Following in the footsteps of the fabled F40, Ferrari’s F50 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1995. Hugely influenced by Formula 1 design and technology at the time, at the F50 heart was a naturally aspirated V-12 engine derived from Ferrari’s 641 F1 car, campaigned during the 1991 Formula 1 World Championship. With 512 bhp on tap, its Formula 1 origins and 8,000 rpm redline made the engine truly sonorous when driven as its manufacturers intended. Top speed was claimed as being 202 mph and from a standstill, the F50 would sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds.
As if its performance wasn’t enough, what truly set the F50 apart from its competitors at the time was its open-top body style, allowing buyers to choose from the closed comfort of a Berlinetta or the thrill of an open-top sports car, and no open-top sports car on sale at the time could match the sheer performance of the F50. Top-down, the driving experience that the F50 provided its lucky driver and passenger was a close as one could get to driving a road-legal Formula 1 car. Only 349 examples would be built, far fewer than the F40 that preceded it.
This late production, Italian-supplied example found residence with its first owner Mr Poliseno of Bolzano in northern Italy. Like so many examples, this F50 was financed new and supplying dealership Forza S.p.A of Turin invoiced Leaserent Trentino direct on 9th January 1998.
The F50 would depart for Japan later the same year, receiving its running in service in 1999 at 1,400 km. First registered in Tokyo, the car would move north to the Omiya ward of Saitama City in the millennium year. In 2001, the car would be seen in public, displayed as part of the prominent collection of Ferraris at Yoshihi Matsuda’s Gotemba Sports Garden display. Remaining behind closed doors for the next three years, the F50 would be displayed at Matsuda’s Ferrari Brunch Meetings in May 2004. The exclusive F-car event saw no fewer than 19 F40s, 10 F50s and 7 examples of the then brand new Enzo in attendance. The car would further attend the Ferrari Brunch Speciale in 2005.
The F50 returned to Europe in 2005, finding residence just a couple of hours from where it had been supplied new, in Verona, Italy. The local dealer, INECO Ferrari serviced the car in 2015 with the mileage noted at just 8,232 km. Placed into storage, the car was sold via a German dealership to the current owner in 2017. At this time, the F50 was imported into the UK gaining a period registration mark at that time. Since 2017, the F50 has returned to Ferrari GrayPaul of Nottingham on no fewer than 7 occasions for annual servicing.
Visiting DK Engineering in 2022 for new tyres, this example passed through our workshops in July 2024 for a further annual service. Meticulous focus on detail sees this example accompanied by its flight case and roof componentry, tools as well as an additional bespoke matching flight case with a complete set of spare wheels, suit carrier, brief case as well as the complete original exhaust system.
Today this example is available to view at our showrooms outside London immediately, presenting today with just 10,400 km from new and is Ferrari red book Classiche Certified.
