The 308 GTB Group IV, GTO Evoluzione, F40 LM and F333SP. The common denominator in these hallowed competition Ferraris? They were all built by Michelotto Automobili in Padova.

Given the calibre of the aforementioned Prancing Horses, it’s surprising that Michelotto is, in the grand scheme of things, a largely lesser-known entity. But for those who do understand the extent to which the outfit is woven into the fabric of Ferrari’s motorsport success, said mystery is all part of the magic.

In recent years, Michelotto has – in collaboration with the factory’s Corse Clienti department – exclusively built Ferrari’s eight-cylinder contenders in motorsport’s GT categories. And among the most successful was this: the F430 GT.

Sharper and sportier than the 360 Modena it replaced, the road-going F430 was the first V8 Ferrari to genuinely encompass the marque’s Formula 1-derived electronic technology. Suffice to say, it didn’t just look fast – thanks to the complex electronic differential, mannetino-controlled driving modes and aerodynamics honed in the Formula 1 team’s wind tunnel, the F430 really did move the performance game on in the supercar segment. 

Amusingly, to satisfy the regulations for international GT racing, the F430 GT’s V8 engine was actually slightly smaller than that found in the road car. But the competition version was subject to a crash diet, fitted with a six-speed sequential transmission and shod with sticky slick tyres. It was an entirely different beast, and a monstrously fast one at that.

Between the American Le Mans Series, the European Le Mans Series and the global FIA GT Championship, the F430 won a great number of accolades, most notably two FIA GT Manufacturers’ Cups, three FIA GT Drivers’ titles, a American Le Mans Series GT2 constructors’ championship and, perhaps most importantly, GT2 class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008 and 2009.

Michelotto built just 42 F430 GT/Cs. Assigned with a traditional factory Ferrari four-digit competition car number, chassis 2454 – the F430 GT offered here – is one of those cars.

This Ferrari F430 GT, chassis number 2454, was acquired by the Italian outfit GPC Sport ahead of the 2007 Le Mans Series. The fourth season of the Automobile Club l’Ouest’s fiercely competitive continental series comprised six 1,000-kilometre races: five in Europe and a special guest round in Brazil. And this F430 contested each and every round in the GT2 category, predominantly in the hands of the double GT World Champion Matteo Bobbi, Fabrizio de Simone and Alessandro Bonetti.

This F430 GT clinched GT2 class victory on its maiden outing in the 1000KM Monza, the opening round of the 2007 Le Mans Series

The trio got off to a tremendous start in the opening round at Monza, capitalising on a chaotic start to snatch the lead – a lead the number-97 Ferrari would not relinquish. GT2 class victory in round one set a positive tone for the coming year. Strong finishes including a further podium at Spa-Francorchamps meant GPC Sport finished third in the 2007 Le Mans Series Teams Championship, while drivers Fabrizio de Simone and Alessandro Bonetti clinched joint-fifth position in the Drivers’ standings.

Chassis number 2454 was granted a two-year hiatus from competition following its successful 2007 campaign, reemerging for the 2010 Italian GT Championship, in which it was prepared and run by Vittoria Competizione. It was another successful year – six podiums proved the Michelotto-built F430 GT was an enduring and fundamentally competitive sports-racing car. The encouraging domestic results in 2010 led Vittoria Competizione to concurrently contest the International GT Open and GT Sprint Championship the following year. Victories at Monza, Imola, Magny-Cours, Misano, Spa-Francorchamps and Catalunya once again demonstrated the competitiveness of the then four-year-old Ferrari. Winning on its final ever period outing? Now that’s going out on a high!

After a hard-fought season, GPC Sport finished an impressive third in the 2007 Le Mans Series Teams Championship

Vittoria Competizione retained this Ferrari for two years, before the car was acquired by its third and final custodian in 2013. It’s important to note that, at this time, Michelotto confirmed that chassis number 2454 had been upgraded to the latest ‘STEP-7’ specification and had its drivetrain comprehensively refreshed.

In the 12 years since, the car has lived a sheltered life in careful storage. Its remarkable condition today is a testament to the preparation and care bestowed on its by its mere three keepers. Most recently, in the summer of 2024, we sent chassis number 2454 to Pastorelli Classic Cars in Maranello to be inspected, serviced and started. Pastorelli confirmed that the engine and gearbox were both in ‘as-new’ condition, with zero miles. 

The explosion of interest in modern-era endurance racing cars has been perhaps the most marked shift in the collector-car market in the last five years. And this F430 GT is a fantastic car with which to capitalise on and join this burgeoning movement. Chassis 2454’s prominence in the international Le Mans Series, not to mention its success in the International GT Open and GT Sprint Championship, make it highly eligible for a raft of new and emerging events around the world.

In addition to the prospering Endurance Legends series’ from both Masters and Peter Auto (the latter of which, of course, includes the Le Mans Classic), taking place at circuits across the globe, Ferrari’s own Club Competizione GT, part of its highly exclusive Corse Clienti programme, is another arena in which the joys of this F430 GT could be enjoyed.

Furthermore, in recent years the Challenge & GT Days at the Red Bull Ring, which are held specifically for modern-era endurance-racing Ferraris and Maseratis, has proven to be a hit among owners, who enjoy the event’s private, relaxed and non-competitive nature.

A purebred and highly-original Michelotto-built Ferrari GT racer with successful competition pedigree at the highest level, this multiple race-winning F430 GT is a choice for the discerning collector and keen historic racer looking to join one of the most exciting and fast-growing movements in the historic motorsport world.

SOLD