The Ferrari 400 series (1976-1989): With the nose of an SD1 and the class of an SL
And with that similarity in noses, those cars set a trend for 'the seventies'. In addition, the Ferrari already had the looks of the 'eighties'. But the Ferrari is so much more than its nose. It is a very chic, razor-sharp drawn GT. A Gran Turismo in the purest sense of the word. A comfortable, fast car for long journeys
An English motorcycle magazine from 2009 had an article with the headline “A real V12 Ferrari for the price of a Toyota Camry”. Those days are over. The prices of this Ferrari signed by Pininfarina * are currently not scrambling like monkeys over each other's backs. But the 400 i, the 400 GT and the 412 i have definitely emerged from the shadows.
The Ferrari 400 line and history
In 1976, the 400 was the first Ferrari available with an automatic gearbox. An 3-speed automatic transmission from General Motors was used for this. That 'lazy' container took the venom out of the character of the Ferrari. Or: made the 400 a much friendlier automobile. A real travel car. A family car. After all, did the Ferrari have a real rear seat?
The enthusiasts now know that the manual gearbox is the nicest 'riders' variant. Only 422 units were built from this. Over the years, the beautiful, sleek, Pininfarina design received an ever-growing group of admirers.
The 412 was technically progressive, sporty and comfortable at the same time. At the time, he had fairly unique details such as the 'soft close' closure of the boot lid. Something that Ikea only recently presented in its kitchen drawers. The 400 is now 'underbubbling' in the line of Ferrari's iconic classics. This is clearly reflected in the global price development of the model.
Was undervalued
But the fact that this line was undervalued for a while means that there are quite a few copies for which time has not been so kind. There have been owners who could afford the 'cheap' Ferrari, but who dropped out of the necessary and expensive maintenance of their pride. Oh yes: the Ferrari 400 line is also not insensitive to rust. The different 400's
Between the years 1976 and 1989, there were 6 flavors of 400's.
The first series - the 400 and 400A - was launched at the Paris Motor Show in 1976. The only difference between the two was that the "A" meant that the car was equipped with the TH400 automatic transmission purchased from General Motors. The engine in both cars was an 4,8-liter V-12 with six Weber carburetors, and the block was good for 335 hp.
In 1979, Ferrari introduced the 400i and 400 GT, where the "i" stood for a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system and the GT indicated the manual transmission. The power dropped to 306 pk. For 1985, Ferrari increased the engine capacity to 4,9 liters, with a corresponding return to 335 hp.
The current price level
The time when a used Ferrari from the 400 stole as much as a fresh Toyota Camry is over. In fact, because of the prices of parts and restoration work, it is only interesting to buy a very good or a top specimen from this series. And then it must be taken into account that from there about € 65.000 has to be paid for.
An 412 switch box is currently for sale for an amount from such an 89 mille +. But it is considerably less than the € 765.000 that is being asked for an 365 GTB / 4 Daytona that is currently also for sale that has almost just such a distinctive nose.
* He was born in 1893: Battista “Pinin” Farina. He got the nickname 'Pinin' (little boy) from the fact that he was the tenth child in the family. At the age of eleven he started working in his brother's company until he founded his own company on May 22, 1930: Carrozzeria Pinin Farina.
Thanks to Gerrit Venema