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By

A.J. Baime

Feb. 6, 2018 9:17 a.m. ET



1 COMMENTS

Katie Weinberger,

39, owner, with her husband,

Kurt,

of King Bean Coffee Roasters in North Charleston, S.C., on her family’s 1986 Ferrari 412, as told to A.J. Baime.

For years at our business, my husband and I have worked with Italian machinery—a 60-kilo Petroncini coffee roaster, and espresso machines made by La Marzocco, Rancilio and Nuova Simonelli. There is something about the quality and the look of these machines that we have always loved. About two years ago, they inspired an idea for our family: to hunt for a Ferrari, the most famous of all Italian machines.

We decided on a 412 because it is so beautifully understated, it would be affordable, as far as Ferraris go, and it has back seats, so our family could fit in it. [According to Hagerty, an insurer of classic cars, a 1986 Ferrari 412 in “excellent” condition would be worth approximately $41,600.] The only problem was, how would we find one? Only 576 of these cars were made.

Photos: A Ferrari With Your Espresso?

A South Carolina family in the coffee business shows off its rare 1986 Ferrari 412 sports car

 
 
Kurt, Katie, and Kyle Weinberger with their 1986 Ferrari 412. The family took ownership of the car on July 4, 2017.
Peter Frank Edwards for The Wall Street Journal
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It was a big investment, and Kurt took his time hunting for the right car. He went to Connecticut to look at one, then to Arizona, where he found the car pictured here. He was entranced by the red interior, and the car had only 25,000 miles.

I will never forget the day it arrived in an 18-wheeler. It was July 4 of last year, and I had my son and husband wear American-flag T-shirts. The truck was too big to turn into our street, so we had to walk out of our neighborhood to watch as the car came rolling out. My son,

Kyle,

7, is mechanically minded like his father, and I will never forget the look on his face when he saw this car for the first time. We all piled in and drove it back to our house.

The 412 is a dream to drive, and the leather seats are as comfortable as any I have ever sat in. While the car is understated for a Ferrari, it has a big, 4.9-liter Ferrari V-12 engine. It is loud and smooth, and people are attracted to it because they cannot figure out what it is. It does not fit the flashy image of what people think a Ferrari is supposed to be.

To us, it is in a way like a finely tuned Italian espresso machine—beautiful to look at, and beautiful to use.

Contact A.J. Baime at Facebook.com/ajbaime.

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