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Born into the craft, his father Giovanni already possessed a natural instinct for high-speed mechanics, Gian Carlo Minardi began in the minor racing categories in the 1970s and, in just over a decade, embarked on a remarkable 21-season journey to build his own Formula 1 team. Along the way, he crossed paths with Enzo Ferrari, Ayrton Senna, and Flavio Briatore, and continues today, long after stepping away from the circus, to cultivate motorsport culture through the Historic Minardi Day at the Imola circuit. This is the portrait of a visionary who transformed dreams into reality, overcoming obstacles and skepticism alike. Words: Marco Visani Photography: Leonardo Perugini Video: Andrea Ruggeri Archive photography courtesy of the Gian Carlo Minardi Archive There is a word in the local dialect that perfectly encapsulates a certain Romagnolo mindset, one that requires explanation to be fully understood. E mutòr does not simply mean “engine.” It signifies the passion ignited by anything that has one, especially when that engine is used to test oneself on a fast course. It is not a descriptive term, it is a way of being. [click to watch the video] Whether two wheels or four, whether few cylinders or many, is of little consequence. What matters is the desire to inhale the scent of mineral oil, to see the marks of burnt rubber etched into the asphalt, to watch your rival shrink in the rearview mirror after you’ve left him in your dust. Without mutòr, Giovanni Minardi of Faenza would likely be remembered by few. He would have remained a footnote in local history, significant, certainly, having managed the city’s Fiat dealership since 1927. But then something happened. In 1947, engineer Oberdan Golfieri, an associate of Enzo Ferrari, who at that very moment was founding the company that would bear his name, often invited his colleague Gioacchino Colombo, another engine designer, to dinner at his home in Faenza. It was during those Romagnolo evenings, over piadina and glasses of Sangiovese, that Golfieri met Minardi. Minardi, driven by that same mutòr, had conceived the idea of building a racing car. And since the Olympic ideal of participation did not interest him in the slightest, he wanted only to win, he secured backing from Counts Renzo and Rino Ferniani and commissioned Golfieri to design the most competitive 750cc engine ever built, to be mounted on a modified Fiat 500 Topolino chassis. The result would be the smallest inline six-cylinder engine in the world, derived from half of the V12 then taking shape for the Ferrari 125, the progenitor of all Ferraris. The car, named GM 75 (Giovanni Minardi 750), achieved little in terms of results, second-to-last at the 1948 Valentino Grand Prix in Turin, a retirement at the Coppa del Garda despite securing pole position, and just two unremarkable appearances in 1949. It could have remained a minor story, one of countless unsuccessful single-seaters of the postwar years. But it did not. The Minardi racing lineage had been born. Even if a quarter of a century would pass between its prologue and its first true chapter. Fast forward to 1972. One of Giovanni’s three sons, Gian Carlo, born in the very same year as the GM 75, for nothing ever happens by chance, was not only helping manage the family dealership but was, inevitably, captivated by racing. He founded a team, Scuderia del Passatore, its name paying homage to a legendary 19th-century Romagnolo bandit whom folklore had elevated into a kind of folk hero. The team entered single-seaters in Formula Italia and Formula 3 and maintained close ties with Angelo Gallignani, owner of Everest, a company based in nearby Fusignano producing rubber aftermarket components. Before long, the team became Scuderia Everest, reflecting its sponsor, and moved up to Formula 2. When Everest withdrew in 1980, the team took on the name of its founder, Scuderia Minardi was born. Appetite, as they say, grows with eating. And this small provincial team, having climbed from grassroots beginnings to what might already have seemed the fulfillment of a dream, was not content. It wanted more. It wanted the top tier. Gian Carlo wanted it, having tailored that dream around himself and his family, always supported by his brothers Giuseppe and Nando. That dream, pursued with relentless effort and few proclamations, was realized on April 7, 1985, at the Brazilian Grand Prix, for the first time, a Minardi, the M185, stood on the grid of the Formula 1 World Championship. Originally intended to run an Alfa Romeo turbocharged V8 promised by President Ettore Massacesi, who ultimately withdrew his commitment at the last moment, Minardi instead sourced a naturally aspirated Cosworth V8, sufficient for two races, before replacing it with a more competitive turbocharged V6 from the newly formed Motori Moderni, where Carlo Chiti had found a new home. If the engines represented a carousel of missed opportunities and fresh starts, the lead driver was a certainty, another Romagnolo, Pierluigi “Piero” Martini. Of the 118 Grands Prix he would contest, 102 would be under Minardi’s yellow and blue colors. Minardi and Martini became inseparable, so much so that even today, mention of one often blurs into the other. It mattered little that Martini retired in that overseas debut, a team born from nothing, with just one engineer, Giacomo Caliri, and ten technicians, had already