1978 Ferrari 400 GT

Lot details
Registration No: VOV765S
Chassis No: 23429
Mot Expiry: Sept 2012

For many years Ferrari was famous only for making two-seater cars, its very first close-coupled four-seater (the 250GT 2+2) going on sale in 1961. That car soon established a new pedigree within the brand, leading to the arrival of a new, larger and more spacious 365GT4 2+2 in 1972, and to the car which supplanted that model, the 400GT, in 1976. All Ferraris built in this period were costly, low-production machines, based on increasingly complex tubular chassis frames, clad in hand-crafted body shells which had been styled by Pininfarina, and which were produced at the Scaglietti coachbuilding works in Modena. At this time, progression from one model's chassis to the next was evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, so even when the 400GT arrived it was possible to trace its lineage back to the 1960s, though of course the newcomer had all-independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. All the four-seaters were powered by one or other of the several types of Ferrari's famous vee-12 engines. Launched in 1972, the 365GT4 2+2 (of which 525 examples were built) had a smart four-seater style, but only two passenger doors, and used the familiar 4390cc V12, which had twin overhead camshafts per bank. When the 400GT took over four years later, the self-same body style was retained, but the engine grew to 4823cc and produced 340bhp. This was the very first Ferrari on which automatic transmission (a GM design) became optional. The top speed of such cars was 156mph, and in a three year period, just 502 such cars were produced (a mere 164 of which were to UK RHD specification). In 1979 it was replaced by the fuel-injected 400i, which had identical styling, and the 4943cc engined 412 then took the pedigree through until 1988.

Dry stored for sixteen years prior to entering the current ownership via a deceased estate in 2008, this particular example was subsequently recommissioned by the vendor's bodyshop. As well as having its wheels refurbished, brakes overhauled, new Koni shock absorbers fitted and exhaust replaced, the Ferrari benefited from recovered seats and fresh carpets. Showing a credible but unwarranted 64,000 miles to its odometer, 'VOV 765S' is variously described by the seller as being in "good" (electrical equipment), "very good" (engine, automatic transmission, paintwork) or "excellent" (bodywork) condition. Elegantly understated and seemingly great value, this Prancing Horse is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until August 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle has an MOT until Sept 2012.