You see it in the distance, its blurred outline slowly coming into focus as it nears. It rounds the last few turns before pulling up alongside the driveway. The driver hops out with a nod and grin, starts to unlatch the door fixings and lets the warm air seep into the truck bed for the first time in hours. After some gentle pushing and rocking, the Rosso Corsa Ferrari 512 BB emerges from the delivery truck, and audible gasps ring out among neighbours and onlookers. There is no other feeling quite like it, and the urge to snatch the keys and let the Berlinetta Boxer sing is overwhelming, and yet, for this lucky owner in 1981, their new arrival hasn’t even made it over the 1,000-kilometre mark on the odometer.
This incredibly unique opportunity comes from CarJager, who are presenting this essentially factory fresh 512 BB for sale. Sent from Maranello straight to United States right after completion, it resided there comfortably, but has barely been driven for 33 years. While other BB owners were busy racking up miles on their new sportscar, this owner merely drove it to the local shop and back, slowly accumulating a grand total of 810 kilometres. Despite these incredibly short trips, averaging an annual total of just over 24 kilometres, the car was kept to a high standard, just as you would expect from such a special prancing horse.
As a testament to its originality, the car still wears its original Michelin tires and retains the original interior protective film. Satisfying peelable plastics aside, the key components such as the undercarriage, the engine bay, and the interior all confirm and celebrate the 512’s extremely low mileage.
The car was sold in 2014 from its original American owner and was shipped to the UK, before arriving with the current French owner who purchased the car in 2020. In both 2016 and 2020, the car underwent a major mechanical service, where in 2016 it included a complete engine overhaul and the replacement of the belts and clutch. In the 2020 service, the car received an engine removal, fluid change, and tank flushing, allowing the next custodian to fully enjoy the car’s performance should they wish to.
Cracking that 1,000-kilometre mark will welcome a special moment for this poster car of the 1980s, should the next owner wish to do so. For a car that is as uniquely beautiful as the 512 BB, it’s no wonder the previous owners were happy to simply sit and stare at the car, taking in every detail of Leonardo Fioravanti’s penwork. The temptation will always be there to turn the key and rack up the miles, and for that we say let the BB sing, even if it is just to the local supermarket and back!
