Ferrari 550 Maranello

Have you ever experienced a proper Ferrari? The magical brand from Maranello, which is surrounded by stories and myths, not at least fed by the old mister Enzo Ferrari himself. It may sound strange, but that experience is still palpable. We all know it is the most famous car brand in the world and is highly regarded by every car enthusiast. Are there better cars? Yes, maybe. Are there more practical cars? Yes a lot. Are there nicer ones? Tastes differ, but Ferrari was not always happy in its choices, so there are also some mistakes. Are there cars more exciting cars? Right…that’s it. We highly doubt that. Why this is so, cannot really be described. Primarily it is a matter of feeling. The feeling that you can be part of the relatively few who can afford such a car. The feeling that you are directly connected to a piece of automotive history. The feeling of being strongly connected to your car and enjoying every rev the engine makes. The metal click of the gear lever, which would sound irritating in any other car, is now the symbol of a Ferrari with an wonderful shifting manual gearbox. And then we haven’t even mentioned the beautiful shape of the body. Various Italian design houses have had the honor of putting the first strokes of the pen of a legendary model and the list of designers is proudly led by Pininfarina to this day.

With this design house we also directly come to the Ferrari that has just arrived in our collection: the 550 Maranello. A Ferrari that can be listed as an ultimate GTs, because first of all, the car is very easy to drive and, despite its considerable size, feels very easy and manoeuvrable. Driving, especially if you’re lucky enough to have to drive longer distances, is such a joy, You really have to experience it to get an impression. The sound of the 5.5 liter V-12 is hardly to compare with engines of other brands. The power of the whopping 485 hp. can be called really sensational, but on the other hand never really rushes you. You can make a nice tour, very quietly and “smoothly”, with your loved one, but just as easily (imaginatively meant) show your son or daughter, and above all let them hear, what an acceleration of a 5.5 liter V-12 connected to a 6-speed manual transmission is. You have to educate such a descendant in the right way, don’t you think?

In any case, they can sit well during this ride, because the seating position can be called really good and even taller people quickly find the right position of the optional and perfectly fitting “Narrow racing seats”. The name suggests that they are uncomfortable and will be harsh, but that is not right. Because they immediately give the feeling of being connected with the car and offer the perfect support and driving position. And of course they look great because the light and extremely strong Kevlar is immediately visible on the back. The finest leather (beige 4208) completes the beautiful chairs. Leather can of course be found in abundance throughout the interior, and the finish and color combination is sublime.

This 550 was delivered in Germany on October 16th, 1998 and went to Sweden in 2001. The car stayed there until 2015 when it was imported to the Netherlands with a mileage of 55.509 km. Until recently, the car was part of a large collection of Italian classics and youngtimers. All in red. This 550 is also executed in the unique red, called Rosso Corso. The maintenance schedule fits seamlessly with the beautiful condition of the car and of course all maintenance booklets, supplemented with some invoices, are present. The interior is virtually indistinguishable from new. The sheet metal is super tight and the paint is neat considering the age and mileage of 58.886 km. In the spacious trunk are the well-known red custom made car cover and the original and unused tool set.

As a true enthusiast of serious sports cars, we are well aware that cars like this Ferrari 550 Maranello will probably never come back as normal production car. All the downsizing of the big engines has, and will lead even further (or should we say “suffer”…) to small engines that no longer make any noise, only want to move fast with the help of turbos, have hardly any torque and the real enthusiast won’t be excited anymore. Cars like this Ferrari 550 Maranello will therefore become even more desirable in the future than they already are. The price increase of this model in recent years proves this all. It is a car for the true enthusiast, who proudly opens his garage to take a well-deserved ride. He will remember every ride, because the 550 offers the best of both worlds: a comfortable travel and ultimate sports car performance. Perhaps the time has come for you to to enjoy a very serious car, and become the custodian of a piece of Italian heritage. Enzo would have been grateful. And of course we already are.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Engine: V-12
Engine displacement: 5474 cc.
Power: 485 bhp. at 7000 rpm.
Torque: 580 Nm. at 5000 rpm.
Topspeed: 320 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 4,4 sec.
Weight: 1765 kg.
Transmission: 6 speed manual