Pick of the Day: 1984 Ferrari 400i

Enzo Ferrari is credited as saying his company will always deliver one less car than the market demands. It may sound counterproductive to artificially limit production and as a result, revenue. However, that can make a car seem more exclusive and to some, more desirable. Our latest Pick of the Day, this 1984 Ferrari 400i, took that idea to an extreme when it was new: Ferrari built a total of 883 automatic 400is but none of them were made for the United States. 

According to the selling dealer, Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale, this 400i was sold new on June 11, 1984 through Ferrari of Houston (so it did hit our soil)…to a buyer in Mexico City (so close yet so far!). In December of 1989, it joined another owner’s private collection, where it remained for more than 30 years. Two years ago, Gran Touring Classics in Long Beach, California completed more than $11,000 of service on it. In all that time, this 400i has only covered 10,333 miles – only 258 a year. 

That extremely light usage shows in the condition of the wedge-shaped Grigio Metallic bodywork by Pininfarina. Although this is a relatively conservative design, the long hood and quartet of exhaust outlets provide hints of what’s in the engine bay. This is a V12 Ferrari after all.

The company’s official specs page shows the fuel-injected DOHC 4.8-liter V12 generates 310 horsepower and delivers its output to the road through a three-speed automatic transmission. Flat out, the 400i can take all four of its passengers to 150 mph.  

The 2+2 cabin appears to be just as well preserved as the exterior. The Crema leather seats look soft and plush, and they coordinate well with the chocolatey brown of the dashboard and center console. As a GT car, this 400i offers the expected comfort and convenience features of the time, such as power steering, power windows, air conditioning, and a Blaupunkt AM/FM stereo cassette radio. It also comes with ownership manuals, tools, and services invoices. 

Not only has the passage of time been kind to this Ferrari, but it’s also been good to its U.S. admirers because now it can be purchased here. To find out how much money it’ll take to do that, reach out to the dealer. 

Click here to see the listing for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.