Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2024 - Cars on Saturday the 9th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. Having reasserted itself at the top of the supercar hierarchy with the first 'Boxer'-the 365GT/ 4 BB-Ferrari went one better with its successor, the 512BB introduced in October 1976 at the Paris Auto Show. For the new car, Ferrari abandoned its long-standing practice of denoting a model by the capacity of an individual cylinder and adopted the Dino-type nomenclature where '512' indicates 5 litres/ 12 cylinders. The increase in engine size from the original Boxer's 4. 4-litres was made, not so much with increased power in mind, but to enable the 512BB to meet increasingly stringent emissions targets without a loss of performance. Displacement was increased by enlarging both bore and stroke, whilst in addition, the compression ratio was raised, and lubrication changed from wet to dry sump. Quoted power remained the same (but may have been more truthful) at 360bhp, and torque was improved to 332 lb/ ft at 5000rpm which, coupled with revised gear ratios, made the 512 much more tractable. Styling changes were subtle, with a small chin spoiler added to the nose, NACA ducts added in front of the rear wheels, larger rear arches to accommodate wider rear wheels, and finally, four tail-lights replaced the six on the 365.
