Ferrari 365 GT4 BB / 512 BB
1973–1984 (365 BB ’73–76; 512 BB ’76–81; 512 BBi ’81–84) · Ferrari 365 GT4 BB / 512 BB — Supercar, Flat-12, designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.
The Story
By the late 1960s, Ferrari’s mid-engined rivals had rewritten the rulebook: Lamborghini’s Miura and then the dramatic Countach made Maranello’s front-engined V12 flagships look conservative. Ferrari’s answer was the 365 GT4 BB, shown as a prototype at the 1971 Turin show and entering production in 1973 — the first mid-engined 12-cylinder road car to wear the Cavallino Rampante, and the first road Ferrari not to use a V-configuration engine. Penned by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, it paired clean, low-slung berlinetta lines with a 4.4-litre flat-12 derived from Ferrari’s racing and F1 experience.
The car evolved across three chapters. The 365 GT4 BB (1973–76, 387 built) used a 4,390cc flat-12 on four triple-choke Webers, factory-rated at 380 bhp — the most powerful of the line. In 1976 came the 512 BB (929 built), enlarged to 4,943cc and rated 360 bhp, with a deeper front spoiler and revised tail. Finally the 512 BBi (1981–84, 1,007 built) swapped Webers for Bosch K-Jetronic injection, trading peak output (~340 PS) for cleaner running and better tractability. In total ~2,323 Boxers were built.
The Boxer’s defining quirk is its packaging: the five-speed transmission sits BENEATH the engine, the flat-12 stacked on top of the gearbox. This raised the centre of gravity but shortened the powertrain dramatically, allowing a compact wheelbase and a roomy cabin. It mattered because it was Ferrari’s true entry into the mid-engine supercar era — the bridge between the front-V12 Daytona and the wide-bodied Testarossa that followed.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Supercar class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Leonardo Fioravanti
Engineer-turned-stylist; rose to MD of Pininfarina Studi e Ricerche. The defining hand behind Ferrari road shapes from the late-1960s to mid-1980s.
Studio Motors POV
The Boxer is the moment Ferrari finally answered Lamborghini on its own terms, and the carbureted 512 BB remains one of the purest, most analogue flat-12 experiences Maranello ever built. Quirks and all — including that ‘boxer’ name it never truly earned — it’s a foundational supercar that deserves more reverence than it sometimes gets.
The Engine
Ferrari Flat-12
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About 365 GT4 BB / 512 BB
Worth Knowing About the 365 GT4 BB / 512 BB
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • It is NOT actually a 'boxer' — it's a 180° V12 whose opposing pistons share crankpins and move in the same direction, which is why engineer Mauro Forghieri insisted 'Please, don't call it boxer.'
- • It was never officially federalised or sold new in the US — every American Boxer arrived through the grey-market era and had to be privately modified to meet EPA/DOT rules.
- • The engine literally sits ON TOP of the gearbox (the transmission is mounted below the crankshaft), which raised the centre of gravity but kept the powertrain short for packaging.
5 Fast Facts
- • ~2,323 built total: 387 × 365 GT4 BB, 929 × 512 BB, 1,007 × 512 BBi.
- • Flat-12 (technically a 180° V12), mounted longitudinally ABOVE the gearbox.
- • 365 GT4 BB: 4,390cc, factory-rated 380 bhp — the most powerful of the three.
- • 512 BB: enlarged to 4,943cc, 360 bhp, four triple-choke Weber 40 IF3C carbs.
- • 512 BBi: Bosch K-Jetronic injection, ~340 PS, top speed ~283 km/h (176 mph).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
None verified. No specific celebrity or notable owner could be confirmed from authoritative auction-catalogue or marque-historian sources for this model.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The 365 GT4 BB is the rarest (387 built) and most powerful (380 bhp), and typically commands the highest values. Many enthusiasts consider the carbureted 512 BB the sweet spot — more usable than the early car, with the throttle response and sound the injected BBi softened. The 512 BBi is the most refined and easiest to live with day to day. Expect ~$250k–$600k+ by variant/condition/history, the best 365 BBs at the top of that band. Beware US grey-market cars (federalisation work of varying quality — verify reversibility). Seek Ferrari Classiche and matching numbers, and budget for the engine-out cam-belt and major service — critical and expensive on these flat-12s.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari 365 GT4 BB / 512 BB
- Class
- Supercar
- Production years
- 1973–1984 (365 BB ’73–76; 512 BB ’76–81; 512 BBi ’81–84)
- Units built
- ~2,323 (365 BB 387 + 512 BB 929 + 512 BBi 1,007)
- Variants
- 512 BBi (fuel injection)
- Engine layout
- Mid
- Engine
- Flat-12
- Engine family
- Ferrari Flat-12
- Displacement
- 4943 cc (5.0 L)
- Power
- 360 hp
- Torque
- 331 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 5.4 s
- Top speed
- 163 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 238 hp/tonne · 9.3 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual transaxle
- Drivetrain
- RWD (longitudinal mid flat-12) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3340 lb
Questions
365 GT4 BB / 512 BB FAQ
What do the designations 365 GT4 BB and 512 BB mean?
