Current European 550 values ?

That 169K€ Spanish car was offered to me at 150K as soon as I enquired about it, and a sub-30K km Spanish car that was up at 150K€ a few weeks ago was actually available for under 125K€ - and in the flesh turned out to be considerably less pristine than claimed.

It is becoming clear to me that many of the dealers and sellers of these cars (I've now examined 12 in 6 European countries over the last 2 months) do not have one CLUE about vehicle engineering and are blinded by the mixture of Bling and Preening that - I am discovering - go hand-in-hand with anything to do with th "F" milieu.

The idea that a buyer might want to actually look underneath a car when examining it is almost seen as an affront, and the majority of cars I've enquired about seem to be being peddled in the hope of un-locking a 40 or 50K€ "profit" - few owners actually need to sell, but are flocking to try a punt on what they perceive to be a quick up-swing in values.

Except there are over 150 cars for sale in Europe right now ............. and close examination of the adverts show constant if serruptitous week-on-week adjustments of -5K here, -10K there.

With apologies to the various others authors who have shared their wisdom about car-selection, and whose work I've pinched, FWIIW here's an amended version that has been honed during my experiences of the last few weeks.

F550 Check-List

Seller : Colour : / Year : Kms :


Roll-Bar Wing Shields Seat Piping / Stitching

Leather Headlining 250GT Quilted Leather Racing Seats

Fiorano Handling Pack Brake Caliper Colour Dash/Wheel Colours

Space Saver Wheel Fire Extinguisher Luggage Sets


1) Car sold as a Private Sale, Commission basis, or sold with a Garage Invoice ?

2) If sold with an Invoice, what Warranty is provided ?

3) All Keys present ? How many alarm fobs, how many Keys ? Are keys original Ferrari ?

4) All Books, Tools, detailed history, full Service Records (not just stamps in the book) covering what periods exactly ?

5) Your assessment of exterior condition out of 10 with 10 being "new"?
What flaws if any? Any chips, dings, scratches?

6) Is the paintwork the original paint, or has the car been repainted at some point ?

7) Has the car ever been repaired following an accident ?

8) Are the front-wing fixings undisturbed and original, does it appear (from the door-hinge areas) that the wings have ever been removed for some reason ?

9) Are the lower windscreen-wiper arms of the correct shape and not showing any sign of flexing, or touching the scuttle ?

10) Your assessment of interior condition out of 10 with 10 being "new"?
What flaws if any? Any tears, marks, scuffing, carpets good? What condition is the driver's side seat-bolster in.

11) What conditions are the seats in ? Condition of the Driver's side bolster ?

12) Any Shrinkage on the dash, air-bag cover etc, steering wheel finish undamaged ?

13) Switchgear surfaces sticky or tarnsihed, have they been re-treated, and in what way ?

14) Has the car had non-original sound-systems / speakers fitted at any time ?

15) Condition of glass ? Any tinted windows present ?

16) Condition Door and Window seals ?

17) Car driven by smokers to your knowledge?

18) Electrics all ok? Does everything work.

19) Any CEL (Check Engine Light) lights on - has it been on an OBD reader recently ?

20) Weak Engine hoses - centre plenum especially - has upgrade to 575 hoses been done?

21) Engine mountings are weak - has the upgrade to 575 mounts been done ?

22) Reverse synchro can be weak - any sychro issues into reverse gear ? Pre-1998 models have mainshaft lock-nut issues, giving 3rd-gear selection problems ? Been addressed ?

23) When were the timing belts last changed, have the tensioners ever been replaced ?

24) Fuel Tank seals fail - any petrol smell around fuel tank area or outside/inside car?

25) Shock absorbers are fragile - have these ever been replaced or serviced?

26) Low clearance can damage radiator plug - any damage under front area, plug ok?

27) Are all the original under-body trays present, and what condition are they in ? Have they been cut-about to enable servicing access or are they all intact ?

28) How would you describe the general condition of the componentry and fixings underneath the car, does it appear to have been exposed to salt and are there any sign of corrosion ? Are the track-rod ends rusty ?

29) What condition are the brake discs and pads in ?

30) Is the car's exhaust original or has it been modified ?

31) Has the car got the original magnesium wheels (solid spoke seen from inside) subject of the recall, or the replacement aluminium ones (hollow spoke seen from inside) ? What condition are the rims in, and are there any scuff-marks on the inside faces ?

32) Are the galvanised bumper-support brackets (visible to either side of the radiator) in standard and unmarked condition and position ? Photos of the hex-bolt yellow paint marks ?

33) Is the car set up for RHD or LHD headlamp-dipping ?

34) Does the car have the two EU-spec stamped body-plates on the front traverse, plus the third headlamp-plate, or are these missing in favour of signage from another market ? (ie Japan)

 

I think the sellers who are in for a real cold shower are those offering 70.000km and over cars at 100.000€ ................

Over 50% of the 550 adverts on mobile.de ? Gebrauchtwagen und Neuwagen ? Deutschlands größter Fahrzeugmarkt date from 2016, some even go back to 2015.

The advert date remains visible even after the price has been modified, as you only start afresh if you wipe it out and start again, which is what many of the sellers in the - apparently - more recent adverts have done, as there are many cars up there at the moment that were on offer before Christmas at least.

 

Yes, I enjoyed Vueling's 85€ flight that enabled me to see a Zurich car one afternoon and another the next morning after breakfast in Barcelona !

