Enzo Ferrari probably would have continued building powerful front-engine road cars forever, but the fabulous new mid-engine Lamborghini Miura and Ford-engined Pantera shamed him into making the mid-engine 365 GT4 BB and similar 512 BB sports cars, which were built from 1974 to 1984.

Ferrari always felt that putting an engine in the middle of a car behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle was fine for racing cars -- but would be a layout that wasn't user-friendly for his road car customers. For one thing, handling was more predictable for average drivers with a front-engine car, especially in curves and on slippery roads.

The 12-cylinder 365 GT4 BB thus is technically the first mid-engine production road car with the Ferrari nameplate. Ferrari built a smaller 1967-74 mid-engine sports car, but it was named after his deceased son, Dino, and was never officially called a Ferrari -- much to the chagrin of Dino buyers.

Ferrari names always have stood for something. For instance, "GT" in the 365 GT4 BB's name stood for Grand Touring and each cylinder of the 365 GT4 BB had 365 cc of displacement. The engine also had four camshafts. The first "B" stood for Berlinetta, a prestigious name for sporting coupes, and the second "B" stood for Boxer, indicating that engine pistons moved toward and away from each other, like fighters sparring.

That arrangement allowed a low-placed, compact "flat" engine, such as the one in the old Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911s. When the 512 BB arrived, Ferrari gave it a simplified name, representing a Berlinetta Boxer model powered by a 5-liter engine with 12 cylinders. (The last ones had a "BBi" designation with the "i" standing for a fuel injection system, which replaced carburetors.)

The mighty 365 GT4 BB, which initially cost about $45,000, replaced the last great Ferrari front-engine V-12 model -- the 1968-74 365 GTB/4, nicknamed the "Daytona" after the famous Daytona race in Florida.

The two-seat 365 GT4 BB was introduced as a concept car at the 1971 Turin auto show in Italy. It took two years to reach production, in late 1974. By then it was universally known as the "Boxer." Ferrari said its 4.4-liter engine produced 380 horsepower, although 340 was a more realistic figure. Ferrari said the car could hit 181 mph.

The Boxer initially seemed as if it would be a good racing car, but it was heavy at about 3,500 pounds and putting its five-speed manual transmission under the engine raised the center of gravity too much at the rear of the car, adversely affecting track handling. However, the car was plenty agile on roads.

The new Ferrari also was exceptionally fast, especially for the 1970s and early 1980s. Road & Track magazine found while testing a Boxer in 1975 that it could reach 175 mph and was "the fastest road car we've ever tested." The German car magazine Auto, Motor und Sport said the Boxer did 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and 0-100 mph in 13.5 seconds.

Ferraris once were always European cars, first and foremost. Ferrari thus never built the Boxer for the American market because it didn't want to contend with an array of new U.S. noise, emission and safety standards that materialized in the early 1970s. Ferrari felt that "safety bumpers" would hurt the sleek, low-slung car's appearance and that emissions regulations would sap horsepower and hinder performance.

However, Boxers were so alluring that some were independently and illegally brought to America. Fortunately for them, "Coco" Chinetti Jr., son of the man who opened Ferrari's first U.S. dealership, found a new loophole in EPA/DOT certification rules in 1976 that let him "federalize" Boxers that their owners had been afraid to drive on roads for fear of the cars being deported by the government. It cost a lot to make the cars "legal," with such things as catalytic converters, steel beams to reinforce bumpers and side-impact bars in the doors. All that added about 100 pounds to the Boxer's weight but didn't affect performance much.

The 512 BB debuted in 1977 with the car's engine enlarged to 5 liters from 4.4 liters to compensate for Europe's increasingly tougher emissions and noise suppression standards. Only 387 365 GTB BBs had been built in three years, and something had to be done to keep up performance.

After all, the Boxer was Ferrari's flagship, and rivals such as Lamborghini were stealing sales. Horsepower fell to 340. That lowered the top speed, but engine torque was increased to make the car easier to drive at lower speeds.

Besides, few American Boxer owners could utilize the car's top speed, anyway.

The 512 seemed little different, but Ferrari made key improvements. The Boxer got better seats and air conditioning became standard, instead of optional. Larger rear wheel and tire sizes improved handling, and the change required widening the body by more than one inch. A small front spoiler was added for greater high-speed stability, and lower body ducts cooled the rear brakes. There now were four taillights, instead of six.

"The 512 emerged immediately as an even more sophisticated car, even easier to drive, even more appealing, even more impressive," wrote veteran auto writer Mel Nichols. In 1978, Road & Track found the Boxer could do 0-60 mph in just 5.5 seconds and said it was "the best all-round sports and GT car we've tested." It then cost $85,000, but 12-cylinder Ferraris never have been cheap.

The last major change to the Boxer came in 1981, when stricter European emissions standards called for the car's four impressive-looking Weber carburetors to be replaced by a fuel injection system. A total of 1,936 512 BB/BBis were built before the Boxer was replaced in 1985 by the spectacular 1985-91 mid-engine Testarossa model, which was the first Ferrari specifically designed with U.S. safety and emissions standards in mind.

Curiously, the Boxer long was overlooked by collectors, who favored the front-engine Daytona. But the Boxer's value has increased a lot in recent years. A good 1974-76 365 GT4 BB now is valued at $80,000, with one in excellent condition at $136,000. And a 1981-84 512 BB is worth $90,000 in good condition and $144,000 in excellent shape.

Sooner or later, overlooked exceptional cars are recognized for what they are.