Ferrari’s first road-going model with a mid-mounted, flat 12-cylinder engine, the 365 GT4 BB was subsequently nicknamed the “Boxer”. Named for the displacement of a single cylinder, as well as its four-cam overhead valve actuation, the 365 GT4 BB was the progenitor of two decades of flat-12 production models, eventually culminating in the legendary Testarossa designs.

In the short term, the model was the first of a family of berlinetta boxers with increasingly powerful engine specifications. The resulting rarity of the 365 GT4 BB has made the model particularly desirable among enthusiasts around the world, particularly as the incredible-sounding carburetted engine was later phased out and replaced by a fuel-injected development. With production of the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB totalling just 387 examples, the first berlinetta boxer was, and remains, the lightest, purest and rarest of the berlinetta boxer family.

After being completed on 2 April 1974, chassis number 17885 was delivered to official importer Société Anonyme pour la Vente des Automobiles Ferrari in Geneva, Switzerland. Almost no owner history is known about this Boxer, however according to the 1980 UK Ferrari Owner’s Club register the vehicle was owned by Swiss-based billionaire Bernd Grohe. It is thought that the vehicle has never been exported outside Switzerland.

Purchased by Mr. Richoz in 1999, the 365 GT4 BB remained in his collection until his passing. Invoices on file from 2012 note paintwork to the rear bumper and body, and mechanic work including a full carburettor tune. The Boxer is offered with tools and a set of owner’s manuals.

Offered for public sale for the first time, this matching numbers example 365 GT4 BB is more than ready for its world debut.