UK-supplied Ferrari 288 GTO for sale
The ultimate homologation hero? Look no further...
Patently all supercars made in Maranello are very special, but some ascend to another level entirely. We’ll all have a favourite, be it Enzo or LaFerrari, F50 or F80, 250 GTO or 250LM. But surely the most popular answer would be F40, because for so many it’s the ultimate Ferrari, and therefore the supercar at its absolute pinnacle: raw, demanding, thrilling, fast and beautiful. But that car wouldn’t have happened without the 288 GTO demonstrating enthusiasm for such a Ferrari, and for a long time that fact seemed to go unrecognised. It too boasted a turbo V8, looks to die for and exotic, modern materials in its construction, all with the intention of succeeding in Group B. Yet it was the 288’s successor, the one inspired by its trailblazing approach, that became the pin-up.
Timing had to have played a part. By the time the Gran Turismo Omologato - only the second Ferrari GTO after the 250, but you knew that already - was ready, the writing was on the wall for Group B. It could never make its mark in motorsport as it was intended to, forge a legacy to be talked about for generations after. Those lucky enough to experience it were blown away, but there were precious few: only 272 were ever made. And remember the F40 arrived just a couple of years after the 288, where now the ultimate machines come every decade. The more powerful, more numerous, 200mph successor relegated the old top dog somewhat.
That could never last forever, of course - the 288 GTO was simply too epic to play second fiddle to an indirect successor. Its fascinating amalgamation of Enzo’s approach to cars - the most power possible, here thanks to turbos - with a more modern way of thinking, using advanced materials like Kevlar, made for an astonishing supercar more than 40 years ago. To this day, in fact. And as new Ferrari derivatives have been churned out at an ever-increasing rate of knots, so those real rarities that can claim some tangible motorsport kudos are becoming ever more desirable.
This one’s an elite-grade 288, notable as an example that’s spent its whole life in the UK and which recently obtained Classiche status. In perhaps the most yuppie turn of events that’s ever been documented, the first owner of chassis 055687 was a property developer, using his new red Ferrari to travel up and down the country checking out houses. Yes, really. He racked up 50,000km (and 12 service invoices) in his time with the GTO.
Then it spent time with a father and son, the latter of whom had the 288 GTO totally restored. Bet that required some courage to commission, and in total the work - including an entire engine rebuild and a strip down to the bare metal - took two years. But it sounds worth that effort, and then some: it now has Ferrari Classiche certification, and has been awarded at Salon Privé. Plus, well, bask in its splendour: if you had the wherewithal to make a 288 GTO this good, you surely would.
Now it’s up for sale, with the next owner to be the fifth. Not only will they get an exquisite 288 GTO, but also a swathe of desirable accessories: the tool roll, the gorgeous Schedoni luggage, 40 years of paperwork and the restoration documented with the kind of detail to put the British museum to shame. Indeed, it’s probably an exhibit as much as anything these days, worth many millions. But the temptation to experience one of the true Ferrari icons might be too much to suppress…
(ex-Sultan of Brunei)
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