A 20.000km car with interesting colours at 110K€ is the right price for me at the moment and I have found a couple of unadvertised ones to sniff around.

On the subject of the WSR cars, and FWIIW, a Belgium dealer (with several 550's in stock) told me that they should be between double and triple the stock models - well he would say that wouldn't he since he owns one himself - and prior to the sale of the RMS Paris car he thought the 230 - 250K€ estimate was going to be too low.

2000 Ferrari 550 Maranello WSR | Paris 2017 | RM Sotheby's

In fact the car didn't make the price.

Surprisingly, perhaps, this one then fetched 178K£, even though the report suggests it was a bit tatty.

https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/ferrari-550-maranello-world-speed-record

Bodywork:
The car presents its self in honest condition, not immaculate but presentable. There are a few areas of corrosion/ oxidisation to be found on the car, along the sill panels and wing edges mainly. There is a dent in the bonnet and a crack on the front bumper. The panel gaps are satisfactory and I noted no signs of previous structural repair. The mesh grilles have lost their black paint over the years.

Interior:
The car retains its original carbon fibre seats and half cage. Largely the interior is quite tidy but there is some wear to be observed on the driver’s seat. The carpets are original and good and an aftermarket stereo has been installed along with additional speakers. The air bag panel is just slightly starting to bubble as they often do and various switches are turning sticky which again is a common finding and a relatively simple fix. The steering wheel is worn and would benefit from re-trimming.

At the time of my inspection all electrical functions operated as intended aside from the A/C which did not blow ice cold. Further investigation is required and it may simply need re-gassing. The parking lights turn them self’s on when the lights are turned on or off and they stop the rear lights working unless you manually turn the park lights off.

Engine:
The engine fires up with ease and idles smoothly. Displayed oil pressure is good at all temperatures. The car runs at ideal temperature and pulls strongly throughout the rev range. The car has just received a cam-belt and tensioner change and an oil service at our workshop. The main tank to sump oil pipe has a cracked collar and this will require a new pipe. This is a common occurrence due to the weak metal Ferrari used and the pipe was not leaking at the time of inspection.

Clutch and gearbox:
The 6 speed manual gearbox is a joy to use, all gears are easily engaged at all temperatures and speeds and no untoward noises could be heard during my road test. The clutch is light in its action and has a nice biting point.

Suspension:
The car handled well during my road test and tracked nice and true. The wheels have just been balanced and the car now rides with no vibrations. The suspension components are beginning to show surface corrosion and should be protected from further corroding. The car has numerous errors logged on the suspension ECU including 3 out of 4 suspension actuators and an accelerometer. The customer requested that the system be disconnected. The car is therefore set in one setting and the active suspension is inoperable until issues are remedied.

Brakes:
The car stops confidently with no juddering or squealing. The pads have plenty of material remaining and the discs are in generally good order but did show minor corrosion on the inner faces most probably due to a lack of use. The flexible brake lines appeared to be original and it would be a wise safety precaution to replace these if the car is to be used as intended.

Under body:
The front under pan has previously been damaged or modified and sections have been removed to make oil changes and servicing easier. We have secured the tray as best as possible working with what is there. Ideally the car needs a new front under tray.

The rest of the under body is original and I detected no signs of previous repair. The car arrived at our workshop with a reasonably large oil leak which was due to a loose oil pipe, naturally this has been addressed and the excess oil cleaned up as best as possible.

Wheels and tyres:
The wheels are in good order, one of them has some curb damage (Minor) the bolts and centre caps are good and the tyres have ample life remaining.

Summary:
This is a usable example of a very rare car. The car is very presentable and could be very special with further investment.

ends.

Whilst US values are a bit abstract for us, given the 10% Duty and the 20% VAT, it will be interesting to see what this goes for in the US at the weekend.

1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello

 

I just asked to see the report, it was mentioned on the auction site beforehand and they immediately emailed me a copy.
It was apparently carried out by Keys Motorsort, Silverstone.

 

Thanks for the tip, yes, very tempting.

 

This may be a record for A Gap Of Absence ............... nearly 8 years ?

The 21.000km car I didn't buy 8 years ago is still available, never advertised, and has hardly been used since I drove it.

I'm aware that non-use is a bad thing, however it's been in a warm dry garage ; but it can't now safely be run as it obviously needs recommissioning.

My question is : what is a ball-park dealership €€€ figure for the work that is potentially necessary ?

Belts, leaks, hoses, tyres, air-con, battery, maybe sticky switches, flabby air-bag cover etc etc ?

Is it 5K€, 10K€, or 15K€ ? More ?

This is a daft question, as nobody knows what's involved ; BUT it's a valid one for haggling the price.

I've 40+ years of professional experience in belt and bevel Ducatis so would expect to do the work myself.

 

Thanks for all these insights, Andrew, could you perhaps elaborate a little as to what needed doing and why ?

Alternators should be indifferent to storage, shouldn’t they ? Brakes, would that be stuck pistons ? Air con, is it likely to require more than a purge and reload of the liquid ? Belts, and age, I get. Dash, sagging air-bag ?

And what was the rough split labor vs ingredients, any memory of that ?

Many thanks.

My mates think I’m mad to anywhere near one, but when there’s so much BS talked about Ducatis, that don’t frighten me, can a 550 be any different - aside from having six times as many cylinders ? They were both conceived by Italian arts students, right ?

Hydraulic lifters instead of desmodromics is a big selling point for me ;-)))