Ferrari 400

Ferrari
Ferrari 400i (1979–1985)
400i / 412i
Production period:	1976-1989
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Petrol engines : 4.8–4.9 liters (228–250 kW)
Length:	4810 mm
Width:	1800 mm
Height:	1315 mm
Wheelbase :	2700 mm
Empty weight :	1805 kg
Previous model	Ferrari 365 GT4 2 + 2
successor	Ferrari 456

The Ferrari 400 (from 1985: Ferrari 412 ) is a 2 + 2-seater coupé from the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari .

The 400 and 412 models were equipped with a front twelve-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive and were delivered with either a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. The design of the car largely corresponded to that of its predecessor Ferrari 365 GT4 2 + 2 .

The 400 GT (called the 400i from 1979) was presented at the Paris Motor Show in autumn 1976 . The exterior of the 412 series, slightly modified compared to the Ferrari 400, made its debut at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show. Production ended in 1989.

Model history

400 GT (1976-1979)

The technical basis of the Ferrari 400 GT was essentially the same as that of the Ferrari 365 GT4 2 + 2 , but the 400 had a 4.8 liter engine (4823 cm³) instead of the 4.4 liter engine of the predecessor 365 GT4 / 2 + 2 (bore × stroke = 81 × 71 mm, displacement 4390 cm³).

The 400GT appeared at the Paris Salon in October 1976. Outwardly, it differed from the 365 GT4 2 + 2 only in a few features: The taillights now consisted of two units per side instead of the three taillights of the predecessor. On the 400, there was a small spoiler lip under the front bumper. The wheels were each fastened with five wheel bolts instead of a central lock.

The most important news concerned the transmission: the 400 GT was the first Ferrari that was officially available in an automatic version. The three-speed turbo Hydramatic came from General Motors and was appropriately called the GM 400. In the literature there are some sources according to which the 400 was built exclusively as an automatic vehicle. However, this is not the case. It was available with both a five-speed manual transmission and a three-speed automatic. Most were built with automatic transmissions. Out of a total of 500 copies of the 400 GT (left and right-hand drive together), 147 had the five-speed manual transmission that was supplied by ZF from Germany ; the remaining 355 copies were automatic versions.

The 400 GT was the last front-engined twelve-cylinder Ferrari to be fitted with carburettors. Six flat-flow twin carburettors from Weber were used to ventilate the engine.

400i (1979-1985)

In autumn 1979 the 400 GT became the 400i with Bosch - K-Jetronic instead of the six Weber double carburettors and 228 kW (310 PS).

In the fall of 1982, the 400i was slightly refreshed, which primarily anticipated the slightly more modern cockpit design of the 412, which came onto the market in 1985. In addition, the camshaft profile was changed and the exhaust manifold modified, increasing the power to 232 kW (315 hp). The level control on the rear axle has also been revised.

883 automatic and 422 with five-speed gearbox were made of the 400i.

412 (1985-1989)

Ferrari 412

Rear view

inner space

Over twelve years after the launch of the 365 GT4 2 + 2, Ferrari presented the fourth generation of the series, the 412, in April 1985. Although it still looked very similar to the 365 GT4 2 + 2 from 1972, it had been redesigned in many ways. With the conversion, the series received a larger V12 engine with 4.9 l (4943 cm³) and an output of 250 kW (340 hp). For the first time at Ferrari, an anti-lock braking system was also offered in the 412 . It was the first Italian car with ABS as standard.

As with the transition from the 365 GT4 2 + 2 to the 400 GT, the bodywork of Pininfarina was only changed in detail - the 412 is characterized by a higher trunk, front indicators in plain white, bumpers in body color, modified aluminum wheels and fog lights, the are no longer covered by the grille grille. Technical innovations related to the use of a Bosch K / KE Jetronic, an electronic ignition, a new exhaust system and a larger two-disc clutch. In the interior there were changed attachment points for the seat belts, electric seat adjustment and revised headrests.