achieved a minor miracle, quiet, proud, and distinctly Romagnolo. While Italy indulged in the hedonism of the 1980s, the Minardi Formula 1 adventure unfolded as something altogether singular. For one, Gian Carlo and his small, determined team extended the boundaries of the Motor Valley eastward, beyond the traditional axis of Modena and Bologna. More profoundly, Minardi achieved an almost anthropological shift. Before 1985, Faenza, a town of fewer than 60,000 inhabitants, was known worldwide for ceramics, so much so that the French word faïence derives from its name. After Minardi, Faenza became synonymous with Formula 1, a legacy that endures even beyond the team’s eventual ownership changes. As Gian Carlo himself likes to point out, “Faenza is the only city in the world to host two top-tier racing teams”, the other being Gresini Racing, founded in 1997 by the late Fausto Gresini. The Formula 1 journey of such a small team was never going to be easy, though it was undeniably exhilarating. Much of this was due to Minardi’s exceptional ability to build relationships. He was among the few granted access to the office of an aging Enzo Ferrari. And when the Commendatore faced a man who inevitably reminded him of his younger self, he listened, advised, and quietly approved. It was no coincidence that in 1991, three years after Ferrari’s passing, the Scuderia supplied Minardi with a V12 engine, leading to the team’s best-ever result, seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship. There was even a moment when Ayrton Senna might have joined Minardi. In 1982, while Minardi was still in Formula 2, Paolo Barilla suggested that Gian Carlo take notice of a young Brazilian driver. After watching him perform in the wet at Silverstone and in the dry at Hockenheim, Minardi offered him a contract for 1983. The reply was disarming: “You are the first person to offer me a professional contract, Gian Carlo, I will never forget that. But no, thank you. I plan to become Formula 1 World Champion within six years.” True to his word, Senna achieved the title in 1988. And he never forgot Minardi, often stopping by the team’s motorhome, renowned for its food, for an embrace and a plate of tagliatelle. His tragic death in 1994 at Imola, just a short distance from Minardi’s headquarters, felt like a cruel twist of fate, a modern Greek tragedy where passion and mortality intertwine. The years that followed were challenging, rising costs, lost sponsorships, and constant engine changes, from Ferrari to Lamborghini, Ford, Hart, and back to Cosworth. In September 2005, the team was sold to Red Bull and transformed into Toro Rosso. Yet Gian Carlo Minardi never left the world of motorsport. He served within the Italian Automobile Club, scouted new talent, and from 2021 to 2025 presided over Formula Imola, managing the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit. Above all, since 2016, he has been the creator of the Minardi Historic Day, held annually at Imola. What might sound like a gathering of historic Minardi cars is, in truth, far more, a Romagnolo interpretation of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a kind of Woodstock for motorsport, where every inch of asphalt resonates with passion. With static displays, associations, memorabilia, and dynamic demonstrations, the event draws 20,000 visitors each year, a powerful statement of authenticity and coherence in an era where traditional motor shows have largely lost their identity. Behind the scenes, following the sudden passing of his brother Nando in 2021, Gian Carlo is supported by his niece Elena, ensuring that Minardi is not merely a dynasty, but a family. A family that has always believed, and continues to believe. About the author, Marco Visani. Born in Imola in 1967, he has been a journalist since 1986. After beginning his career as a reporter for Il Resto del Carlino and other local newspapers, he has been writing about automobiles since 1992. He has worked with magazines such as Quattroruote, Ruoteclassiche, TopGear, Youngtimer, Auto Italiana, Auto, AM, Sprint, InterAutoNews, and EpocAuto; with TG2 television; the portal Veloce.it; and with the English publisher Redwood Publishing, active in the field of customer magazines. He is currently the Italian correspondent for the French classic-car magazine Gazoline, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly ZeroA, and contributor to L’automobileclassica, Youngclassic, Quadrifoglio, and Tutto Porsche. He also manages heritage communication for Volvo Car Italia. His writings have appeared in Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Avvenire, Tecnologie Meccaniche, Rétroviseur (France), and Top Auto (Spain). He has published and co-authored several books for Giorgio Nada Editore and other publishers from 2016.

