This gorgeous car is a 1982 Berlinetta Boxer. The 512 BB series appeared at sports car races in the eighties, usually as a private entrant, though this example was never subjected to such indignities, which would have involved stripping out the soft leather upholstery and sticking advertisements and other litter on the lovely bodywork. In lines, though, it certainly looks the part of a Le Mans entrant, and sounds it, too, with its V12 five litre engine. You would never believe, just to look at it, that the design is twenty years old.

The light alloy engine is mounted fore and aft at the rear, though the radiator is at the front behind the low grille and underneath the extractor vanes on the bonnet. The engine drives the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential through a five speed (plus reverse) gearbox and a dry twin-plate clutch.

For the morbidly curious, I am told that the exquisite independent suspension consists of transverse parallelograms with coil springs, front and rear. The brakes are ventilated discs with vacuum servo.

A Ferrari 512BBi is a car that you could enter in a race "straight out of the box", without changing the engine, gearbox, transmission, brakes and suspension. This cannot be said about many cars.

But if you're looking for a valuable car that will just continue to appreciate, something that'll take you to Modena and back in a few hours, something that you can credibly enter in a concours d'élégance by simply polishing it, something to drive to the golf or tennis club, which will establish your street cred. once and for all, this is the car for you. But make sure your tennis/golf gear is stored in the pro shop, because it doesn't look cool to fill the passenger seat with sports equipment!