What model years were the F50's produced

1995-97

 

I believe your conflict may center around the production difference between the US models and the rest of the world.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the first models to role of the line were strictly for the US (50 allotted I believe...?) because of the upcoming OBD-2 requirements. Ferrari wanted to sneak them in before the new regulations would effectively outlaw the car.

So I'm going to infer that all US F50s are considered '95 production models because they had to be in order to meet requirements.

Someone (Carb, Mr. Sackey, etc., an expert) chime in and help me.

 

Correct. The last official production F50's left the line in mid 1998.

 

...And I thought production ran until '98...but wasn't for sure.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

My car is 341 and it was finished late may 1998.

 

But isn't it a "model year" 1997 or no?

 

FYI, it is pretty well known that there were more then 349 made too. Lot's of info on here about it.

 

Model year is an American invention. There is no actual difference in specification between the years. The only variation is US and Euro versions.

 

380 or so S/N's. There are people here who have more detailed info.

 

So is it registered as a '97 then? I know the model year thing can get a tad confusing. One of my cars was built in November '07, but is considered a '08.

 

You can't register any LHD cars under 30 years of age here, hence it isn't registered.
The whole "model year" is only an issue in the USA as far as I am aware.
The only thing that matters is the production date.

 

All of the US-spec F50s were built between September and December of 1995 - which would ordinarily make most of the them 1996 model years. But because of the aforementioned requirements, they were still '95s. There is, however, one post-production F50 that is a '96 model year US car.

This is correct. The 'model year' concept only exists in America and Canada (maybe the Middle East, too). In Europe or Australia, if a car is built on 31 December 2009, it's still a 2009 car. If Ferrari builds a car for the US in the fourth quarter of 2009, it is most likely a 2010 model year (note the most likely part; nothing Ferrari ever does is cut and dry).

Vic, is your F50 relegated to track use, or is there some special Show & Display clause in Australia that allows you to drive it on the street on special occasions?

Your 2008 car is a 2008 model year; but the build date (or date of production) is November, 2007.

 

who's Vic?

 

Based on his avatar and location (Melbourne), I assume 360C's name is Vic. Unless his avatar refers to Victoria, Australia, in which case, I feel like a dumb ass.

 

That avatar is a (very valuable) heritage numberplate from Victoria (hence VIC). 360C's name is not Vic

 

No one really touched on it, but the reason that all the original US F50s would have been 1995 model year cars is because the EPA which regulates many things here, including vehicle emission standards, was making a sweeping change to the requirements and configurations of vehicle's onboard diagnostics systems - changing from the OBD-I standard to OBD-II - for all vehicles intended to be sold in the USA in 1996 and later.

If Ferrari hadn't produced all the US cars as 1995s, then the later models would have needed significant changes to conform to that new standard.

The 1996 car you mention is intriguing to me NNO. I wouldn't think Ferrari would have done anything to make it conform to OBD-II, but I also don't understand how they snuck that one through. If you have the full VIN, does it really have a 'T' in the 8th to last position instead of an 'S'?

>8^)
ER

 

?? I didn't touch on it?

 

- sometimes I skim a little too fast for my own good. Sorry to have overlooked your comments there.

At least I managed to offer the secondary confirmation you were hoping for.

>8^)
ER

 

Well I stand corrected.

...and I feel like a dumb ass.

Eric, I don't have a picture of the VIN, I just have it as a 1996 US model F50. The full VIN can be ascertained on Red-Headed, but without a picture, I don't have concrete confirmation.

By the way, it was a pleasure to finally meet you last week. Are you doing the Nethercutt tour tomorrow?

 

Haha...all good. I do that quite often myself.

Yes, you did confirm. And thanks again.

 

Likewise on finally meeting you.

Not sure if you noticed, but I put a cropped photo with both of us I found in the background of someone else's image from that day in the SoCal Spotters thread.

Didn't know about the Nethercutt tour tomorrow.

Is it too late to tag along? If so, what are the details?

>8^)
ER

 

Cool car collection. PM Robert C for details.

 

You can't register them for regular use. There isn't the US equivalent of a "show & display" either. However there are special limited use permits for special events and some tarmac rallies. The requirements for these are very strict. I used my car on the street for the Ferrari 60th birthday celebrations for example. The permit specified the route I had to take and the times that the car could be used.