1999 FERRARI 550 MARANELLO

Unveiled to the press at the Nurburgring in July 1996, the 550 Maranello marked a deliberate reversal by Ferrari: president Luca di Montezemolo had decreed that the marque's series-production V12 flagship return to a front engine and rear-wheel drive, ending a twenty-three-year line of mid-engined flat-12 cars running from the Berlinetta Boxer through the Testarossa to the F512M. Styled by Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Pininfarina, its long bonnet, four round tail-lights and front-wing gills deliberately echoed the 365 GTB/4 Daytona and, before it, the 275 GTB.

Power came from a 5474cc quad-cam V12, the F133A, developed from the four-seat 456 GT's engine with new cylinder heads and a variable-length induction system; Ferrari claimed 485bhp at 7000rpm and 415lb ft, for a 4.3-second 0-60mph time and a 199mph top speed. Despite the F1 paddleshift already offered on the contemporary F355, the 550 was sold only with a traditional six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential. In 2004, evo named it the best of the previous decade's ten greatest drivers' cars, ahead of the Porsche 911 GT3 and Pagani Zonda C12S; 3,083 coupes were built over a five-year run before the 575M replaced it in 2002.

Chassis 116713 was ordered new by Mohamed Sharill, a London-based Ferrari enthusiast, who originally intended to supply the car through his own Malaysian dealership. It was bought by a London friend, Mr G Bamford, before it had the chance to leave the country, and has remained in UK ownership ever since.

The car passed to Nigel Weyman in 2002, who took out a Ferrari Power Warranty and kept it for three years, then to Mr JC Bamford in 2005 and Mr Stuart Bell in 2007, who covered almost 17,000 miles over four years. John Spearman bought the car in 2011 and drove it sparingly, covering under 1,500 miles in fifteen years.

Barkaways, the concours winning restoration specialist, gave the car an in-depth mechanical and cosmetic overhaul in 2026, at an estimated £50,000. It is accompanied by its full owner's bookpack: a history file including the original 550 Maranello launch pack with photo slides, leather tool kit and complete key and fob sets.