1983 Ferrari 400i Coupe

Description

Tracing the lineage of the four-seater V12 Ferrari back from the ultra-desirable 612 Scaglietti, one finds the handsome 365/400/412 range of the 1970s and 80s. Known as the 365 GT4 2+2 at the time of its launch in 1972, the new model was powered by essentially the same quad-cam 4.4-litre V12 found in such classics as the Daytona and had chiselled good looks from design studio Pininfarina. The engine was enlarged to nearly 5-litres in 1976, resulting in the change in nomenclature to 400GT (for manual gearbox cars) or 400A for those cars fitted with the GM400 automatic transmission. Inside, the 400 was easily the most luxurious Ferrari yet, with power steering, air conditioning and electric windows complementing leather-clad seats, dashboard and door panels. By 1979 Bosch fuel injection arrived, replacing the sextet of Weber carbs, and the model was designation updated to 400i. Although some purists decried the concept of a Ferrari without a gear stick, the general concept of a more refined and relaxed grand tourer with seating for four was embraced enthusiastically by many well-heeled customers and the body style lived on until the end of the decade, by then known as the 412i. Being hand-built, premium Ferraris, production runs were small, with only 1305 of the 400i produced.