365 GT4 BB (Italy, 1973)

The 365 GT4 BB was launched on the Pininfarina stand at the 1971 Turin Show, but it would only make it into production two years later. Until 1976 a total of 387 examples were produced.

This model had two important novelties. The first was the fact that it was equipped with a new 12-cylinder boxer derived from the Formula 1 car. The second one was the mid-engined layout that marked the end of Ferrari’s traditional front-engined solution for its top performance models.

The model title followed standard Ferrari practice, with the number “365″ referring to the swept volume of a single cylinder, the number “4″ relating to the total number of camshafts, while the “BB” suffix stood for “Berlinetta Boxer”.

The 365 GT4 BB and the subsequent 512 development models, have generally been called “Boxers”.

In terms of design the front-end of the model was based on Pininfarina' P6 mid-engined concept car, unveiled at the Turin Show in 1968.

The lower section of the nose featured a full-width aluminium egg crate radiator grille, with driving lights behind it. From the top edge a black line ran around the body perimeter, visually creating an upper and lower half to the body.

At the rear the 365 GT4 BB featured twin retractable headlights in rectangular pods, in either side of the aluminium finished radiator exhaust air louvre panel.

Internally known as F 102 AB 000, the 365 GT4 BB received the first ever flat-12 cylinder in a Ferrari road car with 380hp. However it kept the same 4390cc capacity and 81mm x 71mm bore and stroke from the 365 GTB4

The engine was longitudinally mounted combined with a five speed transmission, placed below the crankshaft. This raised the centre of gravity of the complete unit, but made it compact lengthwise.