A different background to all other car designers, an unusual artistic sensitivity and a unique professional career, that saw him develop from the drawing board to Head of Heritage for the Italian Stellantis brands. Who is Roberto Giolito, the man behind the Mirafiori Heritage Hub? And what is his vision of the history and style told through a divergent intelligence and a generally unusual approach to cars. Words Marco Visani Photography Leonardo Perugini Video Andrea Ruggeri Archive photo courtesy of the Roberto Giolito Archive Roberto Giolito is not the best car designer, for one simple reason: the best people always move within a comparative environment. [click to watch the video] If you are number one, you are not so far from number two or three. Giolito, who was (a verb in the past tense: the first difference, but not the most important) an excellent designer, was on the other hand unique. Incomparable, unclassifiable, undefinable. Defining him merely as the man who designed the Fiat 500 - 312 (the 2007 model) and, just before that, the 1998 Multipla, is an understatement. But also introducing him merely for what he does today, as Head of Stellantis Heritage, to use the inevitably sterile language of the corporate nomenclature, does not suffice for describing this multi-faceted character and his wide skills base. He has spent his entire professional career going against the grain, yet without that determination to deliberately do things differently, as that would have made him nauseating. It’s just that being influenced by different stimuli, and consequently creating a style that goes beyond the simple – yet fundamental – shape of the car, has always come naturally to him. And this also gives his way of being a different meaning today, now that he is the custodian of the history of a great industrial group. It is first and foremost his background that makes him stand out from the crowd. He is not from Turin (or rather, he is only in origins), nor is he from Milan or Modena — the three car capitals are therefore far from his studies — but from Ancona in the Marches region. He did not attend the Polytechnic, he is not an engineer or an architect, but a pure designer, who cut his teeth at the ISIA in Rome. ISIA stands for the “Istituto Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche” – Higher Institute of Artistic Industries: from the name we can understand that his studies were far from rigid, and very open. Basically, he got his passion for cars from his father. Who designed cars… Was he a stylist? No, a dealer: he sketched cars as a hobby. Seeing these, the young Roberto learned and developed one thing in particular, perhaps the most important you can learn in life: curiosity. That drive that makes you want to know and understand. And he broke down barriers, because knowledge and creativity know no boundaries. This is also where his passion for music came — jazz and the double bass in particular — which, like mathematics, has strict rules and infinite potential. Furnishings and graphics became his daily bread for a few years. Then, in 1989, things changed: he applied for a job as a designer at Fiat, and during the interview he found himself talking to Ermanno Cressoni, the man behind many successful Alfa Romeos (from the Giulietta – 116 to 75, as well as the 33) who had recently come to Turin after the Arese-based company joined the Fiat group. In almost thirty years as a designer, he blended the ability to innovate from scratch (the Multipla) with that of recovering past experiences and launching fresh ideas into the future (the 500, the 124 Spider). So, after such a brilliant career, it was almost inevitable that, in 2016, Sergio Marchionne thought of him to head the Heritage department of what was still called FCA, as Stellantis was born from the merger of FCA and the French PSA only in 2021. And here we have to take a step back to get a closer look. For a company with 125 years of history — if we consider Fiat as the parent company of this group —, talking about heritage could seem a platitude. But not if that group is Fiat. Before Giolito took over the heritage department, the testimonials of its past were found only in the historical quarters in Via Chiabrera, Turin. It was an interesting collection, that spoke of the Fiat “Cielo Mare Terra” (“Sky, Sea and Land”), according to the 1930s slogan used when Fiat also made aircraft and marine engines, but in car terms had not moved since the 1960s. It was open to visitors only one Sunday a month, or every Sunday for a relatively short period: from the celebrations of the 150 years of Italian Unification (2011) to the pandemic (2020). The remainder of the memories could be found in an anonymous shed in Beinasco, on the western outskirts of the city. Fiat had stored dozens of vehicles there: they took one car from the assembly line as they left the production department, along with the few prototypes that luckily had not been demolished (the vast majority had unfortunately been crushed). There were Fiats and Lancias, the oldest ones put on show in the small museum in Borgo San Paolo, beneath the old headquarters when Lancia was still a separate entity to Fiat. And while in Via Chiabrera the museum was for connoisseurs, Beinasco was a matter for proselytes. You got in if you were in with the right crowd or if, as in our case, you were given (privileged) access as a journalist. It was neither museum nor repository, just a warehouse: a temporary solution to prevent the cars from rotting while final arrangements were being made. The trait d’union between that warehouse and what today we know as the Heritage Hub is Roberto Giolito. It is thanks to him that the Fiat Auto collections are now on show to the public in a highly symbolic space. And this is where the SpeedHolics team met him. The appointment was in Via Plava 80, Turin. The western end of Mirafiori Sud. The cardinal point is very important in the location of this place: built in 1939 to support and, in the medium term, take over from the city site at the Lingotto, the