Rare Ferrari 400 Automatic Barn Find Emerges After Almost 30 Years

A rare Ferrari that has spent almost three decades off the road is heading to auction later this month, offering enthusiasts the chance to acquire an unusually specified example of the Italian manufacturer’s elegant V12 grand tourer.

The 1979 Ferrari 400 Automatic, finished in its original Gold Poly Metallic paintwork, has been in the same ownership for 32 years and was last driven during the mid-1990s.

Now emerging from long-term storage, the right-hand-drive Ferrari is being offered without reserve by Historics Auctioneers at its Brooklands Velocity sale on 28 November 2026.

With just 33,752 miles recorded and an estimate of £14,000–£22,000, it is an intriguing prospect. But there’s considerably more to this particular Ferrari than its guide price.

An Unusual Ferrari With an Interesting Past

The Ferrari 400 belongs to a fascinating chapter in the company’s history.

Introduced in 1976 as a development of the 365 GT4 2+2, the 400 retained the elegant, angular Pininfarina styling of its predecessor while gaining a larger 4.8-litre V12 engine.

It was a Ferrari designed for a rather different purpose from the company’s more overtly sporting models. With four seats, a spacious cabin and understated styling, the 400 was intended to cover long distances at considerable speed and in considerable comfort.

Perhaps most significantly, the 400 Automatic became Ferrari’s first series-production model offered with an automatic gearbox.

Using a three-speed General Motors transmission, it appealed to buyers who wanted Ferrari’s twelve-cylinder performance without the demands of a traditional manual gearbox.

Today, the 400 remains one of the more understated Ferraris of its era. It doesn’t possess the instantly recognisable shape of a Berlinetta Boxer or the glamour associated with a Daytona, but its distinctive character has earned it a following of its own.

And this particular example is anything but ordinary.

One of Just Four in Gold Poly Metallic?

According to Historics Auctioneers, chassis number 27129 is one of just 123 right-hand-drive Ferrari 400 examples supplied new to the UK.

Even more unusually, the auction house believes it is one of only four ordered in Gold Poly Metallic.

The colour is certainly distinctive, particularly when combined with the car’s original interior specification.

Factory records accompanying the Ferrari show that it was ordered by Maranello Concessionaires for Ritchies of Glasgow, with brown hide upholstery featuring beige stripes and dark brown Bruciato carpets.

It’s a combination that feels unmistakably of its period.

Rather than the bright red paintwork and black leather that many people instinctively associate with Ferrari, this was a more discreet, luxurious specification, well suited to a grand tourer intended for comfortable long-distance travel.

Importantly, the car is still presented in its original colour, and the leather interior appears to have survived its lengthy period of storage remarkably well.

32 Years With One Owner

The Ferrari’s ownership history is another interesting aspect of the story.

Its current keeper, described by Historics as an enthusiast and former privateer racing driver, acquired the car in the early 1990s and has retained it for 32 years.

It formed part of a collection of interesting classic cars, but by the mid-1990s the Ferrari had been taken off the road.

It has remained out of use for the best part of three decades.

That’s an extraordinary length of time for any car to spend standing, particularly one carrying a Ferrari badge.

There were seven former keepers before the present owner’s lengthy tenure, although Historics notes that the removal of a private registration number has resulted in an additional keeper being recorded during the replacement V5 application process.

The car’s substantial history file should provide an interesting insight into its earlier life.

Alongside copies of the original factory build records and specification sheet are maintenance and service invoices from Maranello Concessionaires and JCT600, correspondence from previous owners, historic sales invoices and period literature.

Two Ferrari 400 manuals are also included.

For a car that has spent so many years out of circulation, that accompanying paperwork is a particularly welcome part of the package.

A Ferrari That Will Need Bringing Back to Life

Although the Ferrari has recently emerged from storage, it is not being presented as a running, road-ready classic.

Historics makes clear that restoration and recommissioning will be required before it can return to use.

There are, however, some encouraging details.

The auction house reports that the V12 engine turns freely and that the electrical systems showed signs of life during an initial inspection.

The original leather seats also appear to have survived well, despite the car’s lengthy period out of use.

That doesn’t establish the condition of the engine, gearbox or other mechanical components, of course. A Ferrari that has stood for almost 30 years will require careful assessment, and recommissioning a complex twelve-cylinder grand tourer is not something to undertake lightly.

Fuel systems, brakes, cooling components, suspension and the many other consequences of prolonged storage will all need consideration.

But the attraction of a car like this is not simply that it carries a Ferrari badge.

It’s the prospect of bringing an unusual, historically interesting example back into use while preserving as much of its original character as possible.

The surviving interior, original colour scheme and extensive documentation could all become important parts of that process.

No Reserve at Brooklands

Historics Auctioneers will offer the Ferrari at its Brooklands Velocity sale, held at Mercedes-Benz World on Saturday 28 November 2026.

The estimate is £14,000–£22,000, but the car is being offered without reserve.

That distinction is important. The estimate provides an indication of the auction house’s expectations, but there is no minimum reserve price preventing the Ferrari from selling to the highest bidder.

Naturally, the eventual purchase price will be only part of the financial commitment for whoever takes it on.

Restoring and maintaining a Ferrari 400 can be a substantial undertaking, and prospective bidders will need to consider the car’s condition carefully.

Nevertheless, the combination of an unusual factory specification, matching chassis and engine numbers, low recorded mileage and long-term ownership makes this an interesting opportunity.

And it will be fascinating to discover how much enthusiasm there is for a largely original Ferrari 400 Automatic that hasn’t been driven for nearly three decades.

Historics Has Seen Barn Find Ferrari Success Before

This isn’t the first long-stored Ferrari to attract attention at Historics.

Earlier in 2026, a barn find 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT sold for an impressive £274,560 at the auction house’s Summer Serenade sale, comfortably exceeding its £140,000–£180,000 estimate.

We covered that remarkable result in our earlier article, Barn Find Ferrari Dino Sells for £274,560 at Historics Auctioneers.

Of course, a Dino 246 GT and a Ferrari 400 Automatic occupy very different parts of the classic Ferrari market, and their values are not directly comparable.

But both demonstrate the enduring fascination of cars that have spent decades hidden away, particularly when their history and original specification have survived.

What Will Happen to This Ferrari?

There’s something especially appealing about discovering a car that has been quietly preserved for so many years.

This Ferrari 400 Automatic was once an expensive, sophisticated grand tourer, ordered in an unusual colour combination and supplied through Ferrari’s official UK network.

For almost three decades, it has been absent from the road.

Now, after 32 years with its current keeper, it is preparing to begin another chapter.

Will its next owner undertake a sympathetic restoration, preserving the character of its surviving original features? Or will it receive a comprehensive rebuild intended to return it to showroom condition?

Either way, it would be wonderful to see this unusual Ferrari back on the road.

The car will be offered at Historics Auctioneers’ Brooklands Velocity sale at Mercedes-Benz World on 28 November 2026.

View the photographs, full catalogue description and auction details on the official Historics Ferrari 400 Automatic listing.

What would you do with it? Preserve as much of its original character as possible, or restore it completely?

Photographs courtesy of Historics Auctioneers / MPH Communications, supplied for editorial use.