RE: Ferrari 550 Maranello: Spotted

[Blackbird425]

phib said:

Love my 550 everything I wanted in a Ferrari and the perfect compliment to my 355, had new stuff but it doesn't float my boat either.

Didn't want another red / crème car but this was the best one I could find, €223,000 when new !!! ( not paid by me !!) , quilted parcel shelf, leather headling etc etc etc

Phib



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Edited by phib on Thursday 16th July 17:57

Edited by phib on Thursday 16th July 17:58

Lovely. Particularly like the gazebo in the garage for the 550

[SturdyHSV]

thatguy11 said:

Anyone else remember the awesome guitar soundtrack from those old Clarkson videos...big time nostalgia hit happening right now!

I think that is about the only one of the VHSs I didn't have, I must find it on the internet and have a watch. I did have (poor) digital copies of most of the VHSs I had, I wonder if they're still about...

I used to watch the 'Unleashed on cars' video probably at least once a week. I can still recite most of the script to various features

Pop quiz... What car "weighs about twice as much as a Golf GTi, so you'd expect it to have twice as much power... No... It has... four times as much. Weighs the same as a planet... goes like the starship enterprise" (queue cheesy music)

[Jagmanv12]

There will probably be a few of these at Brooklands on Sunday.

[Rickyy]

SturdyHSV said:

thatguy11 said:

Anyone else remember the awesome guitar soundtrack from those old Clarkson videos...big time nostalgia hit happening right now!

I think that is about the only one of the VHSs I didn't have, I must find it on the internet and have a watch. I did have (poor) digital copies of most of the VHSs I had, I wonder if they're still about...

I used to watch the 'Unleashed on cars' video probably at least once a week. I can still recite most of the script to various features

Pop quiz... What car "weighs about twice as much as a Golf GTi, so you'd expect it to have twice as much power... No... It has... four times as much. Weighs the same as a planet... goes like the starship enterprise" (queue cheesy music)

It was called "Apocalypse Clarkson". Wish I'd kept all of my old videos!

[928Elan]

I doubt that handbrake is any worse than the one on my Porsche 928, which is in a similar position. It's certainly a lot better than those on Maseratis from the '60s and '70s where you need a "helping hand" device to reach it, as it's so far into the footwell.

[Hessel-xqc55]

Best Ferrari to buy for about 4 months ago (when I bought mine just before prices rose sharply), now I think the 456 is the Ferrari to buy, both lovely analog cars! Mine is Grigio Titan with Cuio Daytona seats (was a must for me) and leather shelf and roof lining. Never drove one before I bought it in CH but I was really surprised how easy, almost boring, to drive it is. Love the grunt though!

[Blackbird425]

Just spotted this one at Slades.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...

£66k looks awfully punchy for a 92k miler.

[pjwind]

northernmedia said:

lol I wonder if the mats are included

I am not sure what it is with the fake Persian mats but a lot of Swiss car dealers seem to put them in photographs. I live in Switzerland but I haven't got to the bottom of the issue. If you go surfing on Autoscout24.ch you will see lots of cars with them. One of the many things that are odd about the Swiss.

[Blackbird425]

Can we stop referring to cars as analog please? By this I assume one means a little outdated, but the word has little relevance to cars.

[mon the fish]

Blackbird425 said:

Just spotted this one at Slades.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...

£66k looks awfully punchy for a 92k miler.

Bloody hell looks like it's got braces - that grille!

[zerovira]

My favourite "modern" ferrari.

Oh that gear change. Smoking hot.

[bertie]

mon the fish said:

Blackbird425 said:

Just spotted this one at Slades.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...

£66k looks awfully punchy for a 92k miler.

Bloody hell looks like it's got braces - that grille!

Better bet, and at the same dealer....

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...

[Matt Bird]

Hessel-xqc55 said:

Best Ferrari to buy for about 4 months ago (when I bought mine just before prices rose sharply), now I think the 456 is the Ferrari to buy, both lovely analog cars! Mine is Grigio Titan with Cuio Daytona seats (was a must for me) and leather shelf and roof lining. Never drove one before I bought it in CH but I was really surprised how easy, almost boring, to drive it is. Love the grunt though!

This is a very cool garage, top work!

[Chris500]

Ferrari ownership per capita in Switzerland always was one of the highest in Europe. A Micro market of its own - +19% import duty on top as not EU!

Edited by Chris500 on Friday 17th July 19:35

[Chris500]

blue pozzi:

[550M]

Gratuitous posting opportunity!

[Blackbird425]

550M said:

Gratuitous posting opportunity!

Great cars. I'll say it again though, the reg plates are horrendous. All that money and still making plates look like something they're not. It may as well say C0 CKS. Please. They are brash and a sign of poor taste which is not evident in the car selection.

[DJRC]

Is there anything cooler than having a Regie 5 Maxi/Turbo/any competition variation in the garage?

Apart from maybe having a 550 and said 5 in the same bleeding garage!

[ramjet22]

Interesting comments all. Blue is the hue, (over beige), but grigio with wine would also be fine....Factory carbon lifts the interior a notch and there's no doubting the understated drama of the shape...rear three quarters is best. If not yet a true classic, it surely will be...Maranello built fewer RHD 550s than it did Dinos, so it's just a matter of time.

With handling sorted by Schumacher, and with very limited electronic assistance, it's easy to appreciate the chassis...the high point of which is the beautiful and feelsome steering...fantastic for a big V12 front-engined GT.

The recent uplift in prices is a good thing: It makes the cars cost-effective to maintain. And maintenance is way more important than mileage for a useable classic: Future values will reflect this. My advice to anyone owning or thinking of owning a Maranello is don't skimp on maintainance and drive it whenever you can.

Nothing wrong with the latest models...in terms of sheer performance and ability they are stupendous, and probably offer better value for money than Ferraris ever have...but it all began with front-engined V-12 manuals, and the Maranello is really the last of the line.

I have a friend who drives both a 550 and a manual 575M, and he is clear that in most respects, the 550 is best. Manual 575s are already fetching upwards of 150k, and are fast becoming minimal mileage collector cars. Which leaves the 550 at the top of the pile!

[TKH]

regarding production numbers

LHD 2626

RHD production for 550 Maranello was 457 which is not a lot when you consider thats for all RHD markets (Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa & UK)

factor in that a % will have met their premature demise and be with Signor Enzo say 10% that leaves 400 ish