Ferrari 412: Spotted

Long the poor relations of the Ferrari family, it's time for the three-box V12s to come in from the cold

Isn't it nice when, just occasionally, one can have a little look through the classified ads at a classic car or two and go, 'Actually, that's not a stupid price'? Granted, it happens rarely these days. But just now and again, a surprise can come at you from the unlikeliest quarter.

Take this Ferrari 412, for example. It's on for £39,995 which is, of course, a significant chunk of money for most people. However, in light of the fact a Ford Sierra can easily cost you significantly more these days, it doesn't seem preposterous.

The 412 - and its predecessors, the 365 GT4 2+2 and 400i - have, for a long time, been the black sheep of the Ferrari family. Blame the fact they're front-engined V12s that don't look like your typical Ferrari; blame the fact that 70 per cent of those sold were automatics; blame the fact that they're cruisers at heart, and therefore don't steer or handle with the same finesse as their stablemates. Either way, these models have languished at the bottom of the Ferrari desirability tree for ages.

But while they might not look like typical Ferraris, you wouldn't kick them out of bed for farting. OK, so the angular, vaguely skeletal front end is a bit of an acquired taste, although some might argue even that has mellowed with time from 'ugly' to merely 'unmistakeable'. But the side profile is elegance personified, while the tail takes those iconic Ferrari donut lights and applies them to a graceful notchback. Few grand tourers of the period had quite this combination of louche presence and understated beauty.

As the culmination of the series, the 412 is reckoned these days to be the best all-rounder, and its fuel injection, anti-lock brakes (the first road-going Ferrari so-equipped) and enlarged boot made it arguably the most useable of the lot. Under the bonnet, the quad-cam, fuel-injected V12 was bored out to 4.9 litres from the 400i's 4.8, making it good for 340hp and a 0-62mph time of 8.3 seconds in automatic form.

Indeed, seeing the 412 for what it was is crucial to understanding why it's such an underrated beast. The V8 sports cars and 12-pot supercars might have grabbed all the limelight, but here was a four-seat grand tourer which excelled in the role for which it was designed, all the while oozing such class and power that it made lesser GTs like the Jaguar XJS and BMW 6 Series look and feel ordinary.

Yet these days, a BMW 635CSi with similar mileage won't cost you a whole heap less. And let's face it: while the big Six is undoubtedly lovely, it's still essentially a pretty body draped over a 5 Series, while the 412 is a genuine Ferrari.

Then again, perhaps that's the reason, for with a genuine Ferrari comes the sort of repair bills a genuine Ferrari incurs. You'll need to carry out a major service every 12,000 miles, for example - and without any additional work, that will set you back at least £2,500, if not more.

Happily, this one's just had that done fairly recently, along with several other bits and pieces; what's more, there's a big chunk of service history to back up the low mileage. None of which will protect you completely from those potentially terrifying bills, but will hopefully allow you to enjoy the car for at least a short while before another crops up. Indeed, we're struggling to find a reason why £40k isn't - brace yourselves - actually quite a sensible price for this tidy, classy and extremely usable classic Ferrari. Anyone?

SPECIFICATION - FERRARI 412

Engine: 4,943cc V12
Transmission: three-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 340@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 333@4,200rpm
MPG: 15.4
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1988
Recorded mileage: 36,000 miles
Price new: £71,760
Yours for: £39,995

See the original advert here.

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LewisR

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215 months