FERRARI 512 BB/LM “SILHOUETTE”
Looking back in time to the 1970’s, it was inevitable that the flat–12 “Boxer” technology used in the Formula One, the hillclimb and the 312 PB sports/racers would find its way into Ferrari’s flagship grand touring car. Factory philosophy has always been to incorporate exotic racing technology into the customer road cars, and so it came to pass that the 365 Berlinetta Boxer was introduced at the Turin Show, November 1971, going into serious production as the 365 GT4/BB in early 1973.
No factory effort was made to race the 365 GT4/BB, for Ferrari’s efforts were focused on Formula One. Additionally, the 365 GT4/BB was simply too big, too heavy, and the engine sat too high over the transaxle for racing purposes; while the rival Porsches were already extremely highly–developed for Group Five racing.
Several 365 GT4/BB’s were prepared by privateers for racing in the IMSA Series in the USA and for the IMSA Class at LeMans. The most successful was S/N 18139, which finished 16th overall at the LeMans 24–Hour Race in 1977, the only Ferrari entered at LeMans that year!
With the introduction of the larger 512 BB engine in 1977, the factory offered some support and helped in the preparation of three 512 BB’s—S/N 24127, 24129 and 24131—for the 1978 LeMans race. None finished. The privately entered 365/512 BB, S/N 18139, was back for the 1978 race, fitted with a 512 BB engine and finished 16th yet again at LeMans.
The first Boxers to show real factory input were three silhouette 512 BB/LMs prepared for the 1979 Daytona 24–Hour Race. These cars benefitted from all–new Pininfarina–designed and wind tunnel–tested bodywork. The silhouette cars were 16 inches longer than the production car, with a very smooth body line and fender fairings. The roof line was extended back to the tail, thanks to a plexiglass rear window, and a rear wing added much needed rear downforce. Ten–inch wide front wheels and thirteen–inch wide rear wheels allowed for competitive racing rubber, but the brakes were merely adequate. Weight was down to 2,400 pounds, light for a Ferrari GT racer, but at least 400 pounds heavier than the rival Porsche Kremer Turbos.
The transaxle remained a weak point, still being essentially the stock production unit. The engine was internally modified and fitted with Lucas fuel injection, giving about 480 horsepower, enough for a 200 mph top speed, but not matching the staggering acceleration of the 750–horsepower Porsche Kremer K–3’s the BB/LM had to compete against!
This first outing for the new 512 BB/LM, at the 1979 Daytona Race, was a failure as Ferrari simply did not understand the stress caused by the high banking of the Daytona track. A suspension related tire failure caused the NART–entered car to crash, the other two cars then being withdrawn.
High hopes were felt for the 1979 LeMans Race, but the cars were simply not fast enough. None were under the magic four–minute lap times in practice, and of the four cars entered, only one was to finish, in twelfth place. A Porsche 935 K3 was the race winner.
For 1980 the 512 BB/LM was put on a diet, losing about 200 pounds. The lower bodywork was fitted with miniskirts to keep air from underneath the car, and the engine was tuned to give about 500 horsepower. The Ferraris were improved, but the Porsches were more improved. Of five cars entered at LeMans that year only S/N 31589 was able to dip below the magic four–minute lap time. And, so the race was not successful for the 512 BB/LM’s. Of the five cars entered only two finished, with the best placed 10th overall. The surprise winner was a Rondeau, constructed and driven by M. Rondeau, the mayor of the nearby town after which the race is named.
In preparation for the 1981 season the more actively campaigned 512 BB/LM’s were modified by their owners, fitted with much bigger brakes, larger wheels, and modified suspension mount points. While the BB/LM’s could now run under four–minute laps at Le Mans, it was too little, too late. Five BB/LM’s entered the 1981 LeMans Race, but only two finished, with the Pozzi car, S/N 31589, recording a respectable fifth overall and first in class, the highest ever finish for a 512 BB/LM at LeMans. Porsche scored a 6th LeMans victory.
In 1982 four 512 BB/LM’s were entered for the LeMans Race, with two finishing. The Prancing Horse Farm BB/LM, S/N 38179, finished in 6th, and a NART–entered car finished 9th overall.
1983 was the swan song for the 512 BB/LM’s in international racing, with the Prancing Horse Farm 512 BB/LM, S/N 34445, leading the 24 Hours of Daytona before retiring with mechanical problems. There were no 512 BB/LM’s at LeMans, for the organizers had eliminated the IMSA Class and the career of the 512 BB/LM as an endurance car was over. A few privateers continued to race these cars in IMSA races in the USA until the mid-1980s, but without great success.
Sold new for about $80,000, plus spares, several 512 BB/LM’s sold for very high prices, with S/N 35527 selling for $1,300,000 at the Coy’s Nürburgring Auction in August of 1989 and S/N 29509 selling for $1,000,000 at the Orion Solo Ferrari Auction in Monaco in November 1989, both near the peak of the late Ferrari market bubble. The 512 BB/LM’s are very fast, exceedingly reliable and predictable to drive in club events, offering a chance to own a low maintenance, 12–cylinder, factory–built Ferrari racer at a relatively low price. Today, a good 512 BB/LM is one of the bargains in the Ferrari world, available for well under $300,000.
