Fast Lane 412

Hello folks, If anyone is interested I own the black 412 GT (manual) that was featured in the March 1988 edition of Fast Lane magazine. The car is still in excellent condition and only shows 31000 miles.

 

Welcome to FChat and your inaugural post! Please tell us your story about ownership of the car, what are your plans for it in the future and, of course, we would love to see pictures, the more the better!

 

What year...?

 

Here is a link to davidavids posting of the Fast Lane article.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221060&highlight=fast+lane

I've had the car around a month and I'm really enjoying it. I also have a black 328 GTB but find myself reaching for the 412 keys!

So far it may well be a keeper... I love the understated looks and for a supposedly 'unloved' Ferrari model it creates a lot of interest and I've heard nothing but positive reaction.

The car is pretty much as it was back in '88 except the steering wheel which is now standard. The car was first run as a company car by Shaun Bealey of Maranello Concessionaires (UK Ferrari importers) and he had a wooden wheel fitted on delivery. I spoke him recently and he said he swapped cars every 9 months so the car then passed on to a 'real' customer in late 1988.

This customer was George Minden, I haven't researched it yet but a George Minden bought Aston Martin (the company not a car!) with Peter Sprague back in the seventies so it may be him? Can anyone help with that? He only kept the car for a shortish period and I bought it from the long term last owner.

Here are some pics as it is today...
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1987

 

Nice looking car, congratulations and enjoy the V12 roar! I don't know how many of the 270 5 speed 412 models came in RHD but, if the proportion is anywhere near the 7% of 400i 5 speeds that came with RHD, there are probably only 20 or so of those in the world.

If so, you can tell everyone that you own a Ferrari of which there are fewer than the 36 250 GTOs made!

Of course, a serial number would be much appreciated for the database!

Thanks,

John

 

That is a stunning car.

Aidan

 

John,

I have 412 build figures from Maranello and they read:

Total Factory production: 576 of which 306 were autos
UK RHD cars were 24 manuals (5 speed) and 61 autos.

The serial number of our car is 73005 and was delivered in September 1987.

Hope that helps the files!

 

Hi David,
Welcome to FChat and V12 ownership.
What a beautiful, original car and in stunning condition...

Congrats
Niall

 

Cheers Niall, I see you have a Silver Shadow too? I had a Shadow II a few years ago and still miss it.

 

My car # 64 979 is the same - 412 Manual RHD, black with the blue interior, except that the dash in my car is blue as well, not black like yours. Delivered in Sydney, Australia late 1987.

M

 

Looks great! Best 412 I have seen, that's for sure. Congrats.


Onno

 

Thats interesting, how long have you had it? I assume you are happy with it!

Any pics?

 

Thanks for that, glad you like it - Looking at your collection its all the more welcome!

 

Can anyone help me with this one?

Check out the mirrors on the 412 in my previous pics and they look like 400 items.

Every other 412 I have seen has the smaller mirrors (the same as my 328) with the small Ferrari badges on the rear. I thought they must have been retro fitted (?) but if you look at the 1988 mag feature of my car it has the lager 400-style mirrors back then when (nearly) new.

Any ideas why?

 

Yeah, love the Shadow it's just so different in comparison to the 400.
Modern cars just don't have the same character I'm afraid.
Every trip in the old stuff is an adventure and an occassion.

Again a stunning 412, so take the time to enjoy every possible moment.
Niall

 

Interesting that the passenger rugs on the RHD car have the rubber protectors that are only on the driver's side for LHD cars. Are all RHD 400/412's like that?
Ken

 

David,

Interesting that you should point that out. My impression is that the larger mirror, as on your car, was the standard fitted to the 412 series. The first three photos below are some 412 mirror photos from the Automobilia 412 book by Murani and Pasini. Note, though, that the 412 mirrors seem to have the small Ferrari logos on them, as does the 400i Vitaloni mirrors, but not, apparently on your 412 or on the shots of the earlier large mirror 400i or the 400 photo.

My 1983 Series 2 400i has the smaller Vitaloni mirrors with the Ferrari symbols (fourth photo below) but I did find a photo of a 400i in the Osprey Ferrari 4 Seaters book by David Owen that has the large mirror(fifth photo).

Also, the 400 is shown in the 412 book with the large mirror (last photo).

My explanation as to why your 412 seems to have the large, logo-less mirrors from the 400 series is that maybe there were some old 400/early 400i mirrors in the parts bin when Luigi reached in to attach the outside mirrors to your car. As with most things Ferrari, there may be some conventions used, but there are often unexplained variations from those conventions.
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Many thanks for that, the 'Luigi' theory sounds plausible although the car was produced in late '87 midway through the 412 production run so one would expect any leftover bits from the 400's to be used up early on? Anyway as you say with Ferrari the rules are different (i.e. no rules!).

 

Nice car but somebody was sleeping at the plant the day it was made, they put the steering wheel on the wrong side.

 

LOL

 

comedy gold...

 

Hi John, you mentioned the database above, where is that located? Is it online for me to have a look at?