Fiat Mirafiori factory was already too small in 1956. This is why it was doubled in size, going beyond Corso Settembrini: the newly built area thus became Mirafiori Sud. In the golden years, over 60,000 people worked in this area, which ran for five kilometres along one side: the population of an average-sized provincial town. When the economic boom was over, tackling the fierce competition and lowering goals and ambitions, just a few thousand workers could be found at Mirafiori. One of the many spaces left empty by the decentralised production (firstly central and southern Italy, then South America, Poland and the Balkans) was identified as the right place to set up something of a size and accessibility that Fiat had never had before. The premises are those of the former Officina 81, where instead of the previous transmissions, gears were made for the gearboxes of all the cars in production. Anyone who between the 1950s and the 1990s drove a Fiat will have had something to do with this building, even if they were not aware of this: a subtle and highly evocative choice. 230 cars can be found here, in an area covering 15,000 square metres, the size of a large hypermarket, and recently 79 were added from the ASI Bertone collection. Another small trip back in time: when the Bertone bodywork firm folded in 2014, the company museum risked being sold off in pieces. ASI made an offer to ensure it remained intact and prevent it from being sold abroad, so that the heritage of Italian style could stay in its own country. The Bertone cars spent a few years in Volandia, the aviation museum at Milan’s Malpensa Airport: a very attractive location but far from coherent with these artifacts. And in recent weeks an agreement between ASI and the Heritage Hub has brought the Bertone cars permanently to Via Plava. Only a few of these are based on Fiat mechanical sub-assemblies, and their bonnets sport a wide range of names, from BMW to Volvo, from Jaguar to Lamborghini. You would have to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit to find something even vaguely similar. In Europe, as far as we know there is nothing like it: this is the sign of a great cultural maturity, very close to Giolito's own ideas. And today, although a manager of history, he remains “sacerdos in aeternum” in his vocation as a designer. Of course, he would get involved in the idea of conserving a fleet of concept cars and (to a lesser extent) mass produced models of historical and documentary value. What is great about the Heritage Hub is not only that enthusiasts can lose all concept of time and space, magnetised by the number of materials on show: it is also that they can discover the soul of brands that were once under the Fiat Group that were very distant from the idea — or the cliché — of a vehicle manufacturer for the mass market. Fiat was very often a byword for innovation: here, in the 1960s, came the antiskid system, the forerunner of the ABS, which was later industrialised in the USA for regulatory reasons; and it was Fiat that invented the common rail, in turn sold to Bosch. Ahead of its time, when electric mobility was nothing more than an exotic distraction, Fiat was working on this with the 1972 X1/23, the 1993 Downtown and the 1994 Zic, the last two the work of Giolito, who had not yet obtained the media success that he would soon earn with the brilliant (and rather controversial) Multipla. But what is showcased to the full at the Hub is that great Fiat, the star of motorsports. Both not so long ago (the three world rallies won by the 131 Abarth and the five by the Lancia Delta HF Integrale, between 1977 and 1992, and the Stratos and Rally 037 in the meantime and, even before that, the Fulvia) and in remote times, when Fiat had not yet chosen to work in the general field and addressed even high-spending audiences, using its record cars for promotional purposes. Two of these can be found in Via Plava, authentic technological masterpieces applied to racing, with the size — seen with today’s eyes — of trucks and an objectively worrying potential for vehicles with mechanical brakes only on the rear wheels: the 1908 S61 (a 10.1-litre four-cylinders with 115 HP and 150 km/h) and the 1924 Mefistofele (6 cylinders, 21.7 litres, 320 HP and 235 km/h). Two clues indicating the industrial scope of the brand and the ambitions of its founders. The narration offered to visitors to the Heritage Hub is a far more complex and articulated world that we might imagine. There is a lot of technology, but also a lot of beauty: that thing that — as Giolito explains with a pleasing image — we note even before we are able to explain it. Beauty that is also the ethical meaning of certain projects that he worked on before the new millennium. Like the Ecobasic, the study for an essential and sustainable car (“we reuse or remove anything that is not needed”) when sustainability was still not a manufacturers’ priority. And then there are services for collectors, called by a deliberately Italian name “Officine Classiche”: more than just a commercial operation to sell restoration services, but an exchange of expertise between people who share the same idea for one reason or another and a sense of belonging. And who with their stories build a great community. From past productions to today’s narrative, Officina 81 plays the role assigned to it by Giolito: the responsibility for making car history readable, lovable and