Are you still looking for a present for the Ferrari enthusiast in your life this holiday season? How about one of the company’s best-looking GT racer cars of the past 50 years?
A stunning 1-of-25 512 BB LM race car from 1979 will be up for auction until Friday on Bring a Trailer. And the best part about this car is that it’s not just a display piece—it’s still in racing shape.
Ferrari may have stopped competing for the overall prize at Le Mans 1971 (though it’s preparing for its return), but it continued to compete in its GT classes, according to Road & Track. The 512 BB LM, which was built during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, remains one of the marque’s more interesting race entrants. The Group 5-spec car is based on the second iteration of the Berlinetta Boxer, but sports a more angular silhouette courtesy of Pininfarina that calls to mind its contemporary, the Porsche 936. Only 25 examples were ever built with the unique shape.
This particular example rolled off the line in 1979, but wouldn’t start racing until the 1982 season. Despite its late start, it would go on to compete in a number of IMSA races, including the 1985 24 Hours of Daytona. Like any good Ferrari Racer, it wears a base coat of Corso Rosso which is topped with assorted racing graphics. It may lack some of the grace of its production counterpart, but it is one of the marque brand’s more attractive post-Le Mans-era GT race cars.
The 512 BB LM may have a head-turning design, but its most impressive feature resides in its engine bay. That’s where you’ll find its 4.9-liter quad-cam flat-12, which is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The powerful mill was completely rebuilt earlier this year, which means you can continue to enter the car in historic racing events should that appeal to you. The car also comes with another rebuilt flat-12 that has served as its alternate race engine since it first started competing.
If you’re interested in a competition-ready Ferrari race car, you have four days left to bid on the 512 BB LM. Be prepared to make a sizable investment in the race car, though. As of press time bidding has already reached $1.15 million.
Click here to see more photos of the 1-of-25 Ferrari 512 BB LM.
