The 550 maranello is the greatest car ever.

Well sir I will have to agree with you there are so many people out there who don't drive them and that to me does that make sense...
Somebody just bought a 1999 550 and I think it had something like 18,000 miles that's so sad
The more you drive these cars the better big run and I'm speaking from experience with 94,000 miles!
I wonder how many of those low mileage cars drive in 110° with the air conditioner on and not have it overheat I do it all the time.
Cheers enjoy your beautiful car

 

575M manual is equal to or IMO, the better car

 

I don't think there can be a single greatest car ever, purely because of needs and physics, but for me it's certainly a car I HAVE to own in my perfect garage. It just blends in so well. In Grigio Titanio, Nero or any of the dark blues, it's so anonymous to those that don't know. It's got a great sized boot, so can easily go on a cross continental trip. I love the manual gearbox. The engine is fantastic. The headunit is easily upgradable to something that still looks good but you can connect your phone to and hey, presto...spotify and you're in the 21st century immediately. Sort out the exhaust, add some modern brakes and tyres and it really isn't very slow, either. And those looks...

So certainly, in it's category (GT), for me it's the best ever.

My ''all boxes ticked" garage:

550 Maranello (GT-Daily)
360 CS manual (Sports)
Carrera GT (Super)
Ram TRX (People/toy/junk hauler)
250 SWB Comp by GTO Engineering (Classic)

 

I just bought my 550 with 24k miles.
The previous owner put 700 miles on it in 4 years.

I did 100 miles yesterday in 100 degree weather in S Florida. (Windows down)

 

Congrats ! Color ? Pics ?

MDS

 

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Mine did its monthly ~130 mile shakedown today. If anything I would suggest anyone to drive their 550 at least 50 miles on each drive as this is how much mine seems to need before it feels fully awake.

My 550 is the most balanced car I have ever driven and I could see myself using for just about anything. Some German manufacturers should take notes on how to design such an easy going high performance car without it ending up feeling as exciting as a dishwasher.

 

I agree……everything is all warmed up properly by then.

 

LOVE your GTC, Chas! is it a 330 or 365? My first Ferrari was #10581, a 330GTC with a typ 245 (4.4 liter) engine that made it the first 365GTC, which Enzo Ferrari had ordered built for his friend, Leopoldo Pirelli, CEO of Pirelli SpA.

 

330
That’s pretty cool, do you still have it?

 

nope.....sold her in 2010 at David Gooding's Pebble Beach Auction. Proceeds of the sale financed my acquisition of Pontiac Fiero GT, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac STS-V, Maserati Spyder, Ferrari 412 automatic, Ferrari 412 manual, and 575M Maranello

 

Good work!!

 

P.S. I had personal correspondence with Leopoldo Pirelli who remembered the car, including the fact that he had ordered the 330GTC with the 365engine; somewhere I'm sure I still have letter

 

I loved mine. Biggest negative was the seats.


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I'm selling the 412 Automatic and the 575M Maranello ! Want to buy?

 

should anyone wonder why - I've reached the august age of 92 and a gentlemen of this vintage has no reason to be driving automobiles capable of - respectively 250km/hr (155mph) and 325km/hr (202mph) - just sayin'

 

Man - good for you!!! A great long life well lived and enough sense to know your limits. Have to respect that!

 

just saw again my comment about blue Ferraris; looking at the list of my cars, their colors were respectively: black, blue, silver, blue, blue, blue & blue

 

Had no idea of your age; not that I think about your age often but I see you post quite often. Awesome to see someone with your life experience still appear fresh as a daisy!

 

Mmmm just seeing that 550 Silhoette does give me the feeling the OP is indeed correct, greatest car ever!

I've said it before but I'll say it again; my best friends dad had one from new in the 90's. I'll never forget my first and last ride in it. I've lusted after one since I was 8! Buy and I would never sell...pry it from my cold, dead hands they'll have to!

Here's some pics of the car in question. It had the factory sport exhaust (tubi). I loved that deep bass when it started up early in the morning! I lived opposite them so just heard it every morning which cheered me up plenty...For me the 550 love story has only ever grown larger and larger...

His best friend lived next door and had the sister car; identical spec except it was sitting ever so slightly higher due to his driveway being steeper and didn't have the sports exhaust, and license plate was different by 39 to 40. The sister car has now been resprayed to Verde Silverstone...
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I have owned two Ferraris. The 550 was the first, and I loved it to bits. There is no other front-engined V12 that I would have wanted that I could actually afford:

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but as far as the "greatest" goes, this undoubtedly eclipsed it, notwithstanding a significant power deficit:

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and, in fairness, there is a number of others - by no means all Ferraris - that could legitimately claim the title "greatest".

 

Since we're talking opinions here - for me the 550 has currently a special significance in Ferrari history (the return to the front engine V12, the last with no option for robotised gearbox) and as such it has become a real classic (that's one reason I bought one again). Still, of the Ferrari I owned or still own (400iGT, 348tb, testarossa, 550, 575, 599, 488), for me the "greater" would be the 599.

 

I love the seats in a Daytona, a real Daytona. A Maranello, not so much.