Brand new Ferraris are better sorted than ever for many years of very happy driving. They’re ferociously exciting supercars given half a chance to demonstrate, yet no more taxing to drive slowly than an Alpine A110. They’ll do Apple CarPlay, and lift the nose, and massage your lower back at 8,000rpm. Whatever you need a Ferrari for these days, it’s going to be more than capable of the task at hand. With a four-year, unlimited mileage warranty, and the first seven years of regular servicing included, there’s every reason to get behind the wheel as much as possible.
And some people do, it should be noted. The FF in particular represented a notable change in how folk used their Ferraris, the standard DCT and four-wheel drive (as well as the four seats) making it viable family transport for very cool parents. This one has notched up 40,000 miles in its first decade, which would have been unprecedented for a V12 flagship not that long ago. This 458 Italia is about to hit 50,000 miles, and this Cali T is already past 80k, so drivers are out there.
But the UK in particular has a real affliction when it comes to miles on Ferraris. So many just don’t seem to get driven very much at all. Partly that’ll be due to how much they cost to run, of course, which goes hand-in-hand with some of the prohibitive servicing requirements of old, but residual value does appear to dominate the thinking. Which seems a bit of a shame; if ever there was an automotive experience to spend a bit of money on, it has to be owning a Ferrari.
So it means there are still 430s out there with fewer than 10,000 miles, 360s with less than 5,000 miles showing, and even delivery mileage, unregistered 550 Maranellos. Madness. Just think of everything that will have perished underneath through sitting around and need replacing, should someone want to use it properly again.
On the face of it, this 308 Quattrovalvole looks like another pampered and pristine Prancing Horse. Paintwork gleams, the interior is pert, the engine bay looks delectable. Yet this 1983 car has accrued 260,232 miles in its lifetime, making it surely the highest mileage Ferrari in existence. It’s easily the highest mileage for sale on PH, and one of the leggiest petrol cars in the classifieds full stop.
It has quite a story to tell. Some may have already clocked the steering wheel on the left-hand side; this originally lived in the USA, where 230,000 miles of its tally was driven in just six years. Heaven knows how that happened, but it's hard to believe that would have happened in the UK. Sadly there’s no history for that period of its life, though tens of thousands of dollars were spent in the quarter century from then until it was imported here in 2015.
Use had understandably been a little more sparing in the decade since, though crucially it has been driven - and serviced at recognised specialists. Then we get to the really good stuff. Because last year there was quite a significant engine problem, caused by the failure of a cambelt pulley bearing, so what was set to be an engine rebuild became a full-on restoration. Now, with £55,000 spent and just 100 miles driven, the 260,000-mile Ferrari is for sale.
It’s a fascinating prospect, with as many miles as 20 typical Ferraris put together yet with a host of brand new parts. As well as a rebuilt V8, the suspension was stripped and reassembled, the interior retrimmed, wiring redone, wheels refurbed, stereo upgraded and more. The advert suggests the amount of work is ‘dizzying’, and took a year to carry out. It’s freshly MOT’d and ready for whatever Magnum P.I. cosplay the next owner wishes to embark on.
The price? Well, think much more along the ‘freshly restored, four-valve 308 GTS’ lines than the ‘moon mileage bargain Ferrari’ ones. It’s £85k. Which makes it more than comparable cars, though they won’t have had so much recently spent. As a classic Ferrari to get in, use and enjoy as intended without anywhere near the usual concern, it looks quite tempting. Certainly no danger of mileage harming the value of this one, either…
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