Flashback 1987 Ferrari Factory : 412

Another cool contribution by Andreas Birner:

Ferrari Club Italia Calendar 2020 - August

Just back from a small holiday break and I find this in my inbox. Another calendar for 2020 with a nice beauty for August. Many thanks for sharing Dedo.

Ferrari Calendar 2020 - Modena Sport / Toulouse

What a very nice item in my email inbox! Many thanks Gaullaume! Can't wait for August ...

Click the following link to share, view, download and print:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-PfyU97mFzThBpGpSO-eql4G2LxZiAY7/view?usp=sharing

Auction - Bonhams- Ferrari 412

Just for the records:

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26109/preview_lot/5359099/

somewhere on the parking lot early eighties in Germany - das war einmal

Not sure where I found this photo so can't provide credits. But it's another nice time period correct photo from early eighties in Germany, judging on the cars I supsect around 1984

Place du casino - Monaco - Juillet 1977

This one got shared on Facebook by Jerome - thank you.

Place du casino - Monaco - Juillet 1977
Photo: Francis Nadizi

Geöffneter Ferrari - Vier Sitze unter freiem Himmel - Ferrari 400i jetzt als Cabriolet

This advert was posted on Facebook, it's from a German car magazine:

Apparently the company offering this option is "Coerper Auto Exklusiv" I do happen to know this company due to the fact I had a Monteverdi Sierra once (how cool does that sound :-) )

As such I knew they are not authorized to sell new Ferrari's. They are based in Dusseldorf and so was Auto Becker. I obtained this brochure via Ebay a little while ago:

This doesn't mean they can't offer to convert your 400 into a cabriolet. But if so, this was very likely done by another German based company, either Stommel-Con-Moda  or Lorenz & Rankl.

The photo in the advert shows it's a 400i but with knock-off wheels (365GT4 2+2) and a very typical mirror. Someone mentioned it was potentially VIN 17675 now residing in the USA.

When checking I found this website listing:

http://classicvehicleslist.com/ferrari/77709-1974-ferrari-365-gt4-22-custom-convertible5-speed-manuallook.html

Which is indeed a converted 365GT4 2+2 uplifted with 400 looks. And it does mention it's a Lorenz & Rankl conversion (or as they call it: Lois and Rankel):

When doing further checking on the names in the original advert; Ekkehard Zimmermann and Manfred Dahm I found out that Ekkehard Zimmermann is in fact quite well known. On my own blog I found this leaflet which does mention his name but also shows the same 400 convertible:

Design & Plastik by Zimmermann is better known as DP Motorsport. It still exists today, see their website: https://www.dp-motorsport.de/en/ It's very much Porsche orientated but when doing further research his name showed up at a Ferrari 308 GTS conversion, likely the one on the leaflet. I contacted DP Motorsport but never received a response.

On the FB posting the following comment was placed:

The early Stommel Con-Moda conversions had those distinctive door mirrors (compare with 23647, photo from 1985). So perhaps the gentlemen in the article had a connection to Stommel Con-Moda (also based in Cologne).

So it's still unclear who exactly converted this 365 into a 400i and converted it into a cabriolet. As for Manfred Dahmen I was unable to find out anything more.


On the same leaflet above there is also the 308 spider displayed. By pure luck I bumped into this photo today which had more German info on the back. The photo is showing from left to right: Friedrich-Peter Lorenz (58), Helmut Becker (39) and Ekkehard Zimmermann (44)

So all in all, I suspect the conversion was done by Lorenz (and Rankl). 

Some random nostalgic photo's ; Nürburgring, London, Zolder, Auto Becker Düsseldorf

These got posted on Facebook by Marcel Wallenburg, the Dutch authority of the Ferrari Register. Adding them in this blog for the records

Nürburgring August 1989, "400 in der Mitte parken bitte"

Another old picture from May 1989, taken by my good friend Marcel de Lange, who unfortunately passed away in 2006. Picture is taken in London, a bulky Rolls Royce, and a sleek Italian Pininfarina 365 GT/4 2+2, just love it! (#17343, never seen it Before. Sold new to Pennine Motors.)

