I used to live about a mile from a Ferrari dealership. As I walked near it back in 2014, I saw a trailer parked around the corner with a low-slung sports car inside. Getting a little closer showed that it was definitely a 512. “Now that’s a Ferrari!”, I said. The man unloading the car chuckled as I walked away.
For 1983, Ferrari’s lovely Pinanfarina-designed 512 BBi received few, if any, changes. The BBi’s engine was Ferrari’s Tipo F110 A 340 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci flat 12 with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection—the 512 had moved to fuel injection (and added the i) for the 1982 model year. When paired with the five-speed manual transmission, 0-60 came in about 5.5 seconds with a top speed of 170 mph or so—fast, fast, fast for 1983.
Ferraris had gotten more luxurious: standard equipment on the 512 BBi included air conditioning (often said to be inadequate), leather seats, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks driven from the key, a Nardi steering wheel, and a Pioneer AM/FM stereo cassette deck with 7-band graphic equalizer.
Although the 512 BBi was not legal in the U.S., some importers converted them to U.S. specifications by adding catalytic converters, side reflectors, and larger bumpers.
Of course, there’s a fairly famous eighties music video associated with this car.
Sammy Hagar may have his issues, but the 512 BBi he drives in the video made for this song demonstrates exquisite taste. When interviewed by Motor Trend in 2008, he still owned it.
The View From 2025
There’s some really excellent support for 512s (and all Ferraris) from the folks on FerrariChat (who contributed to the original version of this post). According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1983 512 BBi in #1/Concours condition is $345,000 (though recent auction results may make that seem low). A more “normal” #3/Good condition example is valued at $224,000. Ferrari 512s frequently appear for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on Bring a Trailer, and at in-person auctions.
Make mine Rosso Corsa (red), please, though I’m quite tempted by how they look in Grigio (grey).
Other Ferraris I have written about include the 1985 308 GTB Quattrovalvole coupe and the 1985 Testarossa coupe.
Last updated February 2025.
Eighties Cars 