FACTORY–BUILT SILHOUETTE CARS
1. S/N 26681. Sold new to and first raced by Pozzi, the French Ferrari importer. DNF at Daytona, 1979. DNF at LeMans, 1980. In France most of its life. Now in the U.S.A.
2. S/N 26683. Sold new to Luigi Chinetti and first raced by NART, Chinetti’s race team. DNF at Daytona, 1979. DNF at LeMans, 1979. DNF at Daytona, 1980. Owned and raced in various SCCA and club events by the author. In Holland for many years. Now back in the the U.S.A.
3. S/N 26685. Sold new to and first raced by Pozzi. DNF at Daytona, 1979. DNF at LeMans, 1979. DNF at LeMans, 1980. In France all of its life.
4. S/N 27577. Sold new through Jacques Swaters’ Garage Francorchamps, the Belgium Ferrari importer. 12th at LeMans in 1979, the only 512 BB/LM to finish the race. 7th at Silverstone, 1980. 23rd at LeMans, 1980. In England for the last 15 years.
5. S/N 27579. Sold new to Scuderia Samocar, Italy. No race history. In Germany, then the USA, now in Switzerland.
6. S/N 28601. Sold new to and first raced by Fabrizio Violati’s Scuderia Supercar Bellancauto, Italy. DNF at Monza, 1980. DNF at LeMans, 1980. Still with the original owner.
7. S/N 29507. Sold new to Garage RUF AG, a Ferrari dealer in Switzerland. No race history. Now in the U.S.A.
8. S/N 29509. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. Run only in club events and a couple of SCCA nationals. Now in Japan.
9. S/N 29511. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. Some races in 1984. 16th at Daytona, 1985. DNF at Sebring, 1985. In the U.S.A.
10. S/N 30559. Sold new to Luigi Chinetti and first raced by NART. DNS at LeMans, 1980. DNF at Daytona, Sebring, LeMans, and Fuji, 1982. DNF at Sebring, 1983. 23rd at Daytona, 1984. 15th at Road America, 1984. DNF at Daytona and Sebring, 1985. Now in Switzerland.
11. S/N 31589. Sold new to and first raced by Pozzi. The fastest 512 BB/LM in qualifying, but DNF at LeMans, 1980. Finished 5th at LeMans, 1981, highest finishing position in a major endurance race for any 512 BB/LM. DNF at Daytona, 1982. Now in the U.S.A.
12. S/N 32129. Sold new to and first raced by Pozzi. 10th at LeMans, 1980. Now in Switzerland.
13. S/N 32131. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. No race history. Still in the U.S.A.
14. S/N 33647. Sold new in the U.S.A. through Chinetti. No race history. In Germany.
15. S/N 34157. Sold new to and first raced by Scuderia Guercino Del Buono, Italy. 10th at Mugello, 1981. 8th at Monza, 1982. Now in the U.S.A.
16. S/N 34445. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. DNF Daytona, 1981. DNF Daytona and Sebring, 1982. The only 512 BB/LM to lead a major endurance race—the Daytona 24–Hour Race in 1983—but DNF. Still in the U.S.A.
17. S/N 35523. Sold new in England through Maranello Concessionaires. DNF at Silverstone and LeMans, 1981. Crashed very heavily at Silverstone Relay, 1981. Now in the U.S.A.
18. S/N 35525. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. 9th at LeMans, 1981. Still in the U.S.A.
19. S/N 35527. Sold new to Luigi Chinetti and first raced by NART. DNF at LeMans, 1981. 9th at LeMans, 1982. To Germany, then Sweden, now in the U.S.A.
20. S/N 35529. Sold new, as a rolling chassis only, to Fabrizio Violati’s Scuderia Supercar Bellancauto, Italy. A hopefully more aerodynamic “custom body” was fitted, but without success. DNF at LeMans, 1981. 6th at Monza, 1981. 6th at Enna, 1981. 10th at Mugello, 1982. DNF at LeMans, 1984. Still with the original owner.
21. S/N 38179. Sold new through Francorchamps to Prancing Horse Farm of the U.S.A. Finished 6th at LeMans, 1982. Still in the U.S.A.
22. S/N 38181. Sold new in the U.S.A through Alberto Pedretti’s Wide World of Cars, NY. No race history. Still in the U.S.A.
23. S/N 38739. Sold new through Crepaldi, a Ferrari dealer in Italy. Still with the original owner.
24. S/N 41263. Sold new to and first raced by Pozzi. DNF at LeMans, 1982. Very lightweight body. Now in the U.S.A.
25. S/N 44023. Sold new through Francorchamps to the U.S.A. No race history. Now in Japan.
Information for this article was provided by Nathan Beehl, Marcel Massini, Gerald Roush and Ron Spangler as well as many owners and past owners of 512 BB/LM’s who responded to my inquiries.
As always, any corrections and/or additions will be gratefully received.
