Description
The Ferrari BB Berlinetta Boxer Proto was the experimental prototype that paved the way for the Berlinetta Boxer series, a groundbreaking shift in Ferrari’s design and engineering philosophy during the early 1970s. Up until that point, Ferrari’s road-going V12 grand tourers had been predominantly front-engined, but the Prototype marked the company’s move toward mid-engined layouts for its flagship cars, inspired by its Formula One and sports racing machines.
The BB Proto was first shown in 1971 as a Pininfarina-designed concept, carrying the Berlinetta Boxer name to emphasize both its grand touring character and its radical new flat-12 engine. Unlike Ferrari’s earlier V12s, this new 4.4-litre 12-cylinder unit was arranged in a 180-degree flat configuration, sometimes called a “boxer,” though technically it was a flat engine with shared crankpins rather than a true opposing boxer. This configuration allowed for a lower center of gravity, improved weight distribution, and a much more aggressive silhouette.
Styling was entrusted to Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, who created a wedge-shaped design that reflected the era’s fascination with angular, futuristic lines. The car featured a long, low nose, pop-up headlights, and a cab-forward stance with a sharply cut Kamm-style tail. While some of the extreme details were toned down for production, many of the Prototype’s key design cues carried through into the eventual 365 GT4 BB and later 512 BB models.
The BB Proto represented Ferrari’s bold answer to Lamborghini’s Miura, which had stunned the world with its mid-engine layout. The Ferrari prototype proved that Maranello could build not just racing cars with engines behind the driver, but also refined, usable grand tourers in the same format. The car never went into production itself, but its influence shaped Ferrari’s entire Berlinetta Boxer lineage, which ran from the 365 GT4 BB in 1973 through the 512 BBi of the early 1980s.
Today, the Ferrari BB Berlinetta Boxer Proto is remembered as one of the most important concept cars in Ferrari history. It marked a definitive break from tradition, announcing Ferrari’s willingness to embrace radical new engineering while still retaining the elegance and performance expected of the brand’s top-tier GTs. Would you like me to also go into the differences between the Prototype and the eventual production 365 GT4 BB?