Ferrari 550 Maranello as Good as It Gets
Regarded as the Last Aesthetically Beautiful V12 Ferrari, This 550 Maranello Is Bound to Please (and Appreciate) for Decades to Come
Ferraris have a special aura around them. It’s a sense of exclusivity, racing superiority, and panache like no other. Perhaps that’s the exact reason why even the least-attractive prancing horses are still admired, and even considered “pretty.” But the truth is, many are not.
Compare the new Ferrari 488 GTB to the F355, and it somehow looks less dramatic, less special. Furthermore, the current F12 Berlinetta may be insanely fast, but compared to the 550 or 575 Maranello, it’s basic. More importantly, the old-school V12s are surging in price, rapidly. So if you’ve got the bucks and the desire, it’s time to act.
Luckily, there are a handful of V12 Ferraris up for grabs. Some black, some yellow, and some silver. Some with flappy-paddle gearboxes, and some with proper manuals. In the end, if you want the total package, and a serious long-term investment opportunity — you want to buy a rosso corsa Maranello, with a 6-speed manual. Fortunately, that’s exactly what the guys at Bring a Trailer have for us today.
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Gorgeous Ferrari
This 1997 550 Maranello with 26,890 original miles has been thoroughly babied its entire life. The vehicle started out as a Euro-spec model, and was imported to the U.S. by JK Technologies of Baltimore, Maryland in 2002. In addition, this hot stallion recently underwent an $8,000 service, and comes with service records since day one.
If only this 550 featured a tan interior, it would be the absolute perfect collectible. But both the interior and exterior look to be in excellent shape, nonetheless. The ad claims slight scuffing can be seen on the outer thigh bolster of the driver’s seat, though that’s understandable. Current aftermarket modifications are only a Prodrive carbon fiber intake, a deleted exhaust resonator, and a stereo head-unit.
Everything seems to check all the right boxes, though our biggest concern is what we can no longer see. By that we mean that according to the ad, this Ferrari once featured Novitec body parts, which were removed to retain an original look. As a result, the front and rear bumper paint codes do not match the rest of the body. Such details could hamper value tremendously, despite the accident-free Carfax report.
If you’re looking to acquire one of the greatest V12 Ferraris ever made, though, this might be your chance!
