The 365 GT4 BB was the first mid-engined, 12-cylinder road car from the Maranello marque to wear a Ferrari badge. A rival to Lamborghini’s Countach, it lasted for three years before the 512 BB replacement arrived in 1976 with an enlarged 360 brake horsepower, carburettor-fed, 4,943-cc flat-12—related to the engine in Niki Lauda’s contemporary Formula 1 racer—that propelled the model to a 188 mph top speed.

The first owner of chassis 20825 initially specified a 365 GT4 BB finished in Argento Auteuil, placing an order in January 1976. With the new model then announced at that year’s Paris Salon, the request was soon amended to a 512 BB in Verde Medio (a particularly rare colour with only five examples, including the later BBi) over a Beige Connolly leather interior. Completed on 7 February the following year, this notably early example of a 512 BB was delivered new to UK importer Maranello Concessionaires of Egham, Surrey, and distributed through the main dealer, Maltin Car Concessionaires of Henley, Oxfordshire.

Of the 929-strong production run of 512 BBs, only 101 were configured in right-hand drive. This car was registered on 19 March 1977 to Mr N F Boutros, who retained chassis 20825 for seven years. A second owner exported the car to New Zealand in the mid-1980s before a third keeper eventually moved it to Japan in 2004. A decade later, this 512 BB returned to the UK, having been purchased by the Ferrari Centre of Maidstone for a complete, three-year restoration.

The consigning owner purchased chassis 20825 from the Ferrari Centre (later renamed Kent High Performance Cars) in July 2016, two months later gaining certification from Ferrari Classiche as the 512 BB was recognised for retaining its matching-numbers body, chassis, engine, and gearbox. Testament to its current finish in current Rosso over Pelle Beige, the car has won numerous concours awards. Most notably, earning the Secretary’s Trophy for Ferraris at the 2021 edition of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance at Blenheim Palace, plus the President’s Cup for Best in Show Members’ Choice at the September 2023 Ferrari Owners’ Club Summer Garden Party, and Charles Stanley International Concours gathering at Down Hall.

Accompanied by copies of the original order form and dealer invoice, plus Ferrari folio, sales brochures, and Ferrari Classiche “Red Book”, this example displays 31,320 miles at the time of cataloguing. Since its restoration there, the car has been treated to a service and MoT annually by Kent High Performance Cars, the most recent carried out in April of this year. It was also the subject of a 2022 engine-out cambelt replacement. This multiple award-winning 512 BB would make for a fitting addition to any collection.