Finished in Grigio Titanio, this 550 Maranello was first sold on October 17th 1997, in Marbella, Spain, through importer Testarossa Cars S.A. and has been under the care of just 4 owners from new. This car was represented by Issimi previously while residing in Monaco, but the most recent owner has purchased it and shipped it stateside, with it now residing in Manhattan, New York. Benefitting from a service booklet full of stamps from both main dealers and marque specialists, this car has been quite well kept over the years and benefits from a recent major service. Unlike Ferraris of today, in the era of the 550 Maranello, there weren’t many options available on the car’s exterior in the way of extra carbon fiber or deviating colors. This specification is very nice and subdued- as a 550 Maranello, it should be in its dark gray finish with the standard 5-spoke wheels, black brake calipers, and no fender shields up front.
Moving inside, black leather covers both front seats, the center console, the dashboard, and the steering wheel- and on this car, it is all in fantastic condition. What makes the Maranello so sought after is that it is truly the last car to come out of the Ferrari factory with a “vintage” feel to it- no big screens, a bevy of analog gauges, and the legendary gated manual shifter right in the center of the vehicle. The interior of this car has been kept to a very high standard over the years and shows minimal wear on the seats, and the leather on both the steering wheel and dashboard is free of any bubbling or pulling. Also worth noting, this example includes a full set of Schedoni fitted luggage in black leather that fits perfectly in the trunk.
Powering the 550 Maranello is a 5.5 liter V12 with dual overhead cams and 4-valves per cylinder rated at 478 horsepower and 419 lb-ft of torque. This engine is known to be one of the more dependable engines to come out of Ferrari and does not require engine-out servicing like the mid-engine cars of the same time period. That being said, this car was treated to a full cambelt service before leaving Italy in April 2022 which also included new spark plugs, timing belt bearings and tensioners and new rear shock absorbers. In all 550s, the only available gearbox is a 6-speed manual transaxle that sends power to the rear wheels. Starting with the 575M in 2002, the F1 gearbox became the almost universal choice for front-engine V12 Ferraris, making the 550 truly the end of the classic era of Ferrari.
Now that the 550 Maranello is more than 25 years old, it can easily be imported from Europe and registered in most states. For advice on registration, please talk to an Issimi sales representative who will be able to guide you through the proces. This 550 Maranello is a beautiful example of one of Ferrari’s greatest front engine-V12 grand touring cars and is bound to only become more desirable as the years go along.
