Wednesday 23 August 2017

BBC Books - Top Gear : CRAP CARS #18 Ferrari 400

In a tweet I came across this "book" CRAP CARS with a comment made regarding the Ferrari 400. And I recalled this particular book from the wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_365_GT4_2%2B2,_400_and_412

Today, its sleek, Pininfarina-designed lines and relatively limited production numbers have made many enthusiasts consider it a classic. It has not been universally admired however, and is listed at #18 in the BBC's book of "Crap Cars" and Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear described it as "awful in every way".[13] However, there have been many other favorable articles about the 400 series in the motoring press, including an outlying view expressed by UK motoring journalist L.J.K. Setright in CAR magazine in August 1984, who described it as "one of the few most beautiful, and one of the two most elegant, bodies ever to leave the lead of Pininfarina's pencilling vision".

Out of curiosity I just checked Ebay and found one listed for 2.39 GBP and the shipping costs was very reasonable. So I figured I could spare the money and ordered it. It arrived today and it's a funny read with indeed some remarkable cars listed.





Monday 21 August 2017

Auction : Ferrari 400i

So many 400s up for sale these days and many are presented very nicely with great photo shoots.  And remarkably the RHD are still moving around very cheap compared to the LHD in Europe. I'm including this one only for historical reasons as mentioned in the advert. Curious to see for how much this will go.

https://www.classicdriver.com/de/car/ferrari/400/1985/476272

This car, chassis number 30679, was delivered to Maranello Concessionaires of Surrey in February of 1980 and was initially used as a sales demonstrator by that firm. It was then sold to a retail customer in April 1980 having seen just 835 miles from new. The car next appears in the records of Maranello Concessionaires in February 1988 when then-owner, Mr George W. Robinson of London, returned the car for body repairs and fresh paint following corrosion. Included with the sale is extensive documentation of this work. Later service records and vehicle inspection test certificates are also included.



Sunday 20 August 2017

Ferrari 412 New Zealand

I stumbled upon this 412 which I might have overlooked. I'm including it here due to it's location; New Zealand and the mention of the first owner, although I couldn't find out much more about J.W. Webb Esq. Must be a very nice scenery to drive around in the area he lived.

It got sold on the auction in 2016 for AU$ 76,000,-

Very nice pictures taken and as far I can tell a very clean one:

https://www.shannons.com.au/auctions/2016-shannons-melbourne-autumn-classic-auction/L1E0992O63ONND0E/




Friday 18 August 2017

Radical Mag : Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 Der Seriöse

And another online article (German), it came out only yesterday. Fairly well written, so adding it the online article section:

http://radical-mag.com/2017/08/17/ferrari-365-gt4-22/


Thursday 17 August 2017

Roll like the Stones in Keith Richards’ 1983 #Ferrari 400i

Well, this one was hard to ignore today. Keith Richards Ferrari 400i is brought up for sale at the Sotheby's auction on the 9th of September. All details can be found here:

http://rmsothebys.com/ff17/ferrari--leggenda-e-passione/lots/1983-ferrari-400i/1705790

I was unaware Keith had one too. And so did Bill Wyman. Quite a story to read in the supporting auction information. Mick Jagger's 400 is a known one and when checking my blog stats the particular blog about his 400 has by now already attracted 118 hits.

Also by now a few more online articles showed up:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-4799262/Keith-Richards-Ferrari-400i-tipped-sell-160k.html

http://www.carsuk.net/keith-richards-2000-mile-1983-ferrari-400i-auction/

Curious to see for how much it will go. Apart from the known owner the mileage is unique and in combination with the manual gearbox it would easily hit the 6 figure mark in my opinion. From the first article mentioned above you can see already quite a bit of negative remarks about the 400 itself. Which is not unusual but I sense lately a higher appeal and interest for this car. I appreciate it's not everyone's taste and it's definately not the stereotype Ferrari. The understated and elegant design in combination with the luxury interior and the classic V12 under the hood makes it a special GT. Therefore I consider it a car for the connaisseur. (see also my blog:
http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2014/12/ferrari-400-design-pininfarina-leonardo.html)

The good news is; there are currently a lot of them for sale on the market and still many under the 6 figure mark as well. They are out there, go fetch.







Copying the auction information for the records:

Offered from the collection of Keith Richards



  • Single ownership from new
  • Extraordinary preservation and originality with only 3,267 km showing
  • A five-speed example from new
  • Application for certification submitted to Ferrari Classiche


  • A Ferrari 400i offered from its original owner is a particularly rare and exceptionally desirable occurrence, even more so when the car remains in stunningly original condition after having only been driven 3,627 km from the day it was built, nearly 35 years ago! Add to that the intrigue of celebrity provenance and one is left with a truly unrepeatable opportunity. Such is the attraction of this breathtaking 400i, which we have the pleasure of offering directly from the collection of Mr Keith Richards, legendary guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of the Rolling Stones.

