Is this a genuine limited edition of some sort and are there really only 8 worldwide? Two are currently for sale in the UK, one LHD one RHD. Verde Zeltweg over Beige is as good as it gets for me on the 550/575 so this is really of interest. I've Googled but can find little information about this "Edition" does anyone have more info? https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ferrari/550/ferrari-550-maranello/8909297 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FERRARI-550-Maranello-Anniversary-Edition/253743173859?hash=item3b144590e3:g:tNcAAOSwiOBZonfr
I trust the experts here, but I believe it was just a rarely requested color, therefore only a few made, but not a "limited edition". Regardless, I totally agree with you. It is a very elegant color, for a very elegant, future Ferrari classic. My favorite Ferrari model!
Exactly, in fact one is a 1999 the other is a 2001, so there could NOT have been two anniversaries, right . I think the 2001 looks great. It has a wonderful color interior, the quilted shelf, the Daytona seats and the Ferrari Modular Speedline optional wheels (later on called Barchetta wheels) that were available on the 550 as an option. I had the same wheels on my black 2000 550. I have the same wheels also on my current 575 M, and they look great. Both the 18 and 19 inches modulars are becoming hard to find, so they add value. Again, the car is also very pretty and elegant with the stock wheels too! From the photo, I can not tell if the shield on the 2001 is a real one or a sticker. I did not have the shields on my 550 and have them on my 575. Either way the car is beautiful with or without. I would go with the 2001 based on interior colors and specs. But of course you need to have the Pre Purchase Inspection done. Best of luck and keep us posted once you get it! Matthew Asinari
The Pistonheads listing with tan interior, Daytona seats with the green contrasting inserts, and the quilted shelf and headliner....be still my heart beautiful.
I'd be careful of that LHD one. Looks like it needs a lot of close inspection. Also the stickies need to be dealt with. Where was it before 2007 and what happened to it, do you want a car that hasn't been driven for 11 years but looks a bit tired nonetheless? If the price is right...
I wouldn't buy a LHD car so that's not really in the equation. I exchanged emails with the owner of the RHD car and he's a pleasant chap who's had some pretty serious Ferrari's over the years. We figured that the "Limited Edition" situation was probably as suggested above, only 8 ever ordered this colour and the story had been embellished over the years. He edited the advert to reflect this. I did find an image of this car when it was on sale at Rardley Motors. Back then it was on standard rims and I feel they fit the car better than the modular rims, which I'm not keen on (I do like the 575 modulars though I think the increased diameter gives them better proportions). http://www.rardleymotors.com/docs2/latest_news/EFuEVpFZyVivEnqQsm.shtml The second part of your comment raises an interesting questions and was something that ran through my mind last week. I'll expand. I was driving past Romans International in Banstead last week and noticed a Black 575 and Red 550 on their forecourt, neither advertised on their website or any of the usual sites. So I pulled in and went to have a look at the cars. The black 575 turned out to be this car:- https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/does-anyone-know-this-575m-for-sale-at-rardley-in-the-uk.573077/page-3 This had been for sale at Romans at £99,950, was sent to Ferrari Colchester (on sale or return) where it was advertised at £130K, Then dropping eventually back down to £98K. It didn't sell and was returned to Romans. They are now sick of the sight of it and thinking of trading it out (the salesman said the market was soft for all stock at the moment and this type of car really isn't their usual fayre), it's screen price was marked at £89K. I arranged a test drive later that day, thinking I might be able to pick this up for a sensible price as they'd be happy to see the back of it. On the way back for the test drive, I was called and the test drive cancelled. It took them two hours to get it started and when they eventually did the dash was lit up like a Christmas tree and more then one of the 12 cylinders wasn't happy. This was a week ago I've heard nothing since. This is a 2005 575M F1 FHP with 22,000 miles, Nero Daytona over Sabbia on 19" modular wheels. When I stopped and looked at the car earlier in the day you could see it had simply been neglected. I don't mean abused as the previous owner is a regular Romans customer who collects cars. He'd traded this in for something else they had. Which also means this is one of the few cars not on consignment but actually the property of the dealer selling. I digress. The tyres were heavily cracked and the overall feeling you got was the car had been parked in a garage, out of harms way, but left completely unused for an extended period of time (some years). Unused to a degree that I'm now wondering if the car would effectively need completely recommissioning to make it roadworthy. Lots of rubber bits and pieces and O rings and such were likely perished, just like the tyres. So to that end, is a used 40k or 50k mile car that's happy and running with good history actually a better proposition? I wonder.
These cars require regular and large amounts of cash spent on them to remain in tip top condition unless they are just garage queens. Have just been going through my cars history file and realised it has had around £23,000 spent on it since 2013!! Thankfully not all by me...
Yes, if you can find a car that has been regularly driven and serviced properly, that's the best bet. I don't think it needs to have up to 50k miles, even a 15k mile car can have been treated well.. My experience so far with Ferraris is they don't cost a fortune to run. I spend less than 3k GBP a year on average maintaining mine, and they are dealt with by good workshops which are not cheap and are told to fix what needs to be fixed.
