Ferrari 400

Vehicle Overview

The Ferrari 400 is a 2+2 sports car designed by Pininfarina and produced by Ferrari from 1976 to 1985. It was introduced to replace the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2, retaining the same body and mechanical layout. The Ferrari 400 made its debut at the 1976 Paris Motor Show and is notable for being the first Ferrari model to feature a standard automatic transmission, with a manual transmission available as an option. From 1976 to 1978, the models were named “Automatic” and “GT” and were equipped with six dual-body Weber carburetors. Starting in 1979, the mechanical Bosch K-Jetronic injection system was adopted, adding an “i” to the model name. The “400” designation, previously used for the Ferrari 400 Superamerica to indicate the engine’s total displacement, now referred to the unit displacement of the engine. Unlike typical Ferrari cars known for their aggressive and racing-inspired lines, the Ferrari 400 positioned itself as a “berlina” or “luxury sedan.” Enzo Ferrari himself described it as “a grand tourer in evening dress.” Due to its elegance and presence, the Ferrari 400 became the car of choice for prominent figures of the time, such as Gianni Agnelli and Sergio Pininfarina. Despite its classic three-box design, the Ferrari 400 boasted a powerful and high-performance engine under the hood: a 4.8-liter V12 with a 60-degree angle between the banks and dual overhead camshafts, designed by Ferrari’s legendary engineer and Enzo Ferrari’s personal friend, Gioachino Colombo. The engine produced 340 horsepower in the carbureted version and 315 horsepower in the injected version. The top speed was 250 km/h (155 mph) for the carbureted version and 245 km/h (152 mph) for the injected version. These were impressive figures for a 1970s car weighing around 2 tons. In 1985, the Ferrari 400 was succeeded by the Ferrari 412, which was nearly identical in appearance but featured an enlarged 4.9-liter engine. The Ferrari 412 remained in production until 1989, marking the end of one of Ferrari’s longest-running model lines, which began with the 365 GT4 2+2 in 1972.