above all tangible. About the author, Marco Visani. Born in Imola in 1967, he has been a journalist since 1986. After beginning his career as a reporter for Il Resto del Carlino and other local newspapers, he has been writing about automobiles since 1992. He has worked with magazines such as Quattroruote, Ruoteclassiche, TopGear, Youngtimer, Auto Italiana, Auto, AM, Sprint, InterAutoNews, and EpocAuto; with TG2 television; the portal Veloce.it; and with the English publisher Redwood Publishing, active in the field of customer magazines. He is currently the Italian correspondent for the French classic-car magazine Gazoline, editor-in-chief of the bimonthly ZeroA, and contributor to L’automobileclassica, Youngclassic, Quadrifoglio, and Tutto Porsche. He also manages heritage communication for Volvo Car Italia. His writings have appeared in Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Avvenire, Tecnologie Meccaniche, Rétroviseur (France), and Top Auto (Spain). He has published and co-authored several books for Giorgio Nada Editore and other publishers from 2016.

Forty years devoted to a brand representing Italian excellence in the sports car world. The stories of Valentino Balboni and Lamborghini have been entwined for a long time, in an extraordinary succession of coincidences and events Words Alessandro Giudice Photography Alessandro Barteletti Video Andrea Ruggeri Archive Courtesy of Valentino Balboni Archive Even if you live in the countryside, where perhaps doing the shopping, going to school or clearing snow from the road are more complicated, where when it rains everything floods and when it’s hot the air is filled with mosquitoes, not everything has to be troublesome. So, when Valentino Balboni – class of 1949, born and raised in Casumaro, a small farming town in the Po Plain just a stone’s throw from Cento, nestling in the Ferrara-Modena-Bologna triangle – finished technical school, the first thing he did was look for a job near home. No specific interests, no particular attraction for a given industrial sector, just a job that, in those days, meant that he could bring a bit of money home, contributing to the tight family budget. [click to watch the video]   When he heard that the car factory, set up by the tractor firm Lamborghini, was looking for staff, he turned up: not because he loved cars, not because he dreamed of becoming a mechanic, but simply because it was close to home and therefore convenient. But then for those who live in the countryside, convenience has a wholly different meaning: the 20 miles or so to Sant’Agata Bolognese didn’t seem far, even there and back on a bicycle or his father’s yellow Vespa, at dawn, in the spring sunshine or the winter frosts, in the fog and even the pouring rain. Anyway, he applied and they hired him. When do I start? Straight away!   And on 21 April 1968, his life changed radically. The department manager was explaining to him and another new colleague how the factory worked: “At one point, this very agitated guy comes into the office and starts shouting at the boss: “Get these young guys to work, stop wasting time.” “Why?” “Because we need people who work, not people who chat!”   It was Ferruccio Lamborghini and, far from daunted, the nineteen-year-old Valentino was charmed by the man’s force and determination, and this made him instantly feel an important part of this new company. A dynamic environment, squashed in the area between two legends, Ferrari and Maserati, yet full of the punch and vitality of its founder. And that’s how Balboni began, with a mechanic’s apprenticeship and the small tasks assigned to the new hires. Meanwhile, he, who didn't have a driving licence (“Doing the course was expensive and our family couldn’t afford it”) began to drive in the factory courtyard, in the only car available, used by the “experience” department to test new components. “I learned driving round the two sheds at the factory at the wheel of a Miura. Thinking back, it makes me shiver, but at the time there was nothing else and it was quite normal.”   The days passed, at the wheel he crunched the gears less and less and his driving became smoother. Also thanks to the advice of an exceptional tutor like Bob Wallace, the New Zealand engineer, tester and designer who had already worked with Maserati and Ferrari (he had been Phil Hill's chief mechanic in 1960, when the American driver won the F1 World Championship in the Ferrari single-seater) and who at the time was a key figure at Lamborghini.   In the meantime, Valentino Balboni became a mechanic, learning to work on all the car parts, from the engine to the transmission to the gearbox, following Wallace's guidance. And one day, on 5 September 1973, over five years after starting work, he was considered good enough to test the cars on the road, and for the first time, he left the factory at the wheel of a Lamborghini. “It was a black Miura SV, a masterpiece. I drove up to the entrance barrier, where the porter’s lodge was, and the porter, who years earlier had helped me to write my application, smiled at me. I was really, really scared. I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold the bends, or that I would go too fast, and in fact I drove really slowly for the first few miles. It was really embarrassing, and very tough. But then I fell in step with the Miura, and thankfully everything went fine, it was a thrill I will never forget.”   