Azzurro Metallizzato: The Ferrari 512 BB that really stands out

1979 Ferrari 512 BB by Paris Van Gorder
Aug 20, 2024

Photography Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Everyone has heard of Ferrari red, but how about Azzurro Metallizzato? This 1979 Ferrari 512 BB is one of six originally delivered to the UK finished in this uncommon color.

This Ferrari, first restored in 2005 and then again in 2018, has had a total of 11 owners. Among them was the official U.K. dealer of Ferraris in the 1960s, Maranello Concessionaires. Despite these restorations, the vehicle’s engine and gearbox weren’t replaced, earning this Ferrari earned a Ferrari Classiche Certification in 2015.

The certification process confirmed that Azzurro Metallizzato was the original color of the car and it was painted red at some point in its life. When confirmed, restorers stripped the car to bare metal and brought it back to its original hue.

If you wish to know every little bit of information about this car, you can: A history file that extensively chronicles the last 20 years of work is included.

If you’re ready to be the talk of the Ferrari community, this Ferrari 512 BB is available from RM Sotheby’s with an asking price of £230,000 or approximately $298,540.

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Comments

sfisher71 New Reader
8/21/24 3:41 p.m.

"I know how to spell Azzzzurrro metalllllizzattto, I just don't know when to stop."

It is, however, the bext Ferrari color.

14 years and 5 days ago, I bought this car. Kept it for a few years, until I understood why my longtime friend, from whom I purchased it, regularly used the phrase, "I've enjoyed about as much of this as I can stand."

You know the old saying in racing that it's one thing to catch the car in front of you, but another thing altogether to pass it?

There's a similar axiom for vintage Ferraris, about the distinction between being able to afford to buy it and being able to afford to keep it up. A friend in the FCA calls this "the Ferrari tax."

Ah well. We'll always have Maranello.

Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/22/24 10:20 a.m.

In reply to sfisher71 :

I'm glad you could enjoy it for a little while at least–not many people get the chance to own a Ferrari, let alone drive one.

The Ferrari Tax is definitely real, and I'd put it up there with the Bentley/Rolls-Royce Tax.

I've always thought something like a Bentley Turbo R would be cool to have since they are relatively inexpensive, but I know well enough that while the cost of entry is low, the cost of maintenance is not.

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