See also the Ferrari 400 Superamerica

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Ferrari 400/412 Manufacturer Ferrari Production 1976–1989 Predecessor Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 Successor Ferrari 456 Class front-engined 2+2

400 GT (& Automatic) Production 1976–1979 147 (GT) & 355 (A) produced Body style 2+2 Coupé Engine 4.8 L V12 340hp[1]

400i GT (& Automatic) Production 1979–1985 422 (GT) & 883 (A) produced Body style 2+2 Coupé Engine 4.8 L FI V12

412 GT (& Automatic) Production 1985–1989 576 produced Body style 2+2 Coupé Engine 4.9 L FI V12

The Ferrari 400 and Ferrari 412 are front-engined 2+2 coupé cars from Italian manufacturer Ferrari. They were available with 5-speed all synchromesh or an optional 3-speed automatic transmission unit from General Motors. Their design was derived from the almost identical looking 365 GT4 2+2 (which itself was based on the famous Daytona). Production began in 1976, when Ferrari revealed its first car fitted with an automatic transmission - the 400 - at the Paris Motorshow of 1976. The improved 412 was introduced in 1985 and phased out in 1989, bringing to an end Ferrari's longest ever production series. Today, its sleek, Pininfarina-designed lines and relatively limited production numbers may give it potential as a future classic. It has not been universally admired however, and is listed at #18 in the BBC's book of "Crap Cars" and Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear described it as "awful in every way".^[2] However, there have been many other favorable articles about the 400 series in the motoring press, including one by the highly respected UK motoring journalist L.J.K. Setright in CAR magazine in August 1984, in which the author described it as "one of the few most beautiful, and one of the two most elegant, bodies ever to lead the lead of Pininfarina's pencilling vision".

Although the incorporation of an automatic transmission, and U.S. emissions compliance, indicate it may have been designed for the American market, no version of the 400 series was ever officially imported to the USA. Despite this, many have been brought to America as gray imports.

The 400 series has had many famous owners, including Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Wyman, John Bonham, Whitney Houston, Richard Burton, Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, Warner LeRoy, Audrey Meadows, Wilt Chamberlain, Evil Knievel, Jody Scheckter, Lanny Wadkins, Al Garthwaite, Mick Jagger, Cher, Elton John, Nick Mason, Sammy Hagar, Pete Townshend, Sheikh Al-Maktoum, King Hussein of Jordan, Texas Ernest Schramm Jr, Gianni Agnelli, Albert Uderzo, Bertrand Lavier, Ali Ben Bongo, and George Hamilton.^{[citation needed]}

A 400iA was used in the 1988 movie Rain Man, starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, and a de-bagded 412 was featured in Daft Punk's 2007 movie Electroma. The 2002 biopic Callas Forever also had a 400.

400 (Automatic) & 400 GT

The 400 Automatic or 400A used the General Motors Turbo-Hydramatic THM400 automatic transmission, whilst the 400 GT used a 5-speed all synchromesh transmission. This was the first Ferrari to have a automatic transmission.^[3] Other changes compared to the 365 GT/4 included 5-stud wheels to replace the knock-off hubs, revised interior, the addition of a lip to the front spoiler, and four rear lamps instead of six. A total of 502 examples were produced (355 automatic/147 manual).

The engine, based on the Daytona's 4,390 cc (4.39 L; 268 cu in), was a 4,823 cc (4.823 L; 294.3 cu in) V12 producing 340 PS (250 kW); front mounted and driving the rear wheels, the traditional GT car layout allowed Ferrari to fit four seats into the stylish coupé. 0-60 mph was 7.1 seconds.^[4]

400i & 400i GT

Ferrari 400i in London

The carburetors on the 400 were replaced with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection for 1979. As in the smaller 308i, power was down to 310 PS (228 kW), but emissions were much improved. In 1983, the 400i was updated to include a significantly revised interior, particularly in respect of the switchgear, which was now electronic, the front fog/driving lamps were exposed in the grille, the rear panel was now body-colored (as opposed to matte black on the 400/series I 400i), and power was increased to 315 PS (232 kW). A total of 1306 examples were produced (884 automatic/422 manual).

412 & 412 GT

For 1985, further improvements were made to the series, with an increase in displacement to 4,943 cc (4.943 L; 301.6 cu in), hence the name change to 412 (the cubic capacity of each cylinder), and a restoration of the carburetored car's 340 PS (250 kW). ABS was offered for the first time on a Ferrari; the manual and automatic transmissions were both retained. Other changes included raising the rear deck slightly, a new rear valance incorporating the exhaust tips and fog lights, a deeper front spoiler, body-colored bumpers, and flat-faced wheels fitted with TRX tires. A total of 576 examples were produced.

Production was stopped in 1989 with only the mid-engined Mondial offering 2+2 seating. The classic front-engine layout returned in 1992 with the 456.

References

• Buckley, Martin & Rees, Chris (1998). World Encyclopedia of Cars. London: Anness Publishing. ISBN 1-84038-083-7. 

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