This marked the start of a new era in Valentino’s professional history, joining that exclusive club of the world’s most sought-after testers: “When I went out on a test drive, I often met colleagues from Maserati, Ferrari, De Tomaso. Near Sant’Agata, there was a place, an abandoned house with a huge tree in front that offered some lovely shade. Often, when I drove past, if a tester had parked there to check the vehicle, I would stop, and all the others did too. We would chat in the shade, and then set off again. Sometimes, out of curiosity, we would switch cars for the next three or four miles, and then of course everyone went back in their own car.”   As the brand grew in popularity, Lamborghini caught the eye of some rich and even some rather eccentric customers. “I still remember the man with a white Diablo with white seats and steering wheel: he came to Sant’Agata dressed all in white, socks and shoes included, with a tamed parrot - white, of course - on his shoulder.” And then, those who wanted to show him how well they drove - “A few scares, but luckily we never had an accident,” - and those who, on the other hand, could drive really well, like Renè Arnoux, who had a beautiful Miura, or Nelson Piquet. “He wanted to buy a Countach, and took it for a test drive on the motorway, at a speed that I didn’t think possible.”   In the meantime, Wallace confirmed how precious his advice and working method were (he drove from 5.30 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, and then reported back to the mechanics), and handed it all on to Balboni, passing him the baton. “Bob had incredible mechanical sensitivity and knowledge, a natural flair for understanding cars, ‘feeling’ them. In practice he passed that all on to me, and helped me develop this sensitivity.” “And what’s more, I was a mechanic, and the combination of the two things – mechanic and tester – gave me a huge advantage, immediately testing any changes and their impact on the car’s performance and behaviour.” And this is why, when Bob Wallace left Lamborghini to return to New Zealand, and from there on to Phoenix in the United States, Valentino Balboni became chief tester at Sant’Agata, a role he covered for forty more years, even during the most complex periods of the company history, which he also got through thanks to the awareness of the role he had acquired, having worked directly with the founder. Ferruccio always being there was a thrill, even if at times it was like a roller coaster, so many new ideas, sales strategies, mood swings that were sometimes tough to follow. A pragmatic, farming mentality, with his feet on the ground and full attention to the customer’s needs. Balboni tells, “I remember that Lamborghini often delivered cars to customers who came to collect them in Sant’Agata personally. While I did the final checks before getting the car on the road, he entertained the guests and, when they left the factory, we would accompany them all as far as the gate, which was (and still is) on a very long straight road: turn left for Modena, right for Bologna. The customer would drive off, and you could hear the engine roaring miles away". “Ferruccio Lamborghini counted the gear changes on his fingers, and when he heard fifth gear, he would say, ‘OK guys, we can go home now, it’s not going to break!’ He was an incredible character.” Balboni's alarm went off at 6.30 every morning, he would get to work early and his day began at 8. He and the other two testers waited for the cars to come off the assembly line, and personally oversaw the first checks, the set-up, the tyre pressure, topping up the oil, water and fuel before setting off on a road test. “The route was always the same, from Sant’Agata Bolognese to Altedo, at the motorway exit, and then back again, a 70-mile round trip, ideal for running in the brakes and checking the noise levels and vibrations, as well as any leaks.”    Compared to today, when simulations with virtual tests speed up the validation process, then there was a huge difference between testing and development, the former merely checking that everything on the car to be delivered was OK, while the latter was part of the design, the only way to check the actual product against what had been designed on paper. “It was great explaining the sensations and performance to the engineers. We didn't always agree, and I must say that often they were right, and all these situations helped me to grow and improve every day,” Valentino Balboni says today. The Sant’Agata models still have that spirit that drove Ferruccio to challenge the world of sports car manufacturers, first and foremost Enzo Ferrari, who had the nerve to treat him with disdain during their first and only meeting, when Lamborghini, already a wealthy industrialist thanks to his tractors, was a mere customer of Maranello (he and his wife had two Ferrari 250 Coupé Pininfarinas, one each).   Would Ferruccio like today’s Lamborghinis? “I think so. In my opinion, they still embody his spirit, his idea. Today, though, things have changed. In my day, people who drove this type of car had to develop a certain kind of sensitivity, but today electronics control their behaviour and reactions, so anyone who drives a Lamborghini can focus more on enjoying its performance, without so much manual effort.” In all these years, were you ever tempted to switch sides? “In the early ’70s I had some high-level contacts with our cousins on the other side of the river (Balboni never mentions Ferrari by name, but alludes to the river Panaro, which separates Sant’Agata Bolognese from Maranello), but I got the impression that rather than wanting me with them, they were more interested in stealing me from the other team, and at that time we were developing the Countach. So I decided to stay where I was, and I stayed there my whole life, the best decision I ever made.”   