Ferrari 550 Maranello

“I married the V12 engine and never divorced it.”, Enzo Ferrari once said.

While not everything in his life was ruled by fidelity, it is true that this romance never broke down. But it was during Luca di Montezemolo's management period that the V12 once again had the prominent place it deserved: under the front bonnet.

For the new President, a gentleman should be able to leave his car elegantly, without having to “unwrap himself”. Additionally, you should be able to drive without a permanent ringing in your ears, and you should be able to carry enough luggage for a short trip, or for a round of golf. Above all, the new president knew that, in the 90s, a gentleman who liked to go fast, was no longer willing to “fight” with his Ferrari.

The same applied to expenses and headaches, which meant that a Grand Tourer for frequent use could't have constant reliability issues or a ruinous maintenance.

The technological recipe of the 550 Maranello continues to impress, 28 later: variable intake, 485hp at 7000rpm and 569Nm, translate to a top speed of 320km/h and 4.4 seconds from 0 to 100km/h.

To assure exceptional dynamics, the gearbox is next to the differential (transaxle) for perfect weight distribution, and the bottom is flat, to offer perfect aerodynamic performance, without resorting to inelegant appendages.

In 1998, Car Magazine named the 550 Maranello Britain’s Best Driver’s Car. The engine won the award for best engine in the "over 4 liter" class at the International Engine of the Year awards in 2000 and 2001. EVO magazine considered it the Best Sports Car of the 90s.

With all subsequent models being more radical and dispensing with the “luxury” of a six-speed manual gearbox with the iconic Ferrari selector, the 550 Maranello is today considered by many experts as the ultimate gentleman drivers' V12.

About this extraordinary specimen
The Ferrari 550 Maranello shown here has a rare and elegant color spec and is in exceptional condition.

Only 1% of the model's production was finished in green, with Zeltweg being the most elegant of the shades.

Originally sold in the Netherlands to its first owner, the car has a detailed record of all interventions to date.

It was recently revised, with all known points of the model addressed and corrected. All plastic finishing (sticky parts) were replaced with the definitive treatment and the dashboard was reupholstered with Connolly leather.

All devices working properly, including air conditioning, freshly recharged.

This sublime Ferrari is ready to be enjoyed, and can be seen at Alcabideche, next to the Autódromo Estoril, Portugal.