The Ferrari 400i is part of an incredible line that commenced with the 365 GT4 in 1972 and remained in production for 16 years which is without precedent for a Ferrari.

The reason, surely, is Pininfarina's exquisite razor-edge four-seat bodywork.

From its earliest days Ferrari had made four-seat cars, but mostly in small numbers, however, the 365 GT4 was its first serious attempt to capture the high-speed luxury segment of the market and, from the start, it was a car which combined Ferrari dynamics with comfort, space, and four full seats.

The 400 GT was a larger-engined version of the 365 GT4 2+2 that it replaced, and the 4,823cc V12 power unit provided the new car with much-improved performance over its elder sister.

With the arrival of the 400 GTi in 1979, the two banks of three side draught Webers carburettors were replaced with the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system (and concurrently a single distributor mounted at the right rear of the engine, with a Dinoplex electronic ...