One to Buy: ex-Melbourne Motor Show 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB
Famously reluctant to adopt a mid-engined layout in Formula 1, Enzo Ferrari also erred on the side of caution when it came to replacing his esteemed line of 12 cylinder front-engined road cars with a mid-engined model. The new 365 GT4 BB that ultimately emerged in production-ready trim at the Paris Motor Show in October 1973 also broke with convention owing to its Flat 12 as opposed to V12 engine layout.
By the time the Berlinetta Boxer arrived, Lamborghini were already producing their second generation twelve cylinder mid-engined model, the Countach, which had arrived six months prior. However, the two cars were quite different in character, with the 365 GT4 BB a slightly more refined proposition in terms of design, road manners and comfort.
When production ended in mid 1976 (to make way for the 512 BB), 387 of these first generation Berlinetta Boxers had been built.
Just 58 cars from the 365 GT4 BB production run were completed in right-hand drive, one of which is currently on the market with Classic Motor Hub in the Cotswolds.
Dispatched to Australia in October 1974 finished in the handsome and rarely seen scheme colour scheme of Argento with beige upholstery, chassis 18159 was destined to the Victoria-based importer for Australia, WH Lowe, who displayed it at the Melbourne Motor Show in March 1975.
Today, this lovely early Berlinetta Boxer is offered in excellent condition throughout having been the recipient of much recent expenditure.
Reprinted below is Classic Motor Hub’s description:
1975 Melbourne Motor Show car
Imported to UK in 1988
Restored to original colour scheme
Matching-numbers engine
£299,995
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION
Delivered new to Australia in October 1974 via the Victoria-based importer WH Lowe, this beautifully presented Ferrari 365 BB was displayed at the Melbourne Motor Show early the following year.
Chassis number 18159 was originally finished in Argento with a Beige interior, and the first owner was Dr John Pierce. In November 1980, Pierce sold the Ferrari to Barry Batagol, a marque enthusiast who also owned a 400 Superamerica, a 750 Monza and a 512 BB. His wife Cheryl subsequently drove the 365 BB in a Ferrari class at an Alfa Romeo Owners Club sprint at Winton Raceway in Victoria, and she not only won the Lance Dixon Trophy for the fastest Ferrari, but also the CF Barnes Trophy for being the fastest lady driver on the day.
In spring 1981, the pinion shaft broke in the original transaxle, a common fault with early Boxers, so Ferrari supplied a replacement unit from a 512. He subsequently sold the original unit to New Zealand, and the history file includes a number of letters regarding the replacement and sale.
Batagol offered the Ferrari for sale in October 1986, by which time it had covered 23,000 miles. It was acquired by Barry Jorgensen the following month, then sold to a UK-based owner in mid-1988. It was put into dry storage in 1989 and emerged in time to be sold by RM Sotheby’s at its Paris sale in 2014.
The 365 BB was subsequently recommissioned and returned to the road, with invoices showing that it was looked after by noted marque specialists such as Bob Houghton. More recently, it has benefitted from further restoration work that’s included a respray in its original Argento. During summer 2024, the engine was removed, cleaned and painted, a new flywheel was fitted, the cambelt was replaced, the carburettors were rebuilt, and ancillaries such as the starter motor and alternator were overhauled.
The suspension was removed, inspected and rebuilt at the same time, the five-spoke Campagnolo wheels were refurbished, and the brake calipers were stripped and replated.
The end result is an exceptional example of this strikingly charismatic Italian supercar, which is now being offered for sale with an extensive history file that includes the UK Service Record and the Instruction Book, as well as a complete tool kit.
