Chassis No. F102AB18171

Engine No. 00230

Transmission No. 432

The first mid-engined road car to bear the Cavallino Rampante badge was a long time in the making, with the development of the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer beginning in the late 1960s and not appearing in showrooms until 1973. This gestation period can be attributed to the development of its mid-mounted twelve-cylinder engine – the first of its kind in a Ferrari production road car – as the engineers in Maranello applied the lessons learned from their mid-engined sports racing cars and the V6 Dino road cars to the radical new flagship Ferrari. With the spectacular 365 GTB/4 Daytona bridging the gap, the Berlinetta Boxer finally appeared at the Turin Motor Show in 1971, followed by the production version in 1973 with an alternate taillight and exhaust treatment from the prototype.
The Boxer, as its name implies, was powered by a 180 degree 4.9-liter "flat-twelve" with a claimed output of 380 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual transmission mounted below the engine. This state-of-the-art mechanical package was mounted longitudinally in a tubular steel chassis with a rigid steel cockpit, acting virtually as a monocoque akin to modern supercars. Also advanced beyond its time was the Boxer's razor-edged Pininfarina design, complete with distinctive satin black lower body and trademark Ferrari five-spoke alloy wheels secured with Rudge knock-off center hubs. Just 387 examples of the original 365 GT4 BB were built over a three-year period before it spawned a lineage of Berlinetta Boxers remaining in production until 1984, while its wedge design principals influenced the Testarossa family of supercars lasting well into the 1990s.

This left-hand drive Ferrari 365 GT4 BB rolled off the production line in Maranello on 16 October 1974 and was dispatched to official Swiss importer SAVAF (Société Anonyme pour la Vente des Automobiles Ferrari) in Geneva later that year. According to the research of Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, chassis number 18171 was then exhibited on the Ferrari display at the Geneva International Motor Show in March of 1975, sparkling under the lights in its factory Argento Metallizzato livery. The Ferrari would be sold to its first private owner, Egon Holzmann of Germany, by well-known dealer Auto Becker in Düsseldorf. Eventually, the 365 BB was exported to the United States, finding a long-term American owner who would retain the car from 1982 until 2008, a remarkable 26-year tenure. In this ownership the exterior was tastefully refinished in the trademark Boxer livery of Rosso Corsa with Nero (black) lower body panels. Also under previous ownership, the interior was retrimmed in Nero leather upholstery with contrasting red Daytona-style lateral strips on the seat inserts in 2010, this work being performed by Coachtrim of Danbury, CT.

In 2014, chassis 18171 was issued a Ferrari Classiche "Red Book" certifying that the body and chassis are original, and that it retains a correct type F102A engine and F102AB gearbox. This wonderfully authentic, Classiche Certified Berlinetta Boxer entered the care of its current long-term owner in 2015, having been acquired from noted collector Gary Schaevitz, and it has since been a regular entrant at some of the finest concours events in the United States. Appearances include the 2015 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, where it was awarded Best in Class – Italian Sports/GT, 2015 Lime Rock Great Ferrari Display, 2016 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, 2016 Concorso Italiano (Second Place Ferrari), and The Bridge in 2021. The Ferrari's consistent presentation and recognition at such prominent events indicates the exacting quality of the restoration work and the current owner's diligent care and passion for the marque. Servicing under current ownership has been primarily entrusted to official Ferrari dealer Miller Motorcars of Greenwich, Connecticut and encompasses a major engine-out service in 2015 including the replacement of the camshafts and clutch, another significant service in 2018, and more recently, the replacement of the master brake cylinder and repair of the fuse box and A/C blower in 2021.

Offered with its tool kit, jack, and all-important Red Book factory certification, this superb 365 GT4 BB is poised to enjoy continued success at concours and driving events with its next caretaker. The Berlinetta Boxer represented a significant leap forward in design and technological advancement for Ferrari; as one of the rarest production Ferrari models of the modern era, this first series 365 BB would be deserving of a place in any collection of high-performance sports cars.