Vehicle Description
1984 Ferrari 400i A 2-Door Coupe, PininfarinaChassis No.
ZFFEB06B000054057- The first Ferrari to be offered with a standard
automatic transmission.- Of 1,305 400i's produced, one of 883 with
automatic transmission.- Stunning color combination of Grigio
metallic over Crema leather.- Documented recent servicing in excess
of $11,000.- Odometer shows little more than 10,300 original
miles.- Unrestored original example is an excellent candidate for
Preservation Class.Ferrari unveiled two models at the October 1976
Paris Salon - the 512BB and the 400GT. The 400 was a 2+2 grand
tourer largely based on the previous 365GT/4. Call it shocking. Not
because of its design which was largely carryover while featuring a
new front lip spoiler, a driver's side rearview mirror with remote
control, new taillamps (decreased in number from 6 to 4), and 5 lug
nuts rather than a knockoff hub to secure the Cromodora wheels.
Shocking, because this was the first Ferrari to offer an automatic
transmission - standard! To calm the faithful, a 5-speed manual was
offered as an option.The idea of an automatic transmission
reputedly originated with C.A. Vandagriff, a California Ferrari
dealer, who in 1971, fitted a 365GT 2+2 with a stout General Motors
Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed automatic transmission. After driving
it for several months, the car, in its entirety, was shipped to
Modena to work out the bugs. Ferrari was sufficiently impressed to
take on the project and bring the car to commercial fruition.Once
again, Pininfarina was chosen to design the car. Particular
attention was given to the interior which became more accommodating
and luxurious. The dash, console and door panels were covered in
sumptuous leather. The seats were changed to provide added comfort
and given a clever new mounting system that enabled them to slide
forward when the backrest was tilted forward for better rear seat
access. This was the first Ferrari to include a 4-speaker stereo
system.Ferrari clearly read the market correctly. Of the 1,305
400i's built, 883 included the automatic transmission, like this
stunning example finished in Grigio Metallic over a luxurious Crema
interior with brown accents. Today, no Ferrari features a third
pedal, which makes all the fuss about the 400 when it was
introduced, seem superfluous. In its test of the 400, Car & Driver,
summed it up nicely, ". . . a Ferrari for the guy who has cooled
off enough about Ferraris that he no longer has to have a red
one."The 400 was never officially offered in the U.S. but many came
stateside to be Federalized by licensed importers. This car was
sold new on June 11, 1984 through Ferrari of Houston to a client in
Mexico City. It was then sold in December 1989 to become part of a
significant private collection for over three decades. As of this
writing, the odometer shows just over 10,300 miles on this
original, unrestored example with factory air conditioning, power
windows, and a Blaupunkt AM/FM stereo cassette radio. Most
recently, in June 2022, it has benefitted from services totaling in
excess of $11,000 from Gran Touring Classics in California.
Accompanying the car are ownership manuals, tools, and services
invoices.