As before, you could choose between manual and automatic transmission, but in the meantime automatic had become standard in luxury-class coupés and manual transmission was optional.

The Ferrari 412 rolled off the assembly line from spring 1985 to early 1989. During this time 576 copies were made.

designation	Ferrari 412
Production period	1985-1989
Vehicle concept	4-seater GT
body	Sheet steel
engine	water-cooled V12 made of light metal
power	340 hp (250 kW) at 6500 rpm
Torque	451 Newton meters
Circuits	Three-speed automatic, five-speed manual transmission
Dimensions	Length: 4810 mm, width 1800 mm, height: 1314 mm
Weight	approx. 1900 kg
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	under 7 s
Top speed	approx. 250 km / h
Units produced	576

The Ferrari 400 on the used car market

Today the Pininfarinas 400 is one of the cheapest twelve-cylinder Ferraris on the used car market, although prices are rising as the demand for classic sports cars increases. Above all, however, the restrained appearance and the high maintenance costs still limit the attractiveness. The used car prices for a Ferrari 400i in 2015 are between 50,000 and 100,000 euros. In 2015, the prices for the successor 456 are "still" cheaper.

Conversions and impressions

A convertible conversion of a Ferrari 400

The Ferrari 400/412 was the basis for a number of different conversions, which were regularly developed by independent manufacturers and in some cases remained one-offs, but sometimes also found a small series distribution. Numerous manufacturers offered convertible conversions, including the established Carrozzeria Pavesi plant . Other body versions were also possible. The modified models include:

• Michelotti Meera ,

a two-door coupe designed by Giovanni Michelotti with a square body and Ferrari 400 technology.

• Felber Croisette :

The Swiss auto tuner Felber produced a three-door station wagon in the shooting brake style based on the Ferrari 400 in small numbers . With this construction, the structure of the coupé remained unchanged up to the C-pillar; Felber only added a roof section with a large tailgate above the trunk. In at least one example, Felber's roof structure was contrasted in color.

• Le Marquis Sedan :

In Great Britain , Robert Jankel , who had had some success in the field of classic car replicas with the Panther Westwinds company he founded , produced a four-door sedan based on the Ferrari 400. The vehicle was sold by Jankel's company Le Marquis . The chassis of the Ferrari was significantly extended; at the same time, the front doors were slightly shortened compared to the standard version of the coupé. A special feature of the Le Marquis Sedan was a side triangular window between the rear doors and the D-pillar.

• Mardikian Ferrari 400 :

In 1981, Mardikian Coachworks , a company from Newport Beach , California that calls itself an auto tuner , presented a so-called stretch limousine based on the Ferrari 400. Mardikian extended the Ferrari chassis by more than 150 cm. In the passenger compartment, which is covered with red velvet, four seats positioned opposite one another as well as a television set and a bar were accommodated. The black painted vehicle received a black vinyl roof. Maridikian's Ferrari sedan remained a one-off. The vehicle went on sale in California in the summer of 2008.

• Bitter SC

The Ferrari 400 line served the Bitter Automobile company in Schwelm, Germany as a template for the Bitter SC presented in 1980 .

swell

• Automobil Revue , catalog number 1987 (dates and price)
• Godfrey Eaton: The Complete Ferrari . Cadogan Books, London 1985, ISBN 0-947754-10-5 , pp. 206-209, 234 f., 366 f.
• Peter Vann, Dirk Maxeiner: The most beautiful cars in the world . Stuttgart (Motorbuch Verlag) 1984; ISBN 3-87943-964-8 . Illustration and brief review of the Mardikian Ferrari 400 on p. 212 ff.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Motor Klassik, issue 2/2010, p. 25.
2. ↑ Description of a Ferrari 400i Cabriolet converted by Pavesi on the website www.petrolicious.com (accessed on February 8, 2019).

Web links

Commons : Ferrari 400  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Sales brochure of a Ferrari 400i Automatic from 1982