Real Ferraris have V12 engines. Real Ferraris are red. Real Ferraris rarely make an appearance on Nice Price or Crack Pipe. That's because real Ferraris are rarely really affordable. For real.
In the Oscar® winning 1988 film Rain Man, Tom Cruise's character first learns about his "differently-abled" brother while heading to Palm Springs in his Ferrari 400i. An autistic savant, the Dustin Hoffman character was noteworthy for his amazing prowess with numbers. Yesterday a slim 51% of you demonstrated a similar skill in finding the T-top-bedecked Dodge Aspen appropriately crack piperific. Today, you'll have an easier time judging the value of an Italian stallion- a 400i- but you'd better hurry up, it's only three minutes to Wapner.
The 400 supplanted the 365 GTC/4, eventually grew fuel injection in place of its Webers, sprouting an "i", and was later bumped in nomenclature to 412i. They were intended as 4-seat GTs, providing a more civilized demeanor to the contemporary two-seat Daytonas and Berlinetta Boxers. This car has the power-robbing GM THM400 3-speed behind its 4823cc quad-cam V12; the 5-speed manual being rarer than hen's teeth in these already rare cars. Despite that concession to American torpidity, the paint is appropriately red, and the interior is swathed in several dead cows, providing a fittingly luxurious environment. It has been certified for the US and possesses the crisp, clean Pinninfarina styling that was popular when it was new. And it costs $23,995.
That's right, this is a running V12 Ferrari for under twenty five grand. And it's not on fire, currently under water, nor does purchase require you to wire your bank account number to an exiled Nigerian Prince. Now, the 400 was never one of the prettiest of the prancing horses, nor at 3980 lbs was it the most lithe and sporting, but it did exemplify the grand touring tradition, and, at only 425 built, is covet-ably rare. And they're only asking $23,995.
The seller (a consignment shop for a private party) claims recent mechanical and cosmetic work, and, other than a broken defroster switch, that everything is functional. All for $23,995.
So, it's Ferrari Friday, and an apparent enigma– a car that is of a price you might expect to come on much more plebeian machinery. Is that $23,995 a nice price for this Maranello boulevarder? Or do you think, for that price, the seller is smoking the Crack Pipe, and will demand you dress up in a white suit and count cards for him in Vegas? Did we mention it is $23,995?
You decide!
San Francisco Craigslist or go here if the ad disappears.
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