F355 Market

If by “new ones” you are referring Speedline re-introductions in aluminum, those were never $9k. They were priced same as the magnesium ones. I purchased a brand new set of Speedline mag wheels directly from Speedline UK for roughly $4500 12 years ago.

 

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/new-speedlines-available.544657/#post-145203533


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This thread is now 10%/90%

10% F355 Market
90% F355 General Discussion Catch-All

 

My bad. I thought I was discussing 355 Challenge car prices . Gentleman who wrote the article said he was 240,000 euros ($260k) all in to make his challenge car correct.

I’d love to see someone actually pay higher than that for a car with a bunch of missing challenge parts replaced with new after-market parts.

 

I didn't reach out to speedline UK but a US based reseller, maybe they were marking them up a ton (not surprised). In any case, I have originals. I would have bought the speedline re-pros if I could have gotten them for the same price tbh.

As it relates to value of the car, I think provenance is more important for a race car, originality for a street car. On a street car, originality only as far as it relates to the original spec, not necessarily original parts as they're almost impossible to trace (minus engine/trans) unless you take the car apart and look for chalk marks.

 

Doesn’t look like a static display to me.

 

Yes, the current discussion would have a better home in the Challenge/GT Cars/Track section. It's an F355 Market discussion but for a small sector of the market.

 

Key point made here! I feel safer on the track now with my omp ARS-R seats.

 

I'd pay more for Barry's car (355 challenge mule and lots of period race history in track ready condition) as it sits than a perfect condition original car that never raced. But that's just me.

 

The article I linked (2024) as it relates to the 355 Challenge shows a buyer was willing to spend $260k to restore a 355 to it’s original looks (not referring to hidden mechanical components like HE bearings) and didn’t mention a word in regards to provenance in his quest.


Can you provide a sample of a 355 challenge trading higher solely on provenance?


Provenance is historically important for race cars as they were driven by professional race car drivers.

 

That’s because Barry still has original parts stored away or most of it or still on his car.

Write a bigger check for one with missing parts and provenance and maybe we can add that as a data point. Or would that still be considered an outlier?

 

https://www.wearecurated.com/inventory/1995-ferrari-f355-challenge

This 355 Challenge very likely sold for $300k or higher. It hardly raced and when it did it was at the back of the pack. I was contacted by a serious buyer looking to trade in one of his cars for it. All he cared for was condition and completeness.

This car didn’t move off the showroom lot until they acquired all the missing challenge parts stored by the original seller in Italy.


I am providing real data points.

 

To clear my point, I’m not saying provenance won’t matter in future markets for these cars. They may or may not. But as of current, I am not seeing provenance as a factor ahead of condition and completeness in buyer checklists.

 

Pete and Ken, I try to avoid thoughts of selling my car. I'm having too much fun with it on the track and have made improvements to help it perform better. Original parts, like the brake calipers, are serviced regularly.

Yes, the car served as a "test bed" in the 1995 North American Ferrari Challenge Series where it was the only F355 Challenge that competed. The Challenge Silencer and Challenge Grill were developed as a result.

When I decide to sell, all the original parts will go with it. The buyer can do with it as he pleases but I hope he or she will maintain and track the car to keep it in the healthy state it enjoys now.

Provenance? Well, maybe my car has a bit of that. Peter Sachs, who originally raced the car in 1995 and 1996, was delighted to know that the car is being properly maintained and tracked. He graciously signed the original steering wheel for me...


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It's been replaced by this one in which I drilled a hole for the push-to-talk switch...


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…or higher.

 

Another point I should add. There’s not a whole lotta 355 challenge cars with provenance to begin with. If buyers were holding out for a car with provenance, none would trade hands .

Your car could certainly prove my points wrong, but until someone with a challenge car with provenance throws it out in the market, the best buyers can hope for at this stage is condition and completeness.

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-ferrari-f355-challenge-2/


This one looks race ready…

 

They're all outliers tbh. But yeah, no meaningful race history means it's not worth as much. The Earle, Sachs or Papadapolous cars would be an interesting comparison.

 

Sure, the useful life of a harness and seat may extend beyond what the FIA certifies, but as a sanctioning body, the FIA’s primary job is to ensure driver safety and protect themselves from liability. Could a well-maintained harness or seat last more than five years? Almost certainly. But after 30 years? That’s doubtful. I highly doubt anyone has stored their old seats in a climate-controlled, dark room since new anyway. It's simply not worth using outdated equipment just because it looks correct—but most originality freaks aren’t likely to track these cars in the first place. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's the graph from the white paper you linked showing the degradation of CFRP in their study. Although I'm not inclined to give weight to a study conducted by a random structural engineering lab in Texas and funded by Qassim University of Saudi Arabia.

It's just not worth chancing your safety on track for the sake of having period correct, pretty equipment. If you're actually going to use the car, replace the safety equipment. Testing the limits of 30yr old safety equipment is downright stupid. If you're just going to rip it around the block once in while and display it at concours, that's a different story.

 

I did mention I would advise swapping a race seat in if someone was planning to get serious with the car. For street driving or occasional session, I highly doubt it’s the end of the world.

Seats might not be in a temp controlled room but more often than not they’re in a car, which could be even better.


F40’s are damn near approaching 40 years old and the entire car is carbon. I haven’t seen one disintegrate sitting there looking pretty.

 

Earle car sat on the market for a few years unsold for $125-140k asking price if I recall correctly.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/earle-lay-355-challenge-for-sale.590951/

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/95-ferrari-355-challenge-s-n-104504-ex-earle.632494/



Papadapolous car was offered to me for $60k 15 years ago.





Hilfilger car was a fairly recent transaction north of $250k. Not much provenance but very clean and complete.


Why didn’t the BaT Challenge get bid up? It’s race ready.



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I personally value as-raced provenance more than the as-spec equipment. But the Challenge market seems to favor otherwise. Complete cars sell for more $. Perhaps after all, we are not talking Le Mans or some high level pro series.

 

Don’t know who this person is, but owners don’t usually chase Classiche unless the car was clean or somewhat in the process of being complete.

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I'm often on the track with its sister car...


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I tend to lend little credibility to randoms on BaT especially