Everything you could ask for?

Think about it: the 2+2-seater offers everything the discerning ‘Classic Driver’ could want from a comfortable Ferrari saloon: Pininfarina styling, a powerful V12 engine, and the gentle surprise of a slightly eccentric GT. Above all, it is (the distinctive wedge shape gives it away) a child of the Seventies, and hence very definitely in vogue today.

This front-engined Ferrari’s life began in 1972 as Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2, with a 4.4-litre V12 engine. In 1976, a larger 4.8-litre V12 was introduced and the model was renamed 400 GT. For the first time in Ferrari’s history, there was also a version with an automatic gearbox, named (unremarkably) the 400 Automatic. Three years later, the injection versions – dubbed 400i – took over from the carburettor models. And in 1985, there came the 412, boasting some design changes and a 5.0-litre V12 engine.

For any occasion

The automatic Ferrari 400i proved popular, with almost 900 sold, as opposed to around 422 of the five-speed manual version. The three-speed automatic gearbox didn’t exactly offer the thrill of a lifetime to enthusiastic drivers, but with at least 310HP (340HP in the 412), it could manage an impromptu sprint. The 412, meanwhile, built between 1985 and 1989, claimed a top speed approaching 150mph.

The pictured car, with Blu Chiaro Metallizzato paintwork and a beige leather interior, is the sportier 5-speed manual 400i. We reckon you could confindently turn up in this light blue diva at the most prestigious events of the year – and be sure of reaping compliments. Hard to believe that the Ferrari 400/412 is currently one of the cheapest models of V12 Ferrari on the market.

Photos: Mathieu Bonnevie