We have Luca Cordero di Montezemolo to thank for the existence of the Ferrari 550 Maranello, arguably among the most beautiful and best-driving modern-era Prancing Horses of them all. You see, in 1996, after 23 years of mid-engined twelve-cylinder flagship Ferraris, he quite rightly pointed out that a front-engined Gran Turismo – built in the same vein as the marque’s greatest 1960s berlinettas such as the 250 and the ‘Daytona’ – would prove more practical for customers looking to actually use their cars. And he was absolutely right.

Pininfarina’s Lorenzo Ramaciotti was employed to style the new car. Ferrari encouraged the history-steeped design studio to channel its greatest models of yesteryear. The prominent 250 GT SWB-like bonnet scoop, 275 GTB-inspired gills aft of the front wheels and 365 GTB/4-esque rear end were certainly not implemented by accident. Needless to say, the leather-festooned cabin was similarly sumptuous and well-equipped.

As exquisite as the Ferrari 550 Maranello is to look at, it is – amazingly – even better to drive. The taught, dynamic and genuinely exploitable handling defies the size and weight of the car. The open-gate gearbox is every bit as good to operate as you’d imagine. And the 480bhp 5.5-litre V12 is nothing short of a masterpiece, delivering unctuous, unwavering power and torque right through the rev range. Naturally, it sings a very sweet song, too.

The fabulous Ferrari 550 Maranello presented here, chassis number 114818, was delivered new on 15 March 1999 to Jean-Pierre David of the longstanding Swiss jewellers David & Sohn AG.

Clearly a gentleman of distinguished taste, David was one of only 17 Ferrari customers in 1998 to specify their new 550 Maranellos in Blu Tour de France. This example is complemented by a Crema interior with contrasting blue carpet and dashboard. The proverbial cherries on the cake are the blue stitching and piping on the seats, transmission tunnel and parcel-shelf straps.

While David enjoyed driving his Ferrari, he was clearly very meticulous about taking good care of it, as evidenced by the fact he never actually removed the factory protective film from the chrome gear knob (it’s still intact to this day!). Chassis 114818 underwent its procedural 10,000km service with the Swiss Ferrari dealer Sportgarage Fritz Leirer AG on 3 July 2000.

In June of 2015, this 550 Maranello was imported to the United Kingdom and registered with the number ‘T367 EAG’. At this point the mileage was noted as 18,500km. Later that year, the car was acquired by a prominent collector based in the UK, who counts multiple Le Mans winners and a Ferrari 250 GTO as his own.

Said collector used this Ferrari sparingly over the course of his five-year ownership, crucially employing the renowned marque specialist DK Engineering to maintain the car. DK carried out a major service with cam-belts in July of 2017  and, the following year, replaced the brake fluid and refinished all the soft-touch points in the cabin, which famously for this era of Ferrari, became sticky over time. The latter work alone totalled over £9.400.

Chassis number 114818 came into our custody in the summer of 2020. Since then, we have sent the car to H.R. Owen for an annual service and the replacement of the cambelts, tensioners and brake fluid. A minor oil leak on the cam covers was also resolved at this time, and the air-conditioning was serviced. In the summer of 2022, we enjoyed the virtues of this excellent Gran Turismo on the Heveningham Tour in Suffolk. The mileage currently reads as 23,653km.

Today, this 550 Maranello is in excellent condition – a testament to the love and care of its short list of owners. The exterior is blemish-free and the freshly polished paintwork boasts a deep shine. The cabin shows the usual signs of wear on the driver’s side seat bolsters, though the refinished touch points lend a pleasing feel of factory-freshness. From a driving perspective, chassis 114818 exhibits all the credentials of the 550 Maranello about which automotive journalists waxed lyrical back in the day.

The car is also accompanied by its set of original factory manuals, warranty and service booklets, and complete tool kit. In addition, there is a wealth of corresponding invoices and a copy of Prancing Horse magazine in which this Ferrari features.

Price Upon Application