Iconic Ferrari found sitting in US garage since 1985 is all the more surprising given it never used to be sold in North America
- A 1981 Ferrari 512 BB US barn find was discovered in the US
- It hadn’t been run or driven for almost 40 years
- One crucial detail made it even more desirable
Published on Nov 20, 2024 at 3:48 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A 1981 Ferrari 512 BB barn find was discovered in the USA after sitting untouched for almost 40 years.
Luckily for those who found it, it had minimal wear and only surface rust, an entirely intact interior, and original engine components.
With a mere 1,500 miles amassed during its four years on the road – it still had all its paperwork and federalization parts.
Getting their hands on it required some serious negotiations – as there was one factor making the car more coveted than most models.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The Ferrari barn find
Peter of the Legendary Motorcar YouTube channel, discovered the super-low mileage that has been sitting untouched for decades.
As barn finds go – this car was in near-pristine condition.
Despite not being maintained or serviced while in situ, the barn find showed minimal wear, with an intact interior, original engine components, sound suspension, and only minor surface rust despite decades of inactivity.
While once a death sentence for cars, even significant rust damage as this abandoned 1961 Chevy Impala experienced can now be remedied.
Back to the Ferrari, and the 1981 car had not been run or driven for almost 40 years – unlike this Chevy Bel Air that is claimed to have been garaged for 40 years but left experts with suspicions.
Also taking its lack of modifications into account – with the original spare and undercoating intact – the last-generation carbureted Ferrari holds significant collectible value.
What makes it even more collectible is the fact that its iconic Ferrari was originally not sold in North America before being federalized – making a car from this era in the US extremely rare.
The deal
With all these positives, Pete had to negotiate a ‘fair shake’ with the car’s owner to seal the deal.
The seller initially sought over $400,000, to which the buyer countered with a hassle-free and immediate payment of $350,000 including arranging shipping and handling himself.
His reason? Despite its excellent condition, it would still need a $15,000 service after sitting idle for the best part of four decades.
They managed to shake on it.
Turns out it was a good deal after all, with smooth performance via its flat-12 engine plus it was previously said to be ‘
Turns out it was a good deal after all, with smooth performance via its flat-12 engine plus it was previously said to be the ‘most expensive barn find’ detailers had ever found.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
