PHENOMENAL FERRARIS: A stable of Prancing Horses is headed for Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast Auction
June 2, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive expert Steve Magnante
The collector car world is vast, with a stunning diversity of wheeled machinery seeking our attention. Of all the automakers throughout the world, it can honestly be said there is only one Ferrari. No other manufacturer – regardless of size or industrial might – has consistently delivered the excitement, entertainment, beauty and ferocious performance of those bearing the Prancing Horse badge. In so many ways, Ferraris – classic and new ‒ perch at the pinnacle of the automotive kingdom.
At Barrett-Jackson’s Inaugural Northeast Auction this June, more than a dozen fine examples of Ferraris will gallop across the block, ready for their new homes. Here is a look at a few that span nearly five decades of what is one of the world’s finest marques.
Supporting a Racing Empire
European Grand Touring at its finest: this 1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 (Lot #665.1) will be crossing the block later this month in Connecticut.
Ferrari introduced the 330 GT series in 1964 as a four-passenger grand touring machine imbued with racing DNA. Though cloaked in crisply styled aluminum bodywork by Pininfarina and fitted with a quartet of leather seats surrounded by luxurious interior appointments, the all-aluminum 3967cc (242ci) V12 delivered an honest 300 horsepower and easily allowed a 150-plus mph peak velocity.
An interesting detail enhancing this car’s place in Ferrari history is the fact that a large chunk of its original $14,200 retail price very likely helped to fund the 1967 Ferrari factory LeMans race team. It is well known that, since the beginning, Enzo Ferrari’s primary passion was sanctioned professional road racing. Records show he used profits generated by the sale of road-going, street-legal cars like this restored 1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 (Lot #665.1) to fund the expense of developing competition models with which to defend the Ferrari name on closed circuits all over the globe.
The story of Ferrari’s thwarted LeMans struggle against the Ford GT has been told, but there’s little doubt initial sales of the 330 GT added funds to the 1967 Ferrari LeMans race campaign, at which no fewer than 16 Ferraris did battle.
Completely restored to concours condition and with an established history in the Ferrari 330 Registry, this pristine example is presented in black and features the desirable 5-speed manual transmission and Boranni knockoff wire wheels. An important step in the road-going Ferrari’s evolution from the 250 GT 2+2 (1960-64) and 365 GT 2+2 (1967-71), approximately 1,080 330 GT 2+2s were built during its 5-year production run.
Get behind the wheel of this exquisitely drivable 1967 model and you’ll be ready to cruise in comfort from Monte Carlo to Geneva, handling the serpentine mountain roads with ease. Settle into the sumptuous red leather cockpit and move the iconic, gated 5-speed shifter through its paces. You’ll appreciate European Grand Touring at its finest. With a bloodline harkening back to the glorious days of Ferrari’s factory race teams, this 330 GT will forever appeal to collectors and investors.
Behold the Berlinetta Boxer
This 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi (Lot #684) is a fine example of Ferrari’s first mid-engine supercar.
For European Ferrari enthusiasts, the sight of a 512 Berlinetta Boxer (BB) is special, but not altogether uncommon. But for Americans, spying a 512 BB ‒ Ferrari’s most potent road car at the time ‒ was a rare treat, as Ferrari didn’t officially export them here during their 1977-85 production run. The 512 BB grew out of the 1974-76 365 GT4 BB, both of which were Ferrari’s somewhat belated answer to mid-engine supercars like the Lamborghini Miura (1966-73) and Maserati Bora (1971-78). Featuring a flat 12-cylinder engine with horizontally opposed cylinders (aka a “boxer-style” engine layout), the power plant wasn’t easily tuned to meet U.S. emissions regulations, thus the sales embargo.
But for 1981, Ferrari replaced the 512 engine’s carburetors with electronic fuel injection (EFI). Though official exports to the U.S. were still banned, the EFI made it easier for independent shops to recalibrate them for federal emissions legality, and a trickle of Ferrari’s flagship performance model began to legally appear on American roads. This 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi (Lot #684) is an original California car with a Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) sticker.
To many, the 512 BB represents the last of the truly handmade Ferraris. This clean example has covered less than 11,000 miles and comes complete with the factory-issued tool kit and service/ownership books. Recently, a full major service was completed, including a fresh set of the hard-to-find metric-size Michelin TRX tires. With its 5-speed manual transmission and dual-disc clutch, the 512 BBi was Ferrari’s first mid-engine supercar.
Redheads don’t have to be red
Offered at No Reserve, this silver 1989 Ferrari Testarossa (Lot #655) has clocked less than 24,000 miles since new.
When Ferrari unleashed the Testarossa (literally meaning “redhead” in Italian) in 1984, the company bearing Enzo Ferrari’s name was only 38 years old. Despite being 86, Enzo was very active in the car’s design and evolution. To say the Testarossa reinvigorated Ferrari is no overstatement. Low, sleek and, above all else, w-i-d-e, it attracted a new generation of followers and fanatics who all vowed “one day ….”
Nearly twice as wide (78 inches) as it is tall (44.5 inches), the Testarossa rode on huge 255/50×16 rear tires and set new standards for handling and braking at that time. Most importantly, it gave U.S. buyers access to Ferrari’s most robust offering to date. Specifically designed to suit regulations in the North American market, the 380 horsepower flat-12 did 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds and could hit 182 mph. By the end of production in 1992, nearly 7,200 were sold, making it Ferrari’s most successful U.S. offering yet.
Proving there’s no law requiring every Ferrari has to be red, Barrett-Jackson is excited to offer silver and yellow examples for No Reserve at the upcoming Northeast Auction.
Coming or going, this silver Testarossa is a sight to behold.