Circuit Zolder, Ferrari Club Belgio meeting, May 1982.

I went to Auto Becker a few times in the early 1980's, just to see Ferrari's, sweet memories! I think here is a brown 400 in the showroom, August 1983..

Auto Becker - Ferrari 400 VIN 25537

I noticed this German advert in the Auto Becker magazine and I'm adding it here for the records and also because of some interesting fact. The first owner drove 50.000 km during the first year. That's some serious mileage back then, and still is today. So yes, some owners really used them for what it was intended for. At the moment there are quite a few 400s for sale and some have interesting low mileage reported but you have to wonder if they are all genuine with these 5 digit counters.

I was wondering if this 400 with VIN 25537 is still around today. By accident I bumped into this one:

https://www.british-sportscars.com/product-page/ferrari-400-carburetor

The VIN was close though (25427) and this car was also sold new by Auto Becker in the same year, 1978, to a customer who was also located in Köln (Hubert Hering Mode Gmbh - pantaleonswall 39 Köln). The color is however dark grey and not dark blue.

Auto Becker Magazine Auto Welt 1980 nr 2 : Ferrari 400i

Yes! I got my hands on a few Auto Becker magazines which were missing in my archive. And of course they contained 400 material from late seventies and early eighties. How's this?

Click to enlarge, or save them locally and view/read them:

1981 Ferrari 400i GT - An Icon of an Era

A very nice article with dito photo's:

https://dorifutography.kinja.com/1981-ferrari-400i-gt-an-icon-of-an-era-1841670716

Flashback 1980 Baden-Baden

Flashback via Andreas Birner:

Ferrari Club Deutschland e. V. meeting between Hockenheim and Baden-Baden in 1980. Photo taken at Burg Windeck, a castle near Bühl. The KOENIG 512 BB s/n 32627 was Willy König's demonstrator, Blu sera metallizzato with red leather.

Photo by the late Markus Kiesge. Click to enlarge:

It's seventies time again - Ferrari 400

Great photo by Andreas Birner. I suspect somewhere late seventies. I also suspect the eldery man who is nonchalant leaning on the 400 is the actual owner of it.

Verde Medio Niyinsky

It doesn't get more seventies like this:

Nijinsky 400 and a 365 GT4 2+2 next to it. Monaco Motors, c. 1978.

https://www.classicdigest.com/cars/ferrari/400400i/152401

15 Stunning Cars Produced By Ferrari (And The 5 Most Forgettable)

Guess in which section the 400 ended up:

https://www.thethings.com/stunning-cars-produced-by-ferrari-and-the-most-forgettable/

Ferrari 400i Manual Cabriolet by Pavesi

I just bumped into this one, so adding it here just for the records - also due to its rarity

http://www.galantica-collection.ch/oldtimer.asp?l=2&id=41#

Einziges Cabriolet-Modell 400, das von Ferrari offiziell zugelassen wurde. In 18 Exemplaren gebaut und dieses Auto ist eines der drei, die mit manuellem Schaltgetriebe produziert wurden. Schweizer Fahrzeug, in sehr gutem Zustand und von uns restauriert. Veteran vorgeführt im Jahr 2016.

1983 FERRARI 400i CABRIOLET PAVESI
Farbe	schwarz
Inneres	Leder Farbe Tan
Kilometerzahl	65'770
Fahrgestell	ZFF EB0 7B0 000 405 59
Preis	VERKAUFT

Ferrari 400i cabriolet by Pavesi

This photo showed up on Facebook and I think I vaguely recall that I have seen it before. Apparently it's somewhere located in Paris but apparently well hidden.

Clearly this must be this known one from the starter magazine (mistakenly presented as a Ferrari 412)

https://erwin400.blogspot.com/2017/09/rivista-starter-1985-anno-2-no-26.html

And a cleaned photo