All about cars

Bitters are neat cars and are not so rare that if you really wanted one you couldn’t trip over a decent example. The drivelines are said to be bulletproof, but body panels and glass are hewn from raw unobtanium. The old axiom of buying the best one you can afford is particularly true here. Bitters are handsome, almost attractive, but not in an 80s-coke-dealer sort of way. Indeed, I don’t remember ever seeing one on Miami Vice.

Since we were ostensibly chatting about old BMWs, the comment was made the Bitter resembled a 1976-1989 E24 6-Series in concept – grand tourer, German road manners, fat inline-six, 2+2 seating – if not actual execution. Then someone mentioned a point that caused, and continues to cause, a resonance in my automotive reptilian brain.

The Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2, 400, 400i, and 412 were produced between 1972 and 1989. Their V12 engines grew over time from 4.4 to 4.9 litres. Weber carburetors gave way to Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection in 1979. Instead of the classic chrome-gated five-speed manual, you could specify a GM-sourced three-speed autotragic gearbox, but why would you? Interiors were business-like, though well-appointed with lots of yummy Italian leather and a full complement of Veglia-Borletti gauges. You could even put four people in a 400-series car if you really had to.

Were they pretty? Well, a 400i is certainly more attractive than the 365 GTC/4 that preceded it. Ergonomics? Hey, most of the switchgear are labeled, at least in the later cars. Build quality? Construction and repair considerations? Rust-proofing? These are hand-built Italian cars.

Hand-built Italian cars with thumping V12s up front, manual transmissions in the middle, and drive wheels out back, right where God and Enzo intended. That’s all you need to know, right?

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