traditional 60 degree “Vee” used by the classic Colombo and Lampredi Ferrari V12’s–hence it is a flat 180 degree V12.
The “Boxer” was produced in three distinct series from 1973 to 1984, replace in 1985 by the “Testarossa”
The design leadership of the 365 GT4BB was led by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, who was also the chief designer of the Ferrari Daytona.
The later model Ferrari 512BBi captured in the wild, in Ohio.
Ferrari has had frequent inconsistencies in naming its cars. In replacing the 365 GT4 BB, the replacement was called the 512 BB (1976-1981) meaning five liter displacement, 12 cylinders, and BB, Berlinetta Boxer. the 512BB was later updated with Bosch fuel injection and became the 512 BBi, with the “i” meaning injection. The BBi was the last series produced from 1981-1984.
512 BBi captured again, same day, in Hinckley, Ohio.
Conventional where the Countach was revolutionary. Still I love both (almost) equally. Saw one on the road many years ago, but I imagine these have become trailer and track queens – with very little reason to drive one on the road when most owners probably have a Dino GT for that.
Don, you obviously mean something like this Dino being driven and enjoyed during the 2018 Spring Thaw Rally in British Columbia. Maybe in Aus, Boxers are garage queens, but here in the States and in Canada, and at least in Ohio and in Ontario, some are definitely driven, as I have seen.
Here is a pic of a 512 BBi with BBS wheels on the road in Northern Ohio during early Spring 2016. Definitely stunning classic Pininfarina styling to see on the road.
Another view of the 512 BBi during Spring 2016.
Vic, I seem to remember the original 365 version of the BB not being compliant with US regs, and there being a company that was doing some serious mods in terms of emissions and bumpers (and more than doubling the sticker) on the car used for the story.
I live in a suburb which is pretty much the centre of seeing new McLarens, Lambos and Fezzas on the road – a daily occurrence. I see the occasional 308 GTB/S, Dino GT and recently caught a 365 2+2 curbside though under a cover. The last time I saw a BB on the road was years ago. I thought they were not on US roads, but the 512 version must’ve have made its way through the red tape.
Don, in the 1980’s extending into the 1990’s, Dick Fritz who had worked with Luigi Chinneti at NART (North American Racing Team) started Amerispec after discovering an importation loop-hole allowing legal importation and then be allowed a reasonable length of time in order to legally federalize the “grey market” imported Ferrari’s, primarily Boxers to be compliant with USA federal crash and emissions standards by installing internal door guard beams within the door, by reinforcing bumpers to be crash compliant (sometimes with ugly results), and by installing catalytic converters within the mufflers for emission compliance. Making the Boxers emissions compliant was actually made easier, according to Fritz, with the advent of the Bosch K Jetronic fuel injected 512BBi’s.
Boxers would be bought in Europe for mid-80’s prices of about $30,000 to $40,000, converted at reasonable cost in the US, and then sold profitably in the range of $60,000 to 70,000 (US dollars). Others joined Amerispec in this profitable conversion business, and, ultimately it is believed, that conservatively, approximately 350 + Boxers were imported and converted for the grey market demand in the USA. Considering that total Boxer production was approximately 2323 cars, this estimate of about 350 (and perhaps higher) Boxers represented a significant portion of production arriving in the US during the Grey Market importation boom years.
The late 1980’s Ferrari grey market boom coincided with the late 1980 to early 1990’s Ferrari Market buying frenzy (think of the historical centuries ago Dutch Tulip Mania) until the Ferrari price crash of the early 1990’s brought the market to reality, like a typical stock market crash. Amazing, that Ferrari prices could actually crash or stabilize at one point, especially since prices now only seem to go up, seemingly unstoppable on their way up, Tulips again? .
http://classic-cars-talks.blogspot.com/2013/03/lord-brockets-butchered-beauties.html
I have that issue! And have many of Steve’s stories under my belt.
Who would’ve thought there’d be 512BB’s in Ohio 🙂 A great find and an interesting car. They are definitely around but in very small numbers, even in the typical enclaves in CA and the east. But yeah, I’ve seen more F40’s and 288GTO’s (with pics) in the flesh on the road than BB’s (all in CA). TR’s and if course the various V8 cars used to be extremely common comparatively speaking in SoCal at least, but I suppose with a few hundred federalized BB examples over here I’d venture that even if driven, it’d be less of a regular occurrence and more of a special occasion drive (for most, but not all).
I just checked out that Classic Cars Talks site. Looks like lots of interesting info there, and lots of photos. Thanks for the link!
A good friend owned a federalized 512 BB in the early ’80s, and once left it with me for three weeks while he was on vacation. After putting gas in the tank, you could actually see the needle drop after very slight useage. It was an extremely powerful car, but ergonomically the later Testarossa was much more civilized. The BB, however, had charisma and looks to spare .