This is a 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi “Koenig,” it was modified in-period by the legendary German tuner and vehicle modifier Willy Koenig and his team in Germany.
It’s estimated that only 25 to 30 of these were made in period, each had a slew of mods including engine upgrades and significant changes to the Pininfarina-designed bodywork. Power was said to have increased from around 340 bhp up to 450 bhp – a remarkable figure for the time.
Fast Facts: The Ferrari 512 BBi Koenig
- This 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi “Koenig” was modified by Willy Koenig’s tuning firm, Koenig Specials GmbH, during the 1980s. Only about 25 to 30 examples were built, each receiving extensive upgrades to both powertrain and bodywork. Output rose from the standard 340 bhp to roughly 450 bhp, giving the car serious supercar chops for its era.
- Koenig’s modifications transformed the Berlinetta Boxer into a dramatically more aggressive car. The company upgraded pistons and camshafts, installed a freer-flowing exhaust, and fitted wide bodywork with flared arches and spoilers. These changes reportedly added around 50% to the original purchase price, while the styling changes were perfectly suited to the high-performance excesses of the 1980s tuning culture.
- The example shown here was first delivered to Auto Becker GmbH in Germany before being exported to the United States. It passed through several owners, including a New York stockbroker and restaurateur Gerardo Lombardi, before being purchased from Gullwing Motorcars in 2015 and imported to the UK. It remains one of only five known Koenig 512 BBis in the country, and the sole example finished in Rosso Corsa.
- Now showing just over 24,000 miles, the car has been stored in a heated garage for a decade and will need recommissioning before use. The engine turns freely, the electrics still operate, and its paint retains good gloss. Inside, the black leather interior and period Nakamichi stereo remain intact, showing light wear consistent with its age.
History Speedrun: The Koenig Specials
Koenig Specials GmbH was founded by eccentric millionaire and successful racing driver Willy König (typically anglicized to “Willy Koenig”) in 1977 to formally sell kits and parts that Koenig had been developing and selling since 1974.
Here we see Willy König (right) with his son Walter (left), in front of three of their creations. Image courtesy of Koenig Specials GmbH.
The cars built by Willy and his team were extreme, to say the least, so extreme that former friend Enzo Ferrari demanded that any Ferrari modified by Koenig have its badges removed or face legal action – as the company no longer considered it to be a Ferrari.
Love them or hate them, Willy and his team at Koenig had a significant influence on the global car tuning and modification scene. The company sold wide body kits, suspension systems, performance engine parts and they offered fully-built cars.
One of the company’s most famous creations was an extensively modified Ferrari Testarossa with an avant garde body kit and a significantly modified twin-turbo engine capable of 1,000+ bhp. They also built a Porsche 911 Turbo with up to 550 bhp and a top speed not far off 200 mph.
A slew of wild cars rolled out of the Koenig facilities during the 1970s and 1980s, today they’re considered quite collectible but only to a specific kind of collector – one who cares more for the car’s unusual nature than their lost originality.
Interestingly, Koenig Specials GmbH is still in operation to this day, though they no longer build custom cars in-house.
The Ferrari 512 BBi Koenig Shown Here
Delivered new to Auto Becker GmbH in Germany in 1983, this Ferrari 512 BBi Koenig is one of only an estimated 25 to 30 Koenig-tuned examples built across all iterations of Ferrari’s legendary Berlinetta Boxer.
Delivered new to Auto Becker GmbH in Germany in 1983, this Ferrari 512 BBi Koenig is one of only an estimated 25 to 30 Koenig-tuned examples built across all iterations of Ferrari’s legendary Berlinetta Boxer.
The series of modifications were developed by Willy Koenig’s performance company, Koenig Specials GmbH and the car is now a great example of one of the most extreme period modifications available for a Ferrari. Koenig, a former racing driver who won the 1962 German Mountain Championship in a 250 GT SWB, built a reputation for completely rebuilding Maranello’s flagship models into faster and far more visually aggressive machines.
Unlike many of the styling-only conversions of the era, the Koenig 512 BBi was a comprehensive engineering package combined with a series of styling upgrades. The mechanical modifications included new pistons, camshafts, and a new exhaust system that increased output from the standard 340 bhp to a claimed 450 bhp, pushing the mid-engined twelve-cylinder Ferrari deep into the higher-end of supercar territory at the time.
These engine upgrades reportedly added around 50% to the original purchase price of the car, and Koenig’s signature bodywork – with its widened bodywork courtesy of flared wheel arches – gave the car a look that was controversial but undeniably a product of its time. The example shown here is said to be the only Koenig 512 BBi finished in Rosso Corsa among five known cars in the UK.
The car’s early life was spent in Germany before being exported to the United States, where its first known owner was a New York stockbroker with a collection of ten Ferraris. It was later owned by restaurateur Gerardo Lombardi of Long Island, who maintained it with the help of a personal mechanic.
The current owner bought the car from Gullwing Motorcars in 2015 and imported it to the United Kingdom, where Ferrari technician John Greatorex inspected and approved it upon arrival.
Now showing just over 24,000 miles, the 512 BBi has been stored for a decade in a heated garage and will require full recommissioning before returning to the road. Its engine still turns freely, and all electrical systems, including the pop-up headlights, remain functional.
The bodywork shows some minor cosmetic wear, while the Rosso Corsa paint retains good shine and depth. The Gotti split-rim wheels remain in fine order, though the tyres are past serviceable age and will need replacing before any driving is undertaken.
The mechanical modifications included new pistons, camshafts, and a new exhaust system that increased output from the standard 340 bhp to a claimed 450 bhp, pushing the mid-engined twelve-cylinder Ferrari deep into the higher end supercar territory.
Inside you’ll find the original black leather Daytona-style seats, Veglia Borletti gauges, and a period Nakamichi cassette deck. Wear is visible on the driver’s seat and some trim sections, but overall presentation remains authentic and unrestored.
The car is now being offered for sale out of the United Kingdom via Bonhams Online and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bonhams
Articles that Ben Branch 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.
