Ferrari’s stunning 365 GT/4 Berlinetta Boxer debuted at Turin in 1971. It was the company’s first road going model with a mid-mounted, flat 12-cylinder engine, which was subsequently nicknamed the “Boxer”, for its opposing pistons. The exotic design was derived from the company’s three-litre Formula One car, and it took two years to bring it to production. It was finally launched in late 1973, as a 1974 model, and only 387 were built in the following three years. Road & Track hit 175 mph in one during a road test in 1975, allowing it to dub the original Boxer “the fastest road car we’ve ever tested”.

As the replacement for the iconic 365 GTB/4 Daytona, the 365 GT/4 BB was produced alongside the Daytona before Ferrari fully transitioned to the Berlinetta Boxer, as they momentarily abandoned the front-engine layout in favour of mid-engine cars for its top-performance models. This model was produced between 1973 and 1976, and only 387 examples were made before production changed over to the 512 BB.

This particular 1974 365 GT/4 BB, which was originally finished in Grigio Ferro Metallic (106.E.8) over a Rosso (VM 3171) leather interior with Rosso carpets, was delivered as a right-hand-drive example to Maranello Concessionaires on 7 May 1974, and then it went to Mr D. A. Pierpoint, who registered it as WPG 17M. Currently, the car wears a Rosso Corsa exterior, a colour believed to have been applied to the car early in its life, over what is believed to be the original red interior, which has seats that feature black Daytona inserts. The car was purchased by its current owner in September 2001, and it remains in largely original condition, minus its current exterior colour of red. During its current ownership, the original gearbox was replaced with a factory-correct replacement unit, and the casing of the original gearbox will be included with the car. It is also important to note that this Berlinetta Boxer is accompanied by a set of tools and an owner’s handbook.

The BB series marked Ferrari’s last entirely hand-built production car. As with numerous supercars of its era, astute collectors prefer the earliest versions above all variants, as their purity of design is striking. The 365 GT/4 BB is considerably rarer than the 512 BB models that followed, and it has always been desirable due to its incredible looks and driving characteristics. This example would surely make a fine driver or be an ideal candidate for a restoration.