    The car was picked up from the factory directly in 1983 by the tour manager at the time, Alan Dunn, with seven other Ferraris purchased for use by the band and its associates, after the successful European tour supporting the album Tattoo You. Three 400s were acquired for Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Keith Richards, but Richards’ was the only example ordered as a five-speed – a striking example finished in black with a blue interior. Mr Dunn drove the car directly to Paris, where it remained for some time, and was ultimately used by Mr Richards for commuting while recording the album Dirty Work. Serviced by the official dealer Charles Pozzi, the car was later transported to the UK and always serviced regularly and properly stored, awaiting its periodic use by Richards when he was in England. In time, the car was modified slightly with the repositioning of the trunk release switch, but otherwise remained entirely original.

    At the time of cataloguing, with only 3,627 km showing, an RM specialist unequivocally referred to it as the cleanest, most stunningly original 400i he had ever seen, with all the right indicators in place – from the engine bay to the exterior and interior, the car clearly exhibits superior condition throughout, as delivered by the factory, and has never warranted restoration, presenting as beautifully as it did on the days it was driven, undoubtedly at great speed, through the streets of Paris. It is accompanied by its original books, including the warranty card, on which the original owner’s name and Jamaican address are clearly printed.

    Aside from its fascinating history, a Ferrari 400i remains the quintessential grand touring car of the marque – a properly potent V-12 mounted in front, mated to a five-speed gearbox, a clean and beautifully apportioned Pininfarina design and the convenience of 2+2 seating. It is a car that looks as breathtaking on the motorway as it feels pulling through its gears. The fact that Mr Keith Richards is presenting it at auction in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity renders this as a truly exceptional chance to drive and enjoy not only a time capsule example of rock history, but also the story of Italy’s most important sports car brand.



    Wednesday 16 August 2017

    Have you ever dreamt of owning an exotic car?


    Another advert I caught in the Orange Coast magazine ;  June1990.

    I wonder who the Lucky winners were and what happened with their 400i.


    Tuesday 15 August 2017

    The amazing life and time of Edward Carter - Ferrari 400i Convertible

    When doing a bit of searching I stumbled upon this blog and yes it had a reference to the Ferrari 400:



    A very nice read and insight about his remarkable life. And as can be read Mr.Carter had a passion for cars as well. As such I reached out to him to learn more about the 400i he possessed. The next day I received the following feedback from him:

    "I found the car in a shop in London. It had been rolled - thus the convertible top. I like it, I bought it. I sold it 3 years later for $75,000 to a California company who sent a man over to see it. I used it as a daily car. It didn't handle very well because the rear tires used to rub against the wheel wells because of structural material added when the top was removed."

    Just curious now to know what happened with the car since and if it still exists today. Anyone?

    16-8-2017: Guess what, the puzzle is getting complete already. Apparently Mr Carter bought VIN 38513, which ended up for sale by European Car Sales, Costa Mesa, California in October 1989 for USD  $ 107,500.  It subsequently returned to the UK. The following picture was taken of it in 1996 at the Italian car picnic, Ickworth Hall, Suffolk.


    It was then registered DBW 396X and believed to be owned by a Malcom J Rogerson in the 1990s but it subsequently changed plates. It's unknown who did the conversion.

    Saturday 12 August 2017

    Ferrari 400i RHD convertible - PL Fahrzeugbau

    I'm including this one as it's likely a one-off convertible build by PL Fahrzeugbau. The company still exists today: http://www.pl-fahrzeugbau.de/

    https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/ferrari/400/1979/317677

    Very rare Ferrari 400 RHD automatic year 1979 converted to Cabriolet by PL Fahrzeugbau of Koblenz, Germany.


    It was previously for sale at Bonhams:

    https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20930/lot/391/?category=list

    Although the 400 series was only manufactured in saloon form, a few, such as this example, were subsequently converted to cabriolet specification. In this case the transformation was carried out in period by PL Fahrzeugbau of Koblenz, Germany, a company that also transformed the Ferrari 308 and 512 models into convertibles.







    Friday 11 August 2017

    Rent a car : Ferrari 400 convertible

    Another nice advert I encountered in the Orange Coast magazine. Judging by the wheels it's a 365GT4 2+2, so quite rare.



    Thursday 10 August 2017

    Craigslist :1984 Ferrari 400 GTi Coupe Project Car for Restoration or Parts 400i - $9500 (Los Angeles)

    Yikes: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/6257250994.html

    1984 Ferrari 400 GTi Coupe. VIN number ZFFEB07B000053073. Fire damage to interior. Missing engine, transmission, wheels, and body panels. This is for restoration or parts car. For $9,500.00. We are selling this vehicle AS IS as pictured with no warranties expressed or implied. This vehicle will need to be towed or picked up by a car hauler from our location. Additional pictures available on our website.

    Stored the pictures here for eductional purpose:




















    Wednesday 9 August 2017

    Sunday 6 August 2017

    Classic Days Schloss Dyck 2017

    Today was my first visit to this event. And it was bigger and better as expected. I dare to say it's comparable to Goodwood. If the holiday planning allows I will aim to go again next year. Thanks for the ride Jos!

    I spotted three 400s on this event. One on the Ferrari circle. A very nice 412 from the Netherlands with only 19.000 km and 2 owners:




    And two at the Coys auction area, one 365GT4 2+2 :





    And one 400i :