Ferrari built the 412P for customer teams to race in 1967. It was derived from the famed Ferrari 330 P3 and was delivered to teams including Ecurie Francorchamps, NART, and Maranello Concessionaires.
Powered by a 4.0 L V12 equipped with Weber carburetors that produced 420 horsepower. The car was given the name 412P due to its four liter, twelve cylinder engine that was naturally aspirated and only down 30 horsepower to the factory-backed, fuel-injected 330s of the time.
Really Limited Production
Only two examples of the 412P were produced as new, although two more were created by converting earlier 330 P3 models by removing the fuel injection meaning that only four were produced in total. The goal was for these cars to support Ferrari’s own efforts toward winning the 1967 Championship of Makes, which turned out to be a success. However in 1968 those cars were no longer eligible to compete in that series due to a new limitation on engine displacement.
Ferrari 412P Auction
The distinctive bodywork showcases its long nose and short tail with an emphasis on sleek design, prior to the eventual wedge shape most manufacturers converged on due to aerodynamic efficiency.
Following Ferrari’s success FIA World Championship of Makes chassis 0844 was converted to compete in the Can-Am series later on, but was outperformed by other marques such as McLaren and Lola.
Bonhams Cars will offer a 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, chassis 0854, at their upcoming auction at The Quail on August 18, 2023. This car spent the 1967 in the hands of privateer team Maranello Concessionaires, during which time it scored an invaluable 3 points that helped secure Ferrari’s overall victory in the 1967 season, beating Porsche 34 to 32.
Chassis 0854 at Bonhams
It was subsequently sold to David Piper who would continue to race the car in a variety of events for the next two years. At his hands the car took overall victory at the 1968 Nuremberg 200 KM, the Solituderennen at Hockenheim, and the Swedish Grand Prix.
As is to be expected with any race car that truly competed, it incurred some damage in its day, but it was quickly repaired and back on the track. At the end of the 1969 season David Piper sold chassis 0854 to Chris Cord, the grandson of E.L. Cord and a passionate automotive collector in his own right.
It was in the care of Chris Cord that the car was modified to allow it to run on public roads, turning heads all over Pennsylvania. In the ensuing years the car changed hands several times, moving as far away as Japan and back to Europe before landing in the current owner’s collection in 2005.
A restoration was completed on the car, returning it to the way it looked for the 6 Hours of Brands Hatch in 1967, at which time the majority of the car’s original bodywork was refitted to it. It presents as wonderfully today as it did when it was shown at The Quail in 2015 and at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it received the ArtCenter College of Design Award.
Featuring matching chassis, engine, and gearbox this may be the most original 412P in existence. Considering the rarity and exclusivity of this car we estimate that it should need a final price in the neighborhood of $40 million to satisfy the reserve and see the car change hands. As this will be on the block during Monterey Car Week, that is certainly not out of the question.