Go big or go home.
Ferraris of old can be… fickle, to say the least. Their powertrains are often problematic, owing largely to their complexity, and parts often aren’t easy to find. Those problems don’t often extend to American-made V8s. At least, that’s what one man thought. So, he decided to tear Ferrari’s famous “Colombo” V12 engine from the bowels of his Ferrari 412 and replaced it with a Chevy small-block V8.
This 412, up for auction at Bonhams, isn’t solely defined by the V8 living under (and above) the hood. A massive list of changes had to be made to accommodate the car’s new vehicle classification: Ute. Utes are hugely popular in Australia, but we don’t see a lot of them Stateside. The result is some strange vintage mix between a Chevrolet Silverado and a Ferrari 812.
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
The car was built for the Ultimate Wheels TV show back in 2013, though the Chevy V8 had already found its home inside the Ferrari 412 before then. We should note the lack of a manual transmission. Instead, the car makes use of a 3-speed auto gearbox. Unfortunately, no power figures are provided, but the car’s active exhaust should help you forget about that. As we said, the build’s unconventional footprint required a lot of re-working. In fact, the rear roofline had to be totally redone to make the ute conversion work.
In doing so, the Ultimate Wheels hosts had to bring the C pillar so far forward it almost touches the B pillar. Note the tiny sliver of glass separating the door frame from the rear pillars.
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
As a result, the car’s back seats are now a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the rear tailgate is, well, not there. Any cargo you’d want to put in the back will have to be carefully lifted over the trademark Ferrari red paint. Thankfully, some other minor amenities make up for the lack of a tailgate.
The bed area is entirely covered in teak decking, and a shelf has been installed behind the Ferrari’s new rear window to accommodate smaller cargo. It’s unclear exactly what the luggage in the back is for, but we’re hoping it’s included in the sale. Cargo capacity isn’t exactly monstrous. Regardless, we doubt the new owner will care with a big V8 at the front.
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
The Market by Bonhams
