Ferrari charted an entirely new course with its Berlinetta Boxer. On paper, the new car that debuted at the 1971 Turin Motor Show was a replacement for the 365 GTB/4, but the two cars had little in common beyond 12-cylinder power and a Ferrari badge.

Where the Daytona was a front-engined touring car, the Berlinetta Boxer—later shortened to BB—was a high-tech mid-engined sports car. Both cars were penned by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti, though they represented sharp contrasts in the legendary designer’s career. The BB was angular, with a sharp nose that appeared almost as a single line running from the front of its bumper to the top of its windshield. Its roofline was brief, sloping rearward to a truncated tail.

Stuffed behind the passenger compartment was a longitudinally mounted flat-12 rated in initial tune at a healthy 380 horsepower in the 365 GT4 BB. The engine’s 180-degree design stood in marked contrast to the 60-degree Colombo V-12 that reached its carbureted zenith in the Daytona. The flat-12 came paired with carburetors in its initial inception. In 1981, Bosch K-Jetronic CIS fuel injection arrived for more even delivery of its 335 horsepower, improved drivability, and reduced emissions. The new powertrain was signified by a new name—512 BBi—and 1,007 were produced before production ceased in 1984.

The example offered here comes from the final year of production and is finished in traditional Rosso Corsa over tan leather upholstery that extends from the seats to the dashboard, center console, and door panels. A period Ferrari-branded Pioneer radio with a separate graphic equalizer booster control panel sits in the dashboard. Although the BB was never certified for sale in the U.S., this example was sold by Luigi Chinetti to its first owner, Richard Buccola from Anaheim, California, on 22 May 1984 and made legal in that state along with the rest of the country. Incredibly, its odometer displays just 2,501 miles, a nearly unbelievable feat given that the 512 is now 35 years old. Original plastic film applied in Maranello protects its doorsills. Michelin TRX tires remain wrapped around the special alloy wheels with chrome center knock-off caps. Factory books, tools, spare tire, jack, and accessories still accompany the car.

The Ming Collection acquired this 512 BBi, certainly among the finest extant, in 2005 and has added just a handful of miles since. Routine age-related servicing has been conducted to ensure that the 512 BBi will run as strongly as its looks suggest, and the last servicing was performed in February 2016.