1984 Ferrari 400i

This magnificent 400i has been in the vendor’s ownership since 2000.

Having used it regularly, but sparingly, on various summer outings and jaunts over the years, he is only selling now because he feels he’s just not using it enough. 

Throughout his 25 years with this car, he has carried on the assiduous curation and meticulous care of the car demonstrated by his predecessors.

Consequently, the car is in very decent dynamic and mechanical order and wants for nothing but a little cosmetic fettling and honing here and there.

It starts, runs, goes, handles and stops precisely as you would wish a pedigree V12 Ferrari to perform and behave.

And, of course, as a 400i it comes with the added bonuses of being wilfully unflashy, classily understated and more than capable of discreetly whisking you, three friends and all of your luggage across continents with inimitable élan, refinement and panache. 

People of a certain age, your author being one of them, would have had a poster of a Ferrari 328 on their bedroom wall, quite possibly sandwiched between images of Che Guevara and that lady tennis player who’d mislaid her undergarments and was having a cheeky scratch. 

We were young and foolish. 

Had we known better, had we been more sophisticated, had we possessed finer sensibilities, we would have had a poster of a 400i.

In unrelated news, we would like to thank the vendor for providing us with a sheet of notes on the car in which he lists ‘Miscellaneous Known Faults’; some instructions pertaining to the battery, boot and bonnet; ‘Reasons for Selling’; ‘Servicing’ information and; a summary of attendant ‘Documentation’.

Your author very nearly wept tears of gratitude when he clapped eyes upon this informative, succinct and very welcome document.

If Carlsberg did classic car vendors…..etc.

Anyway. We digress.

On with the business in hand.

The bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, or creases of real significance, and the shut-lines and panel gaps look consistent and even to us. 

Where it is good, the ‘Argento Fer’ silver paintwork has stoically held on to its shine and lustre. Elsewhere there are some cosmetic issues to consider. 

In no particular order, these are as follows.

There is bubbling and corrosion to be seen at the base of both rear wings, beneath both rear windows, and in a small area on the boot lid.

There is a split to the rubber on the nearside of the rear bumper, some scuffs and scrapes at both front corners, some scratching to the roof, various signs of touch-ups on the bonnet, a patch of delamination on the rear screen, and a fairly standard scattering of stone chips and scratches in all the usual places. 

The driver’s-side windscreen wiper currently has a loose blade, and we noticed a small dent to the o/s/r wing, some micro-blistering on the driver’s door and the o/s/r wheel arch, and some scuffs and marking to the offside end of the rear bumper and the adjacent bodywork. 

The black plastic wing mirror housing on the offside has faded to grey.

Bar the odd small mark here and there, the alloy wheels look to be in very good order.

The car’s lights, lenses, badging and various other external fixtures and fittings all look pretty decent to us.

All in all, there are a number of small, principally cosmetic jobs to think about, but nothing major or remotely daunting from what we can see.

Basically, all of the car’s exterior digressions from minty freshness are either age related or a consequence of natural wear and tear.

This is a car that’s been driven and enjoyed, not locked away in a collection.

The good news continues unabated on the highly authentic and original interior.

The dark red ruched leather creates a warm, inviting and very agreeable ambience, in our opinion, and we defy anyone who sits inside to deny that more than a frisson of the La Dolce Vita spirit courses through them for a few moments.

The upholstery, front and back, has little more than a few creases to show for its years of dutiful service and, indeed, the condition of everything on the inside of this fine car is far more a reflection of its low mileage than its age.

All of the Veglia Borletti gauges are in fine order, as far as we can tell, and they are of course, easy to see and read through the spokes of a beautifully simple steering wheel unadorned by all the flappy paddles, buttons, switches and levers that separate today’s bloated items from their pared-back, analogue predecessors.

The door cards are in fine fettle, as is the headlining.

So, too, are the red carpets and mats.

The red-carpeted boot is in similarly good order and contains a full-sized spare wheel.

The black trim around the dashboard and centre console is also remarkably good and we can’t find any flaws of damage of note anywhere.

The controls, instruments and dials seem to be beyond reproach and, even though we didn’t flick every switch or press every button, those we did flick and press responded faithfully. 

The A/C appears to blow reasonably cold.

The electric bonnet, boot and fuel cap buttons are not currently responding to electrical commands but all do as they’re told when asked to do so manually.

The boot lid may be opened by use of a strap by the nearside rear seat.

The bonnet is opened by straps under the dashboard on the left and right- hand sides.

The engine bay is filled to capacity with Ferrari’s 4.8-litre V12 quad-cam masterpiece.

Everything appears to be in its right and proper place and the whole bay and its contents look clean, dry and orderly. 

Even the under-bonnet sound insulation padding is intact and still doing a good job (but not too good – this is an engine you’ll want to hear).

As an aside, it seemed to us that the exhaust might be developing a bit of a blow – but that could just be our imagination.

The undersides of the car look to have a great deal of structural integrity and we’ve seen nothing whatsoever to make us frown, shake our heads or otherwise begin to doubt the car’s honesty or character. 

Clearly, you will want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusions.

The car comes with its original Ferrari handbook and all the documents and invoices provided by the previous owner when it was purchased in September 2000.

In addition to regular fluids, filters and plus services carried out by his trusted local garage, the vendor has had the car given two (2017 and 2024) major services and overhauls by Nick Cartwright Specialist Cars Limited in Tansley, Matlock, at a total costing of almost £16,000. 

Among much other work carried out, particular attention was paid to brake calipers and discs; front and rear brake pipes; wheel bearings; steering rack and joints; and distributor stripping and reassembly. 

Beyond that, the radiator was checked, the fuel accumulators replaced, the exhaust system reworked, and all suspension bushes and articulated joints were addressed.

This car has been in single, diligent, documented ownership for 25 years, and it has plenty of good history before then.

It has been used and enjoyed, but with a level of respect that’s evident in the low mileage and its all-round dynamic and mechanical condition.

In 1992 the car had covered 41,975 miles.

Today, that figure has advanced to a paltry 67,516 miles.

It is a few pretty minor jobs away from reclaiming its full former glory.

This 400i has an innate class (and rarity) about it that should help it ride the choppy waters of the classic car marketplace with more buoyancy than many others.

Better still, the successful bidder will have the satisfaction of knowing, beyond all reasonable doubt, that he or she will be forever regarded as a person of truly rarefied taste and discernment.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £20,000 - £25,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.