‘365 GT4 BB’ identifies the 4.4L displacement, GT4 chassis code, and BB for Berlinetta Boxer — though the engine is technically a 180-degree V12/flat-12 rather than a true boxer. The ‘512’ in later 512 BB refers to 5.0L V12. The 512 BB was fuel-injected (not carbureted) in its later 512 BBi evolution; the initial 512 BB was carbureted.
What made the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB historically significant?
The 365 GT4 BB, launched in 1973, was Ferrari’s first mid-engine 12-cylinder production road car — a major departure from the front-engine V12 tradition of the 250 GT, 275 GTB, and 365 GTB/4 Daytona. Ferrari developed the mid-engine layout partly in response to the Lamborghini Miura and in preparation for a philosophy that would define every Ferrari supercar from the F40 through the LaFerrari.
How does the Ferrari 512 BB compare to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona it effectively replaced?
The 365 GT4 BB was the direct successor to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona (not the 512 BB, which was the later 5.0L evolution). It moved Ferrari’s flagship from front-engine V12 (Daytona) to mid-engine flat-12 — a fundamental architectural change. The Boxer’s stated theoretical center-of-gravity benefit didn’t fully translate to a low centre of gravity in practice due to package height.
What is a Ferrari 365 GT4 BB or 512 BB worth at auction?
365 GT4 BB / 512 BB market: Hagerty shows about $375K for a good 365 GT4 BB, $200K for a good 512 BB, and $225K for a good 512 BBi. The 365 GT4 BB commands the strongest premium (mid-engine flat-12 debut + rarity); the later 512 BBi is generally preferred over the carbureted 512 BB for drivability.
Can you source a Ferrari 365 GT4 BB or 512 BB through Studio Motors?
Yes. The BB family represents Ferrari’s first mid-engine 12-cylinder road cars — historically pivotal models that launched in 1973 and established the platform philosophy continued by the Testarossa and beyond.
The Ferrari Lineup
Explore every Ferrari
250 Europa / Europa GT ’53250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (TdF) ’56250 GT Coupe 'Boano' / 'Ellena' ’56250 Testa Rossa (TR) ’57250 GT California Spider LWB ’57250 GT Cabriolet ’57250 GT Coupe (Pininfarina) ’58250 GT Berlinetta SWB ’59250 GT Berlinetta 'Interim' ’59
250 GT California Spider SWB ’60250 GTE 2+2 ’60250 GTO ’62250 GT Lusso (GT/L) ’62330 America ’63275 GTB ’64365 GTB/4 Daytona ’68Dino 246 GT ’69
365 GT4 BB / 512 BB ’73308 GTB / GTS ’75
288 GTO ’84Testarossa ’84328 GTB / GTS ’85F40 ’87348 ’89
F355 ’94F50 ’95550 Maranello ’96360 Modena ’99
575M Maranello ’02Enzo ’02360 Challenge Stradale ’03612 Scaglietti ’04F430 ’04599 GTB Fiorano ’06430 Scuderia ’07California ’08458 Italia ’09
599 GTO ’10F12berlinetta ’12LaFerrari ’13458 Speciale ’13F12tdf ’15488 GTB ’15GTC4Lusso ’16812 Superfast ’17Portofino M ’17488 Pista ’18Monza SP1 / SP2 ’18F8 Tributo ’19SF90 Stradale ’19Roma ’19
812 Competizione ’21296 GTB ’21Purosangue ’22Daytona SP3 ’22SF90 XX Stradale ’2312Cilindri ’24F80 ’24296 Speciale ’25
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