Some cars are destined to enter the hall of fame before their presentation. Like the Ferrari BB (Berlinetta Boxer), which not surprisingly was compared to another famous ‘B.B.’ for its charm and edgy image: the French diva Brigitte Bardot. However, the Ferrari BB is not just a wonderful grand tourer that fascinates at first sight.
There are numerous reasons of interest tied to this exceptional car from Maranello, extensively illustrated in this exclusive book, full of details and unpublished facts, particularly accurate also on a graphic level: large format, photographs mostly purposely shot, with nine cars available (of the three series envisaged), in addition to the “racing” versions. The BB was the first road-going Ferrari with a high-power 12-cylinder rear engine: it was a difficult transition for Maranello, as Piero Ferrari (in the preface), who was very young at the time and already integrated into the factory created by his father, and Leonardo Fioravanti, the man behind the Pininfarina style and responsible for development together with the Prancing Horse men, explain in the book. The BB is equally famous for the 180° V 12-cylinder engine, an unusual choice, conceived by Mauro Forghieri for the formidable F1 "312" engine. The great Modena engineer himself illustrates the evolution and the affinities between the two units, while the development of the prototypes is entrusted to the memories of two other key figures: the racing driver Arturo Merzario and the well-known "king of test drivers", Dario Benuzzi, with an almost 50-year career behind him driving Ferraris, including F1. Another observer of that period, the coachbuilder Franco Bacchelli, responsible for the development of the "Le Mans" racing version, is remembered through the 29 official cars built, together with the memories of the former racing driver Maurizio Flammini.
The book is characterised by accurate historical extracts, evocative photographs and meticulously researched engineering documentation.