At the 1971 Turin Auto Show, Ferrari reasserted itself atop the supercar hierarchy with the introduction of the 365 GT4 BB. Gone was the marque’s signature front-mounted V-12 engine in favor of a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, all cloaked in a unique wedge design which would become synonymous with the marque for decades to come.

1976 saw the introduction of the 365 GT4 BB’s successor, the 512 BB. In a shift from their long-standing tradition of denoting a model by engine capacity, Ferrari adopted the Dino-type nomenclature where “512” indicates 5 liters and 12 cylinders. As the last carbureted flat-12 engine offered by Ferrari before production transitioned to the fuel-injected BBi, this variant is cherished by many enthusiasts as the most potent production BB that money can buy. With just 929 examples produced—and none allocated to the United States market—each stateside example found its way ashore via “gray market” licensed importers.

Being sold for the first time in nearly three decades, the 512 BB on offer here is one of these coveted gray market examples. Manufactured in April 1980, chassis 31359 was imported to the United States via Trend Import Sales, Inc. In 1987 and 1988 the Ferrari resided in New Mexico, registered under the vanity plate “GIDDYUP.” In the summer of 1988, the 512 BB changed hands, bought by Jefferey B. Lewis, a significant Southern California Ferrari collector who would go on to own the car into the mid-1990s. It was purchased by Walter Medlin in October 1996.

It is cloaked in the ultimate 512 BB finish of two-tone Rosso Corsa over black with Vitaloni sideview mirrors and Cromodora center-lock alloy wheels with Borrani spinners. The interior features a black leather-wrapped dash, Pelle Beige “Daytona”-style leather seats with black inserts, beige carpets, a Momo leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows, air conditioning, and a Yamaha radio unit. The engine was modified at some point with an MSD ignition system and aftermarket ignition coil. The odometer displays just over 44,434 kilometers (~27,611 miles) at time of cataloguing. Having been stored for many years, this Ferrari 512 BB will require mechanical sorting prior to use. Its engine is a correct replacement unit, but it retains its numbers-matching gearbox.

Powered by an engine borrowed directly from Ferrari’s Formula 1 team, the 512 BB was one of the most exciting supercars of its era. This example, available now from the Lost & Found Collection after nearly three decades, offers a tremendous opportunity to return a storied Ferrari model back to the road.