Lamborghini repaid this loyalty in its own way. “One day, the technical director Maurizio Reggiani called me and told me I had six months, an engineer and three mechanics to develop a Gallardo with rear drive rather than four-wheel drive and a manual gearbox. I tried to tell him I didn’t agree, that it was a step back compared to our exceptional four-wheel drive and very sophisticated technology, but he wouldn't budge. Then, in 2009, they asked me to do a few signatures, and they would choose the best one. ‘But why?’ I asked, and they replied: ‘To put on the Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni Limited Edition’. I was gob-smacked, amazed, and it’s hard to believe still today.”   Hundreds of thousands of miles at the wheel of dream cars, an infinite number of contacts with customers and enthusiasts around the world who called him for advice, events and restorations have not changed Valentino Balboni, who still lives in Casumaro, in the Po Plain where he was born, with all the habits and rhythms of the farming world. Regrets? “None, I would do it all over again, perhaps correcting just a few details.” But then he stops for a moment, and adds: “In fact, with hindsight, I should have bought a Miura, perhaps with a few knocks and scratches, to keep in the garage and do up at leisure.”

Having been fully restored by a Ferrari specialist in Maranello – home of the legendary marque itself – this 365 GT4 BB is in concours-ready condition and boasts a fascinating history. As shown on the original correspondence in the car’s extensive history file, chassis number 18145 was ordered by Ferrari’s British importer, Maranello Concessionaires, in June 1974. It was finished in Rosso Chiaro with Beige interior and was delivered in September of that year, ready to be displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show the following month. The Ferrari was then sold to its first owner – the London Sports Car Centre in Edgware – in January 1975 for £14,255. Having been registered HLD 15N, it passed in short order to Essex-based James Porter and then John Millward, who took delivery in April 1975. Millward was a keen amateur racer and he’s pictured competing in the car at Silverstone in Mel Nichols’ 1979 book Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer – a copy of which is included in the file. Millward briefly sold the BB in the late 1970s but soon regretted the decision and bought it back. He eventually sold it for good in 1980, when it passed to Leonard Potter and was re-registered 111 HLM. The following year, Potter sold it to Nigel Walker of Modena Engineering in East Horsley, and he commissioned Autokraft to convert the Ferrari into a ‘targa’ by having the roof panel removed and strengthening added to the chassis and sills. The car remained in that form for more than 30 years, through an extensive mid-1980s restoration, and would be featured in books such as the sixth edition of Ferrari by Hans Tanner and Doug Nye, as well as Ferrari Supercars by Nathan Beehl. Through 2015 and 2016, the BB was extensively restored to original specification in Maranello – all of the work is carefully catalogued in the history file, with the invoices totalling €190,000. The car was then awarded Red Book certification by Ferrari Classiche. Now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub, this Ferrari 365 GT4 BB is presented in its original colour combination and is immaculate throughout. One of only 58 right-hand-drive cars delivered to the UK, it is supplied with its original instruction book and tool kit, was displayed at Salon Privé in 2021, and is surely one of the very best examples of Ferrari’s first mid-engined supercar. MODEL HISTORY Developed as a replacement for the front-engined Daytona, the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB was first shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show before being put on sale two years later. It was the first mid-engined road car to carry the Ferrari name and – like the Scuderia’s contemporary Formula One cars and sports-prototypes – it featured a flat-12 powerplant. The 4390cc unit used belts rather than chains to drive its overhead camshafts, and it was mounted longitudinally, with the five-speed gearbox positioned underneath. When Motoring News tested a BB in July 1974, it said that, at high revs, ‘the engine is really howling… a beautiful, hard, cammy noise that is unmistakeably Ferrari’. The clean, angular Pininfarina styling laid down a template for mid-engined Ferraris that would last until well into the 1980s. Beneath it lay a blend of unitary construction around the cabin and a tubular structure elsewhere, and the bodywork was made of steel – apart from the doors and the nose and tail sections, which were aluminium. Inside, air-conditioning was standard and road-testers complimented the comfort levels and general ease with which this latest two-seater supercar could be driven. It came at a price, though, with only a handful of ultra-exclusive cars