Don’t mind the awful pictures when you check out this rare 1987 Ferrari 412. The assortment of 2+2s offered by Ferrari and other Italian sports car manufacturers haven’t proven to be the most sought-after collectibles, but they’re coming around as collectors realize there aren’t many good ones left. This example is a non-runner that’s been part of a private collection for years and was ordered new by NBA basketball great Moses Malone. If you’re like me and followed the sport at the time guys like Moses were big, it’s more than a little surprising that such a bruiser under the basket had such refined tastes. Find the Ferrari here on eBay with an asking price of $65,000 and the option to submit a best offer.
I’ve personally always liked the four-seater Ferraris, as they still maintained the coupe-like proportions of a classic two-seater while obviously providing accommodations for two additional passengers. The backseat wasn’t even a total penalty box, so your passengers likely wouldn’t complain about a drive taking longer the 30 minutes. That being said, the likes of Jeremy Clarkson rarely had anything nice to say about Ferrari models like this and the Mondial, which could be perceived as emerging from somewhat of a low point in the company’s history, as every manufacturer was grappling with the demand for greater fuel efficiency and less consumption. To this day, you’re more likely to see a random 308 or 328 than you are a 412, which is a large part of the reason why I like it so much.
Plus, it’s still a classic Ferrari underneath. The lipstick red leather leaves no doubt you’re in a vintage Italian sports car, and if you find one of these with the five-speed manual, you have an extremely rare Ferrari model that won’t cost you deep into the six figures to own. The maintenance costs are still just as high as any other Ferrari, but the initial buy-in is at least lower. The subject car’s mileage is quite low at just 32,839, which is seemingly par for the course when it comes to celebrity owners. The seller reports it retains its original paint and interior materials, and that the Ferrari also still features the high-end Alpine sound system and integrated radar detection that Moses Malone specified before taking delivery. It also comes with the OEM wool floor mats and all books and records.
Again, pictures are not the greatest, and you can see it’s clearly stuffed into the seller’s garage among other vehicles. I get that it doesn’t run and you don’t want to push it out into the daylight only to have to push it in again later, but for a car like this, I think it’d be worth the seller’s time to stage it correctly. Regardless, the Ferrari appears to be in excellent cosmetic condition with the seller noting some minor cosmetic flaws. The connection to a professional basketball player doesn’t add much value here, despite the seller spending much of the description reciting key statistics from Moses Malone’s career. Regardless, for a Ferrari collector or anyone looking for a vintage exotic 2+2, cars like these come up infrequently, so it’s likely worth a closer look even with the subpar presentation.
Fo-fo-fo…
I wonder how he got it into the US. These were not imported by Ferrari.
“Grey market” imports were a thriving thing back then, before NHTSA imposed the 25-year rule in 1998, and over 10 years before that, private imports didn’t even need to be “Federalized” to meet US safety/emissions regs.
I should have been more clear. I was wondering how he ordered a gray-market car. OEMs didn’t work directly with gray-market importers, at least not knowingly.
I suppose he could have ordered it himself through a European dealer, taken delivery in Europe, then worked with a gray-market importer to bring it in to the US, but if Ferrari caught wind of that, it would be his last new Ferrari.
65,000 for a non-running v-12 Ferrari? A cheap Ferrari could be the most expensive car you ever bought.
I like Ferrari’s. They have also pictures of the Ferrari truck and pick-up, but I like the pick-up and 412 better.
65k will get you a nice gated 6speed 456 or real close to it, in my opinion, a much nicer car.
65k will almost get you a nice gated 6sp 456, which in my opinion is a much nicer car.
There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap Ferrari!!
It is difficult to believe anyone who ¨slamdunk dat baskitbaaaaawl¨ had refined tastes. Now, Jeremy Clarkson – that is whole different story.
Moses Malone: King among men
Jewemy Clahkson: moronic grey toothed English halfwit.
Appears to be at least $25-30K high for a mystery non-runner with an automatic. Too bad, as it is a nice car. If it was a convertible I would consider making an offer.
Being Moses Malone’s former car should add at least two dollars to the sale.
I’ve been advising wealthy clients for many years. When I have a client who is quite tall, or who has unusually long legs, and they like sports cars, I often suggest a 4 passenger Ferrari or other larger Italian cars because there is additional room behind the front seat, and new seat brackets can extend the seat backwards, creating the much-needed legroom.
This trick also works for cheap people and cheap cars; I have a friend who has a 1970s Fiat 600. He’s almost 6′ 9″ tall, and after moving the seat tracks back a few inches, he now folds right up and fits in this tiny car.
Read the story just find out who Moses Malone is
Yea Chrisopher G the description talks about Malone and not much about the car, lousy pics also. Almost like he doesnt really want to sell. Non runner as pointed out. Good luck.
Cheers
GPC
I can see Moses in this car.
Basketball players have great taste.
Look at Wilt Chamberlain, he drove a Ghia 450 SS…
I could possibly afford to purchase a Ferrari but I would never have enough money to maintain it. Guess I’ll stick with my Pininfarina Azzurra.
As usual with high end imports, the cost and availability of new parts is a deal killer for me.