This front-engined V12 2+2 grand tourer marked Ferrari’s return to a classic luxury coupe formula for the modern era. Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1992 and launched for the 1993 model year, it replaced the 412 and brought a much more aerodynamic, contemporary shape to Ferrari’s long-distance GT line. The car was designed to combine high-speed touring ability with genuine four-seat practicality, and it became one of the most important modern interpretations of Ferrari’s traditional grand touring brief.
The nameplate began with the manual GT, while the GTA automatic joined the range later, broadening its appeal to buyers who wanted more relaxed everyday usability without losing the character of a twelve-cylinder Ferrari. In 1996, the automatic GTA further emphasized the model’s dual role as both an enthusiast’s car and a refined continent-crossing grand tourer. The series is also notable for being the first modern Ferrari to return to a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with the gearbox mounted at the rear axle for better weight distribution.
Production of the original nameplate ran through 1998, after which Ferrari introduced the closely related 456M as an evolution of the same concept. As a result, the original model is best understood as a single, continuous production run rather than a revived or interrupted nameplate. It has since become a respected modern classic, valued for its understated styling, grand-touring comfort, and role in reestablishing Ferrari’s V12 2+2 tradition for a new generation.