Lot details Registration No: R898RRD Chassis No: ZFFZR49C000112526 Mot Expiry: May 2010
Ferrari's 550 Maranello was introduced as a replacement for the F512 M in 1996 and found much acclaim during its five years of production. It featured a 484bhp front-mounted naturally-aspirated 5.5 litre V12 engine driving the rear wheels through a transaxle - the six-speed manual gearbox being located at the rear for optimum weight distribution. Suspension was by double wishbone, coil springs and anti-roll bars all-round and the braking by ventilated discs front and rear. The Pininfarina designed all-alloy body was mounted on a tubular steel chassis. A pukka GT car out of the Daytona mould, it offered speeds of up to 200 mph coupled with the ability to accelerate from 0-60mph in just 4.3 seconds - the sort of performance figures that wouldn't have disgraced an F1 car once upon a time. With a luxurious and roomy interior and a boot that accommodated at least a set of overnight bags (or a full set of golf clubs), this was the perfect car for dashing through Europe - Monte Carlo one weekend, Rome the next. It was replaced in 2001 by the 575M Maranello. Though not intended for use in motorsport, the 550 Maranello was nevertheless adopted for racing by a number of privateer teams, to good effect. 2003 was arguably the year of best results, with Prodrive winning the GTS class in the Le Mans 24-hour race and finishing second in the GTS class of the American Le Mans Series, and Scuderia Italia winning the FIA GT championship.
The manual RHD car offered is finished in Ferrari Nero black. The interior is trimmed in cream hide with contrasting black carpets, all of which is said to be in "excellent" condition. The engine and transmission are also said to be in "fine" order. The 18,000 miles displayed on the odometer is thought to be genuine and is apparently supported by the full service history, various service bills, previous MOT certificates and tax discs, tools etc that come with the car. The records show the Ferrari to have had just four private and one dealer owner from new. Not only are Maranellos revered for their breathtaking performance, but also their reliability - as proved by a team of British journalists who drove one for 3,000 miles over the tarmac, snow and dirt tracks of South America and reported only a broken temperature sensor on the catalytic converter. Owning a Maranello is therefore not as expensive a proposition as some may fear; nor is buying one at today's attractive prices.
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