1981 Ferrari 512 BB LM
Maximum power - 550 hp
The maximum speed - 350 km / h
Engine capacity - 5000 cc
Manufacturer Body - Bellancauto
This Boxer Berlinetta Le Mans was assembled initially as a rolling chassis under the supervision of Gaetano Florini at Ferrari's customer Assistenza Clienti division in Modena. It is one of the so-called third series of 16 512 BB/LM competition Berlinettas – several of which would never be raced but would instead sell direct into Ferrari collections around the world. Chassis '25229' now offered here, however, was very much a real race car, and in April, 1981, it was delivered brand-new to Fabrizio Violati's Scuderia Bellancauto workshops in Rome.
Specialist engineer Armando Palanca, assisted by Roberto Lippi and the Ferrari factory's renowned veteran chief mechanic Giulio Borsari, then embarked upon an intensive programme of development and individual modification to create the definitive Ferrari BBB512 – Berlinetta Boxer Bellancauto.
This much-modified car then made its racing debut in the hands of Fabrizio Violati himself, Maurizio Flammini and Spartaco Dini in the Monza 1,000Kms classic on April 26, 1981. Running under race number '15' the trio promptly won their class while finishing a fine sixth overall amongst the sports-prototype cars – engineer Palanca's modifications plainly having provided a very fast and driveable race car.
then ran the car in its first Le Mans 24-Hour race, sharing it on the Sarthe Circuit with co-drivers Maurizio Flammini and Duilio Truffo. The car bore race number '45' but sadly had to be withdrawn from the day-long grind due to transmission trouble.
Just two weeks later, on June 28, 1981, '35529' was out in battle yet again, contesting the Enna 6-Hours around Lake Pergusa on the island of Sicily. Fabrizio Violati and Duilio Truffo co-drive it, and again finished sixth overall. On September 10, 1982 – the car reappeared in the Mugello 1,000Kms for the Trofeo Banco Toscana, in which Fabrizio Violati and Duilio Truffo finished tenth overall.
During 1983 Fabrizio Violati then kept the car in reserve, until in the Spring of 1984 it was out again testing at Vallelunga under his Scuderia Bellancauto banner, then wearing Michelin tyres in place of its original Dunlops.
On May 6, 1984, Maurizio Micangeli, Marco Micangeli and 'Gero' (Cristiano del Balzo) shared the car in the Imola 1,000Kms – running under race number '27' However, engine failure halted their race after 91 laps – long enough for such a failure to hit hard as an extreme disappointment.
The Violati-run Scuderia Bellancauto's second Le Mans 24-Hour race outing with this ever-developing and extremely fast Boxer Berlinetta Bellancauto then followed on June 16. It was driven by Marco Micangeli, Roberto Marazzi and Dominique Lacaud – again numbered '27' – in the IMSA GTX class. It was then sidelined after six hours racing due to gearbox trouble.
On June 22, 1985, Fabrizio Violati ran the car spectacularly during the Ferrari Club Italia meeting in Alessandria, Italy, and it was subsequently inducted into the Collezione Maranello Rosso museum on extended display. Fabrizio Violati passed away on January 21, 2010 – aged 75 – and the car is now offered here fresh from the Collezione's most recent home – his tailor-made Museum at Falcione, near Rimini, Italy.
The maximum speed - 350 km / h
Engine capacity - 5000 cc
Manufacturer Body - Bellancauto
This Boxer Berlinetta Le Mans was assembled initially as a rolling chassis under the supervision of Gaetano Florini at Ferrari's customer Assistenza Clienti division in Modena. It is one of the so-called third series of 16 512 BB/LM competition Berlinettas – several of which would never be raced but would instead sell direct into Ferrari collections around the world. Chassis '25229' now offered here, however, was very much a real race car, and in April, 1981, it was delivered brand-new to Fabrizio Violati's Scuderia Bellancauto workshops in Rome.
Specialist engineer Armando Palanca, assisted by Roberto Lippi and the Ferrari factory's renowned veteran chief mechanic Giulio Borsari, then embarked upon an intensive programme of development and individual modification to create the definitive Ferrari BBB512 – Berlinetta Boxer Bellancauto.
This much-modified car then made its racing debut in the hands of Fabrizio Violati himself, Maurizio Flammini and Spartaco Dini in the Monza 1,000Kms classic on April 26, 1981. Running under race number '15' the trio promptly won their class while finishing a fine sixth overall amongst the sports-prototype cars – engineer Palanca's modifications plainly having provided a very fast and driveable race car.
then ran the car in its first Le Mans 24-Hour race, sharing it on the Sarthe Circuit with co-drivers Maurizio Flammini and Duilio Truffo. The car bore race number '45' but sadly had to be withdrawn from the day-long grind due to transmission trouble.
Just two weeks later, on June 28, 1981, '35529' was out in battle yet again, contesting the Enna 6-Hours around Lake Pergusa on the island of Sicily. Fabrizio Violati and Duilio Truffo co-drive it, and again finished sixth overall. On September 10, 1982 – the car reappeared in the Mugello 1,000Kms for the Trofeo Banco Toscana, in which Fabrizio Violati and Duilio Truffo finished tenth overall.
During 1983 Fabrizio Violati then kept the car in reserve, until in the Spring of 1984 it was out again testing at Vallelunga under his Scuderia Bellancauto banner, then wearing Michelin tyres in place of its original Dunlops.
On May 6, 1984, Maurizio Micangeli, Marco Micangeli and 'Gero' (Cristiano del Balzo) shared the car in the Imola 1,000Kms – running under race number '27' However, engine failure halted their race after 91 laps – long enough for such a failure to hit hard as an extreme disappointment.
The Violati-run Scuderia Bellancauto's second Le Mans 24-Hour race outing with this ever-developing and extremely fast Boxer Berlinetta Bellancauto then followed on June 16. It was driven by Marco Micangeli, Roberto Marazzi and Dominique Lacaud – again numbered '27' – in the IMSA GTX class. It was then sidelined after six hours racing due to gearbox trouble.
On June 22, 1985, Fabrizio Violati ran the car spectacularly during the Ferrari Club Italia meeting in Alessandria, Italy, and it was subsequently inducted into the Collezione Maranello Rosso museum on extended display. Fabrizio Violati passed away on January 21, 2010 – aged 75 – and the car is now offered here fresh from the Collezione's most recent home – his tailor-made Museum at Falcione, near Rimini, Italy.
