I’ve got fond childhood memories of endlessly paging through big hardcover books of exotic cars. You might too; I’m talking about those reference-type publishings that always seemed to be on sale at Barnes & Noble and Borders (RIP). One of my faves covered every Ferrari made up until the early ‘90s, and I distinctly recall scowling every time I got to the 400—it looked so bland and out of place compared to the 308, Testarossa, and 348. However, like my infatuation with Diet Coke that I acquired in my late-30s, one day a switch flipped and my opinion did a complete 180: The 400 is a masterpiece.
It’s a boat-like grand tourer with sleek, beautiful lines penned by Pininfarina. Well, boat-like by Ferrari standards; it’s still pretty darn small in the grand scheme of things (though, did weigh over 3,900 pounds). Not only that, but the 400’s got a legendary V12 over its front wheels and a plush leather interior with room for four. It wasn’t officially sold in the USA, but a good number have come over as either gray market or post-25-year-rule imports.
This handsome 2+2 is also incredibly inexpensive by vintage Ferrari standards; you can buy one for less than $40,000. That got me thinking: Could this be a truly attainable piece of prancing horse worth sinking one’s wallet into? Let’s talk about history and specs, and then run some numbers.
A Surprisingly Long Run
The 400’s angular body debuted in 1972 as the 365 GT4, which possessed a 4.4-liter dual-overhead cam V12 that was good for around 320 horsepower and 319 pound-feet of torque. It was an iteration of Ferrari’s beloved Colombo engine that’d been in production since 1947, and when bolted to a five-speed manual gearbox it could clock in a 0-60 mph run in seven-ish seconds.
The 365 turned into the 400 GT in 1976, and with this change came a bump in displacement to 4.8-liters, plus 20 more horsepower and 28 more pound-feet of torque. Three Weber carburetors fed each cylinder bank, and a limited-slip differential put the power down more effectively out back.
For added grand tour-ability, the 400 was also the first-ever Ferrari available with an automatic transmission, which was a GM-sourced three-speed unit—models with this box are denoted as 400 GT Automatics, or GTAs. A three speed is not the best accompaniment to an iconic V12 symphony, but I get it. The 400 also received hydraulic self-leveling rear suspension to complement the chassis’ front and rear double-wishbone independent suspension.
The 400i arrived in 1979 sporting fuel injection, yet saw a drop in output to 310 horses. It was still available with either a manual or automatic transmission, and received a few minor changes throughout, notably a more modern dashboard and a handful of mild exterior upgrades. 1985 saw the introduction of the final 400 car, the 412, which got a bump in displacement to 4.9-liters and restored output to 340 ponies. By the ’80s, this thing tipped the scales at over 4,000 pounds—what a porker! It ran until 1989, marking 17 years of this gorgeous grand tourer figure gracing dealer showrooms.
The Value Proposition
The Ferrari 400 lives rent free in my head as something that’d be so fun to cruise around in. That beautiful V12 soundtrack, sumptuous leather interior, great visibility, and reflection on storefront windows while cruising down the street—it’s a daydream for sure.
Though, considering it’s an old Ferrari, I’m not sure that said cruising would last very long. They’re moody to say the least, and enthusiasts report that they experience a variety of different oil leaks, they’re prone to corrosion, the exhaust systems fall apart, their self-leveling suspension systems cause issues (on models equipped with it), they have moody electrics… OK they have more than a few headaches. To get an idea of servicing costs, oil capacity is at 19.5 quarts, and this was when V12s were treated like two separate engines and had two of almost everything: Two ECUs (on 400i), two throttle bodies, even two oil filters.
So the juice might not be worth the squeeze. Though, for anyone who’s keen on an automatic model, it’s not unheard of to find them for under $40,000. Project cars?: Almost half of that. Manuals fetch $60,000-$80,000 in good condition.
Fast forward to me in a year or two, after letting my emotions get the best of me, trying to get a total basket case example to fire up on my driveway. “But it was only $17,000” I say to myself, softly, as tears mixed with power steering fluid and oil run down my face.
Regardless of all the figures and potential maintenance nightmares, what a beautiful lesser-known GT coupe. I’d love to supplement my daydreaming of driving one with seeing one in person at a car show someday.
A nice heavy GT coupe with plenty of headaches and great looks? How do you spell Jaguar again? I guess this has too many angles to be mistaken for one of those, but it is still a great-looking cruiser.
