For Sale: 1979 Ferrari 512 BB in Wayne, Pennsylvania

Reimel Motor Cars is proud to present chassis 28297, a 1979 Ferrari 512 BB with one of the more intriguing stories in the Berlinetta Boxer world. Delivered new in France in silver, it was reworked in Italy early in its life in the image of the Boxers then racing at Le Mans, and it has now been carefully returned to that spirit.

The Berlinetta Boxer
The 512 BB succeeded the 365 GT4 BB in 1976 and is, for many, the definitive Boxer: a carbureted 4.9-liter flat-12 mounted amidships, a five-speed manual gearbox and Pininfarina's knife-edged wedge. It was also the basis for the 512 BB LM, the competition version campaigned at Le Mans by privateer teams, including the team of Charles Pozzi, Ferrari's importer in France.

A French Delivery
According to its original warranty card, 28297 was delivered on 2 July 1979 through Ch. Pozzi S.A., the exclusive French importer, by selling dealer Garage P. Savary of Limoges. It left the factory finished in Argento Auteuil (metallic silver) over Beige leather, with engine no. 8136, and was first registered on 10 July 1979. Ferrari has confirmed the car's original colors. The 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 km services were all completed in the second half of 1979.

The Vaccari Transformation
Early in its life, 28297 was reworked in Italy in the image of the 512 BB LM: refinished in Rosso Corsa over Nero leather, fitted with LM-style wide-body wheel arches and set off with gold wheels. The original warranty card carries a handwritten notation, "Vaccari (Modena)," pointing to the Modena specialists believed to have carried out the work. Period photographs of the conversion in progress are included with the car.

Life in France
Back in France, 28297 was looked after by Pozzi's own workshop in Levallois-Perret through the mid-1980s, including a 1986 engine-out service covering the gearbox, timing belts, water pump and cam seals. In August 1989 it passed to its next owner, who kept it for 35 years and maintained it with Ferrari specialists Michel Mercier Automobiles and, later, Heritage Motors Cars in Paris. The car was imported to the United States in 2024.

Service History Highlights

2008-2009, Michel Mercier Automobiles (47,475 km): engine and transaxle removed; timing belts and tensioners, gaskets and seals renewed; all four triple-choke Weber carburetors stripped and cleaned; suspension removed, wishbones refinished and bushings replaced; cooling hoses renewed.

2014: new Koni Classic shock absorbers front and rear.

2016, Michel Mercier (49,277 km): complete new twin-disc clutch, release bearing, pilot bearing and crankshaft seal; gearbox and final drive oil changed.

2017, Michel Mercier (49,449 km): new coolant expansion tank and fuse box; cooling-fan electrics repaired.

September 2023, Heritage Motors Cars, Paris (49,875 km): a major service totaling nearly €17,000, including new timing belts and tensioners; all four brake calipers rebuilt with new rotors, pads and brake lines; new steering column universal joint and rack boot; new rear shock mounts and bushings, heater valve and fuel lines; new oil, air and fuel filters and spark plugs; A/C recharge; and a four-wheel alignment.

2024, after arriving in the US: new clutch master cylinder and an A/C service.

Under Our Care

Serviced by Scuderia Performante in Downingtown, PA: full inspection; engine oil and filters changed; new spark plugs; idle jets cleaned so the engine idles cleanly on all 12 cylinders; brake and clutch hydraulics flushed; oil-tank drain plug repaired.

Pennsylvania state inspection and multi-point inspection at Ferrari of Philadelphia.

Wheels sent out and powder-coated back to gold, the finish they wore when the car left Vaccari, then fitted with new Michelin TB15+ tires (215/55R15 front, 345/35R15 rear), mounted, balanced and followed by a four-wheel alignment.

Koenig velocity stacks and LM-style air intakes taken from a period race car were installed, giving the flat-12 the look and induction sound of the competition cars. The factory air box and all original parts removed for this work are included with the car.

A period-correct competition livery was added, with #75 Le Mans roundels and Shell, Total, Bosch, Michelin and MOMO decals, in the spirit of the Boxers raced under the Pozzi name. The livery is applied in vinyl and is fully reversible.

What's Included

Original warranty card and Pozzi service invoices from 1979 onward

French registration documents and a service file covering 1989 to 2024

2024 US import documentation

Period photographs of the Vaccari conversion

Factory air box and all original parts removed during the induction upgrade

Original tool set

Our Take
The 512 BB is widely regarded as the most desirable of the Boxers, pairing the soundtrack of four triple-choke Weber carburetors with the torque of the larger flat-12. Chassis 28297 adds something few Boxers can offer: a documented French Pozzi delivery, a transformation in Italy carried out in period, and a continuous paper trail from new. Freshly serviced, sorted and presented in the colors of the Boxers that raced at Le Mans, it is a car with a genuine story to tell and the presence to match.

The odometer shows approximately 51,600 km (about 32,000 miles).

For more information, photos, or videos, please contact us through our website at www.reimelmotorcars.com.