With under 24,000 documented miles since new, this silver 1989 Ferrari Testarossa (Lot #655) is an outstanding example of the breed. Improved with a Tubi exhaust system and three-piece Speedline forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero supercar tires, it comes with service records from a Ferrari authorized specialist.
Thanks to its distinctive quintet of horizontal side strakes, the vibrant red leather factory cockpit remains cool and comfortable. A 5-speed manual transaxle connects the massive P-Zero tires to the 4.9 liter flat-12 engine to deliver the pure, hands-on driver-to-car connection lacking in many of today’s modern computer aided supercars.
This unusual low-mile example with a caring ownership trail overflows with the spirit of elegant competition that’s been at the core of every Ferrari since the first.
A horse of a different color: this Giallo Fly 1990 Ferrari Testarossa (Lot #638.1) is sure to turn a few heads at the Northeast Auction.
Another fine example is this 1990 Ferrari Testarossa (Lot #638.1) in Giallo Fly (Giallo means “yellow” in Italian). Like its silver cousin, occupants will enjoy cooler interior temperatures thanks to standard air conditioning – and the fact Ferrari re-engineered the Testarossa to position the radiators behind the cockpit.
Extra peace of mind is found in a clean CARFAX report and the inclusion of all factory-issued tools and service books. The clutch and engine cam drive belts were also replaced with new items in 2013, making this Testarossa road-ready. Considering that only about 7,200 were made in the 1985-92 production run, the Testarossa’s impact on automotive culture could surely stand in the top-10 range. Truly the model that revived Ferrari’s reputation for world-class performance, it is possible the demand for these iconic supercars will never fade.
Along came a spider
From the collection of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick comes this beautiful 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider (Lot #682).
Provenance is often just as important as the car when purchasing decisions are made. Buying a car from the collection of a world-renowned businessman, car enthusiast and NASCAR team owner like Rick Hendrick may set the car above others. Purchased brand-new by Hendrick in 2012, this pristine 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider (Lot #682) has over $60,000 in options, including leather and Alcantara interior surfaces, a carbon-fiber steering wheel with fingertip controls, heated seats and a suspension lifting system to protect against contact with speed bumps at low speed. The total purchase price was over $318,000 when new.
As a Spider, the retractable aluminum hardtop is articulated and retracts into the rear deck in under 14 seconds for open-air driving. Compared to the folding fabric roof of the Ferrari F430, this all-metal structure weighs 55 pounds less and is more weatherproof. The power to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds comes from a mid-mounted 4,499cc V8 making 562 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. This marked Ferrari’s first application of gasoline direct fuel injection (GDF) in a road-going mid-engine vehicle, which shoots a high-pressure stream of stratified gasoline directly into each combustion chamber for superior performance, reduced emissions and improved mileage. A spin-off from Ferrari’s Formula One race program, it’s just a small part of the cutting-edge technology built into the 458.
Mileage on this car is low, wear is minimal, all service has been performed by a Ferrari-certified facility and it has a clean CARFAX report. If maintained with the same level of diligence as that provided by Hendrick, this stunning 458 Spider could remain in near-new condition and possibly appeal to future owners as much as it does to bidders of today.
The powerful Ferrari F12
There’s no denying the beauty of this 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (Lot #653), also from the collection of Rick Hendrick.
Another offering purchased brand-new by Rick Hendrick, this 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (Lot #653) has covered a mere 3,600 miles – the majority with Hendrick at the controls. Though many of Ferrari’s offerings embrace mid-engine architecture, for the F12, Ferrari employed the classical front-mounted V12 engine platform first seen in 1947. This allowed the Ferrari Styling Centre and Pininfarina body designers to maximize passenger and luggage areas while emphasizing the same long hood/short-deck body proportions that helped make the 1962 250 GTO and 1969 365 GTB Daytona instant classics. The resulting 48/52 (front/rear) static-weight distribution defies conventional logic but speaks to the ingenious use of lightweight construction materials.
Under the F12’s long, graceful hood lies the most powerful naturally aspirated Ferrari V12 engine constructed to date. Displacing 6.3 liters, it delivers an asphalt-crushing 730 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 509 ft/lbs of torque at 6,000 rpm while squeezing 18 mpg of gas (when driven with agonizing restraint). A key mpg-boosting factor is Ferrari’s HELE start/stop system, which shuts the engine off at a standstill without driver participation. With over twice the power of a 1969 365 GTB Daytona, the F12 can do 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds with a top speed of 211 mph.
In true Ferrari grand-touring style, the F12 coddles its occupants with plush, luxurious hand-stitched leather and Alcantara surfaces, with copious aluminum and carbon-fiber accents and conveniences such as illuminated keyless entry, automatic dimming mirrors, cruise control, air conditioning, power windows and paddle shifters for the 7-speed dual-clutch, semi-automatic transmission.
One cannot appreciate the depth of the F12’s technology without acknowledging its magnetorheological active suspension system which (simply stated) employs struts filled with metal-impregnated fluid.
The F12 is one of those rare mergers of space-age technology and classical front-engine Ferrari styling. That it was the fastest and most powerful Ferrari ever offered up to its 2013 introduction assures its eternal desirability. Rick Hendrick’s initial ownership is an extra bonus sure to appeal to those with an interest in NASCAR history.
Owning a Ferrari sets one apart from the rest of the world. Nothing else has the same racing pedigree or trendsetting styling. If you’re looking to set yourself apart, you’ll want to be at Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast Auction in June to bid on what is truly a fantastic offering of Ferraris.
To view the entire lineup of Ferraris and other great collector cars set for the Northeast Auction, click HERE.