What’s up with diet Coke thing? I have several relatives who share you’re infatuation and it’s completely baffling to me, even after consuming many cans of the stuff. I like my soda-pop like I like my cars. Lots of color and variety – yep, Jarritos it is!
If you want the rarity and style of a 400 without the headache – get a Bitter SC.
The one time I’ve seen a Bitter SC IRL was spending several months in the service department of a GM dealer trying to source parts that were never available in North America.
So instead of Italian Ferrari parts that were never available in North America, we need German Opel parts that were never available in North America –
Except now we have the internet.
Sounds like a win.
“oil capacity is at 19.5 quarts”
Holy crap!
If you are going to get to 3900 lbs, you better load up on fluids!
Always thought these were ‘boring’ until one day I drove by the gas station/garage a few blocks from my house. There was one sitting out on the lot for an inspection. Seeing one on the small Richmond VA garage was like seeing a movie star at your local grocery store. In person it looked great.
Definitely a part of my ‘if I win the lottery I won’t tell anyone but there will be signs’ plan.
I can obtain Syphilis for the same price as Herpes.
And either will cost you less than a cheap Ferrari.
If I ever lost it and decided I absolutely had to have an exotic, this would be at top my list. I have always coveted the 400 as a ‘sensible’ exotic. The other would be the 365 GTC/4. Now I need to have a long sit and think to shake off the bad idea.
330 GTC for me
They are nice too!
This seems like a great car to have, if you have your own personal mechanic.
These are my second choice for “Ferrari I would actually want to own,” right behind the Mondial. That being said, I tap out at any pain level higher than Lancia pain, and from all Ferrari owners I’ve known, prancing horse pain is worse. But I would sure as hell rather own that than a 3 Series
They made too many automatics. As a child of the ’80s reading Car and Driver as a kid I was told that the two manual shift actions that had to be experienced were the gated ones in Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and Honda’s.
I’ve driven a manual Honda almost every day of my adult life but a spin in one of the now-vintage Italian exotics (let alone owning one!) is a bucket-list item.
What a machine. I can’t have a toy like this but in my Powerball, dream garage, this could easily find a home. I might need a few garages…
Brilliant. Lives also in my head but not sure the wallet would appreciate it if I were to buy one. Also, selling it seems to be a great pain as the market is limited. Obligatory video:
https://youtu.be/3Ftgwg8zfQ4?feature=shared
Mine is sitting under a cover, again. This time it is the oil pump. I have had it for years, it has been a delight and a massive expensive nuisance. When it breaks down expensively, which it does regularly, I promise myself that as soon as it is fixed I will sell it, FSH, new mot, freshly and expensively detailed because no-one wants a project 412. And then I get it back, all shiny and wonderful and fall in love with it all over again. So I drive it. Two years later (on average) in breaks down expensively. And so it continues. Obligatory video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVPCNcD4Jsg&t=13s
Oh I have a story with those!
About a year ago I said “fuck engineering, imma be a mechanic” and did a three month stint at a vintage Ferrari specialist.
To me Ferraris were over hyped and just a status symbol more than an enthusiast car BUT one day the boss asks me to take a 412i on the road to try and identify a weird clunking noise.
I only drove it a couple of minutes as the issue was easy to diagnose (the previous mechanic forgot to torque down a half shaft), but those minutes were amazing.
The mechanical feel of the shifter was incredible. I can’t really explain why, but everything felt précise and definitely mechanical. Not a hint of plastic existed between my palm and the selector forks. It just felt wonderful. And that V12…. Buttery smooth.
Even since, I have a newfound respect for Ferrari. A week later the water pump died, which is an engine out job. Everytime I feel like buying one I remember this and come back to reality.
You got a gig with a vintage Ferrari specialist despite never having worked as a mechanic? Torch and DT should hit you up for an article.
They did, but to write about aerodynamics some time ago!
https://www.theautopian.com/author/autopianuser29/
Honestly, there’s not much to talk about regarding that experience. Fixing a Ferrari is the same as fixing a Camry, except everything is an engine out job!
There was a 412 at a Dodge dealer back around ’00 for about $20k that I looked at mostly out of curiosity (I assume it was traded for a Viper). From what I read and heard, they’re big Ferrari ownership cost with anonymous looks (meaning they won’t appreciate and—look!—they really haven’t, especially when pretty much anything else “vintage” or just plain “old” has gone up a lot). More than one said they’re only good as organ donors, but that’s an unhelpful attitude. Anyway, I went back to looking at Espadas, which I love, and weren’t much more at the time. Never ended up buying one of those, either, but I got close.
