Chassis Number: 0854
The era was perfectly encapsulated by Sir Jackie Stewart as being “when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.” Ferrari and Fantuzzi, aided by the Maranello marque’s genius in-house stylist Edmondo Casoli (aka “the father of the 250 GTO”) created one of the most sexy, most beautiful pieces of performance engineering of all time. The 330 P3/P4 and 412P cars represented the absolute zenith in a meeting of minds between stunning aesthetics and purpose in design. This was before aerodynamic structures saw car bodies conform to what became the angular “wedge” era. It is no exaggeration to say that cars such as this remarkably voluptuous, curvilinear 412P offered today could be the most beautiful competition car of all time. With Ford moving from an annoyance to a serious rival, and Porsche resurgent, Enzo Ferrari hedged his bets for the sports car 1967 World Championship of Makes, by running a Works team but also supplying a pair of customer cars to his closest allies in his strongest markets in Europe. These were Jacques Swaters’ Ecurie Francorchamps and Ronnie Hoare’s Maranello Concessionaires. Those cars were normally aspirated, 24-valve versions of the 330 P4, which were sold under the simpler distinction of 412 (standing for 4 liters, 12 cylinders). They gave up a modest 30 horsepower to the Works-entered fuel-injected 330s and were otherwise indistinguishable aesthetically. This individual Ferrari — chassis 0854 — harnesses every perfect ingredient you could wish for: known history including top-level period racing, a succession of internationally renowned car-collecting luminaries upon its ownership roster, thorough authenticity of components and even its bodywork, and an exceptionally high-quality restoration placing it in both immaculate cosmetic order and road-usable condition. It is a landmark car from the most hallowed era of racing of the most coveted brand name in motoring history.
