Saturday, 19 October 2024

The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2024 - Cars 1988 Ferrari 412 - Classiche Certified

 A interesting one popping up on this auction:

https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1988-ferrari-412-rec14185-1-nec-1124

It does have an interesting history record of owners but this one also was used in Ian Tyrells garage as per blogs:

https://erwin400.blogspot.com/2024/06/ferrari-412-legacy-of-classic-tyrrells.html

https://erwin400.blogspot.com/2024/08/ferrari-412-final-fixes-suspension.html



Adding it here just for the records:


SUMMARY

A fabulous example of just one of 55 UK-supplied cars, Classiche Certified, with known ownership and some 31,200 miles from new.

DESCRIPTION

Produced between 1985 and 1989, the Ferrari 412 was the final flowering of the 400 series of luxurious four-seaters that had commenced with the introduction of the 365GT/4 2+2 in 1972. Launched at the 1976 Paris Salon, the succeeding 400GT gained a 4.8-litre version of the four-cam V12 engine, but otherwise differed only in detail. Following successful experiments carried out by engineers in the US, the 400 became the first Ferrari to offer automatic transmission as an option. The unit chosen - General Motors 3-speed Hydra-Matic 400 - was widely regarded as the world's best, having been used by Cadillac and subsequently by Rolls-Royce and Jaguar among others. Flagship of the Maranello range, the splendidly equipped 400GT featured self-levelling independent rear suspension, power-assisted steering, electric windows and optional air conditioning. Its arrival reaffirmed Ferrari's determination to compete with the world's finest luxury saloons.

Representing evolution rather than revolution, the 412 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1985. The newcomer enjoyed a small (119cc) capacity increase, anti-lock brakes, revised interior and bumpers colour coordinated with the bodywork, while an improved front air dam and raised boot deck reduced the 412's already low co-efficient of drag by around 10%. By the time production ceased in 1989, Ferrari's finest 2+2 had been in production for a remarkable 17 years, though its exclusivity meant that there were seldom more than 200 sold in any one year.

The detailed history file that accompanies this elegant Ferrari confirms that it was bought by its first owner, a Mr. Steinberg, from H.R. Owen, London on 18th March 1988 and registered as E930 MUC. Some three years later, Mr. Gidwaney, a director of E.W. Fact PLC, bought the car on 16th January 1991, transferring it later into his company's name on 14th February 1994. The third owner, as it were, was a Mr. Ballard who kept the car for some 18 months from 29th November 1996 until, on 2nd May 1998, it was sold to a Ms Harrison , who had homes in Edinburgh, London and Monaco. The car was exported to Monte Carlo in 2003 where it was maintained by G Cavallari of Monaco until 2014, going through the exhaustive Ferrari Classiche Certification process and receiving its 'Red Book' in 2009. Repatriated to the UK in 2018, it was subject to restorative and recommissioning works, including a repaint by Edinburgh-based specialists, Stewart Roden, at a cost of some £29,779, prior to being sold to a Dr Scott on 8th February 2018. Hardly used, it subsequently visited H.R. Owen for servicing and additional works in 2022.

Purchased in March this year after a long search for 'the right one', our vendor became the car’s next owner and immediately commissioned Iain Tyrrell and his team to use their expertise in getting the car 'properly sorted'. The work involved and the final road test can be viewed online via the Iain Tyrrell Classic Workshop YouTube page and the bill amounted to some £7,000 in September 2024. Acknowledging that he’d probably use the Ferrari less frequently than his other classics, it was decided that the car should be offered to auction 'on its toes' complete with detailed history file, MOT until March 2025 and some 31,200 miles on the odometer.

SPECIFICATION

Lot Number
196
Make
FERRARI
Model
412
Registration Number
E930 MUC
MOT Expiry
27/03/2025
Chassis Number
ZFFYD24C000075348
Engine Number
405
Transmission
Automatic
Body Colour
Blue

Friday, 11 October 2024

Magazine Superauto illustrated 1987 - Ferrari 412

I was fearing already I would not get a response on this request:

https://erwin400.blogspot.com/2024/09/usa-magazine-superauto-illustrated.html

Meanwhile I receive quite a lot of  requests to get access to my archive with the manuals. About 2 years ago Google made a change to this specific link because of security reasons. Apparently many people had this link bookmarked in the past which since the change no longer worked. On average I get a request for access every 2 weeks over the past 2 years. Most of these people are not even bothered to say thank you once I provide them the renewed link. On the right sidebar of the blog there is the correct link to the download folder which contains freely available all content regarding the 400, including the magazine articles and manuals. Perhaps I should consider a small fee to gain access so I can cover at least some of the expenses. I noticed I'm also start to run out of storage space on the Google Drive (nearly 80% used up), meaning in the future I might need to pay for storage. In any case, for now all is free. But if you appreciate all the content then the right side bar of the blog does also have a button at the top to make a Paypal donation.

So yes, this article is now available in the download folder. Unfortunately it's not a great article, more a brief sum up of the new specs. The Lancia Thema 8.32 article in this magazine is however excellent! But that is outside of the scope of this blog ...

Wednesday, 9 October 2024

Ferrari 400i Automatic in Mexico

This car showed up for sale: 

https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=392200659


And it did include the following letter:


So apparently it was newly ordered via Symbol cars in Houston / Ferrari of Houston. I suspect this must have been a grey import into the USA and then sold to a customer in Mexico. The VIN book by Raab mentions for this serial nr only the remark: "EU".  I suspect around 1981 there was no Ferrari dealer in Mexico, so potentially this was the best and most affordable route for someone in Mexico to obtain one? I'm only guessing here.

Furthermore, judging by the reflectors and positioning of the rear bumper, it must have been federalized for the US market at some stage, either when newly registered or later on. Again, I'm only guessing here as I'm not familiair with the process or what happened in the past. Adding this blog just for the records. 

Thursday, 3 October 2024

For sale - Ferrari 400i rear bumper

A friend of mine has this spare bumper for sale. It's original and in a decent condition (without the lights). It's located in France and offered for € 1.250,-

If you are interested then contact me and I will get you in touch with the seller.



Sunday, 29 September 2024

Factory photo's

Some old factory photo's with 400s. I don't know from which years these are.