Becoming “car-aware” in the age of Peak Testatossa, the 400/412 designs seemed understated, un-Ferrari in comparison. It’s aged well and still looks current. The concealed headlights and lack of grille could be from a present day BEV concept.
Having battled a mid-2000’s BMW self-leveling air suspension, an Italian version, from the ‘80’s, sounds terrifying!
Vintage Italian is something for people with infinite patience.
And a bottomless chequebook.
It’d likely be less reliable than a ‘80s toyota Corolla uncovered from the bottom of a bog before restoration
This exact car from this exact photo shoot was my desktop wallpaper for a couple of years. It’s such a simple, handsome design. If James Bond were Italian, this would have been his Aston Martin.
Be sure to look at how the engines were modified to meet EPA regulations and the body and doors FMVSS by the grey importers and modifiers. Some were excellent while others were dodgy and shoddy. Some modifiers would “recycle” the same photos of certain models when submitting the documentations to the DOT and EPA as to bypass the modifications.
It’s grown on me over the years, I think it looks ace. And it screams Pininfarina. Only problem is, it’s not a Ferrari for your stereotypical Ferrari person, which come think of it isn’t a problem at all.
This is the vehicle for a collab between Adrian’s devil’s cut take on the design and The Bishop’s corrections. I loathe these Ferraris as they look more like a Celica/Supra and curious what changes could be done to make it better.
Hot take: I don’t think the Ferrari Daytona is in the top 10 of greatest Ferrari designs. The 400i is like an 80s angular design riff of the Daytona. With a GM 3-speed more than likely.
Also 19.5QTs of oil?!?! That’s a pint short of 5 gallons! 37lbs. Every what, 3 months/2K miles (or annually for upkeep)? Exxon Valdez be like “and you think I was bad for the environment?” *Hiccup*
You are definitely not doing 8,000 miles a year in a 50 year old Ferrari with a V12 engine designed 77 years ago
Not with your attitude your not lol
I’m sure Adrian can share with you the joys (and pain) of owning an old Ferrari…
I still want one, specifically a 365 GT4 in manual. But just as with the Bentley Turbo R I never pulled the trigger due to cost of ownership moreso than purchase price.
If I was going to buy a Ferrari, this would probably be the one I’d want, but I have no interest. As stated, the purchase price is merely a down payment on the total cost of ownership.
A Monteverdi High Speed or De Tomaso Longchamp would probably be easier to keep on the road, because Chrysler and Ford powertrains, respectively
Good take. Iso Griffo would also nicely fit this category as far as reliability concerns, not sure about the entry price though.
Absolutely love those cars, but they’re somewhere around 10x the price.
Ouch… I figured it will be more but didn’t think it’s that bad. By the way, check out “The Iso Rivolta Chronicles” on YT if you haven’t already, criminally underrated.
I think I was about 12 or 13 the first time I saw one in the late ’80s at an Italian concours—it was an earlier one with the 327 (still my favorite version, but I’d take any of them) and I loved the marriage of American muscle car and Italian exotic (not just the drivetrain, but the styling, too). Even as a kid, it seemed like nicer quality than its better known competitors. For a while, they were a stretch goal for me and now they’re way out, plus my priorities have changes, anyway. Still love them, though, so I’ll definitely check that out!
These are really nice in person. But as noted they can be a real pain in the ass. A friend has one, probably for 10-15 years now. It has never left the garage. He has two others, a 308, and 512bb. They run and look fantastic. But he calls the 400 his bastard stepchild. Easy to understand to me.
These are super neat and I always loved how they looked but these were cool cars to buy and piddle around with back when they cost 30 grand for a nice one 10 years ago. Much like the Mondial as soon as they actually started costing real money to buy all interest I had in them vanished.
The amount of trouble a 70s-80s Ferrari can bring simply isn’t worth an Automatic, Large Coupe driving experience. It looks very basic and nothing about it really screams Ferrari, the V12 does sound like a good time but it’s probably quite heavy. And for the “Base model 3er” money you get a GM 4 speed I believe. And for the money the manuals go for I’d rather buy a 360, 456 or 612.
Yeah if you are spending $50k on a 40 year old V-12 Ferrari, you can pony up another $10-15k to get a 456. If you can’t, enjoy your $50k lawn ornament.