This is a rare Ferrari 512 BB/LM flat-12 engine that was developed based on the production BB 512 engine but highly-modified for endurance competition. In full race trim the 4.9 liter engine is good for 470 bhp at 7,250 rpm.
Just 25 examples of the Ferrari 512 BB/LM were ever made over two series, with the later series 2 cars featuring completely revised bodywork and more powerful engines thanks to the fitment of Lucas mechanical fuel injection.
The second series of the Ferrari 512 BB LM looks almost completely different to the road car it’s based on, with an all new body designed at Pininfarina.
The Ferrari 512 BB/LM made its first appearance in 1978 as a modified version of the production 512 Berlinetta Boxer. These early examples were made in limited numbers, just three were made in total, and they kept much of the original car’s bodywork in place.
Ferrari would never campaign the 512 BB/LM themselves, instead it was raced by privateer teams like Ecurie Francorchamps, NART, Pozzi, Bellancauto, and a small number of others. Early versions suffered mechanical reliability issues, and so a second series of cars was developed to address these problems, and to improve aerodynamics while reducing overall weight.
The second series of the Ferrari 512 BB/LM featured all new bodywork styled by Pininfarina that was 41cm longer and 15cm wider. The curb weight varied between versions, but hovered around the 1,050 kg (2,300 lb) mark. The chassis was much lighter than the production car and the new body was largely made from lightweight fiberglass.
The all-alloy flat-12 featured double overhead cams per bank, two valves per cylinder, a compression ratio of 10.3:1, a dry sump, a single spark plug per cylinder, and a total displacement of 4,943cc or 4.9 liters.
The best result achieved by the Ferrari 512 BB/LM was a 1st in class at the 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans (5th overall), it would also achieve a 6th overall at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 10th overall earlier at the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The surviving examples of the 512 BB/LM are popular both with collectors and with racers who campaign them at vintage motorsport events worldwide.
The engine you see here is one of the series two engines with the Lucas mechanical fuel injection system. The engine number is F102LM 032 and it’s accompanied by a flight case with caster wheels to make transportation relatively straightforward.
These engines are extremely rare and as a result, this one is expected to sell for between $315,000 – $370,000 USD.
The new owner will most likely be a 512 BB/LM owner who wants a spare engine, or a non-numbers-matching engine to use while racing to preserve the original. There is also a chance that it’ll be bought by someone who wants to display it as-is, or by someone who wants to do something a little offbeat with it, like install it into a Miata.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here. It’s due to cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s at their Paris auction in early February with a price estimate of €300,000 – €350,000 or approximately $315,000 – $370,000 USD.
Images: Keno Zache ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