from Mercedes and Rolls-Royce costing more than the 365 GT4 BB when it was launched. With 360bhp, the BB had a top speed in the region of 180mph, and Motoring News recorded an unofficial 0-100mph sprint in 12 seconds while carrying a full load of fuel. There was a competition-spec version, too – the BB LM, which was raced by the likes of legendary Ferrari concessionaires NART and Ecurie Francorchamps. A Charles Pozzi-entered BB LM managed to finish fifth overall at Le Mans in 1981 with the all-French driver line-up of Claude Ballot-Léna and Jean-Claude Andruet. Only 387 examples of the 365 GT4 BB were built before it morphed into the 512 BB in 1976. This new model featured an enlarged 4942cc engine but was still fitted with Weber carburettors. These were finally phased out on the 512i, which was introduced in 1981 and represented the final stage in the development of the Berlinetta Boxer before it was replaced by the Testarossa in 1984. 1974 Ferrari 365 Berlinetta Boxer The Classic Motor Hub If you are interested in the content of this listing, please contact the Dealer. Contact details are indicated below in the section "Contact the Dealer." Should you require confidential support from SpeedHolics for your inquiry, kindly complete the section "I am Interested." This listing is provided by SpeedHolics solely for the purpose of offering information and resources to our readers. The information contained within this listing is the property of the entity indicated as the "Dealer." SpeedHolics has no involvement in the commercial transactions arising from this listing, and we will not derive any financial gain from any sales made through it. Furthermore, SpeedHolics is entirely independent from the "Dealer" mentioned in this listing and maintains no affiliation, association, or connection with them in any capacity. Any transactions, engagements, or communications undertaken as a result of this listing are the sole responsibility of the parties involved, and SpeedHolics shall bear no liability or responsibility in connection therewith. For more information, please refer to the "Legal & Copyright" section below. SH ID 22-0704001 FEATURED BY SPEEDHOLICS Sold SEARCH OTHER CARS United Kingdom Dealer This Car Contact the Dealer I am Interested Legal & Copyright One of only 58 UK-supplied RHD cars Displayed at the 1974 Earls Court Motor Show Restored to concours condition Ferrari Classiche certification The Classic Motor Hub Old Walls Ablington, Bibury United Kingdom Contact details info@classicmotorhub.com 01242384092 Visit dealer's website If you are intrested in this car and you would like SpeedHolics to put you in touch with the right person, please fill in this form. Let us arrange everything for you. How to contact you? I'd like to receive weekly updates about new listings SUBMIT We take your privacy seriously. While submitting your information please check our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Your content has been submitted Disclaimer SpeedHolics has not been paid to feature this product or brand, nor will we profit from any purchases you may make through the links in this article. We’re a fully independent website. SpeedHolics provides the information contained in this section solely as a resource for its users without any form of assurance. While SpeedHolics tries to provide high quality content, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, appropriateness for use or timeliness of this information. Visitors to this page should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any of the material it contains without first conducting their own investigations and seeking professional advice specific to their own situation if necessary. We will not be liable for any transactions carried out by you as a result of the information that you can find on this page. Please exercise your due diligence. Dealers Support Are you the owner of this content and you want to make changes or to ask any questions to our editorial team? Write an email to team@speedholics.com. Copyright & DMCA Photos and texts are property and copyright of the respective owner as indicated in the section "Dealer" of this page. SpeedHolics has requested and obtained written authorisation to reproduce the content. Copyright holders who believe their rights under copyright law have been infringed are invited to follow our notice and takedown procedure as required by DMCA regulations. The notice and take down procedure is described here: https://www.speedholics.com/copyright Having been fully restored by a Ferrari specialist in Maranello – home of the legendary marque itself – this 365 GT4 BB is in concours-ready condition and boasts a fascinating history. As shown on the original correspondence in the car’s extensive history file, chassis number 18145 was ordered by Ferrari’s British importer, Maranello Concessionaires, in June 1974. It was finished in Rosso Chiaro with Beige interior and was delivered in September of that year, ready to be displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show the following month. The Ferrari was then sold to its first owner – the London Sports Car Centre in Edgware – in January 1975 for £14,255. Having been registered HLD 15N, it passed in short order to Essex-based James Porter and then John Millward, who took delivery in April 1975. Millward was a keen amateur racer and he’s pictured competing in the car at Silverstone in Mel Nichols’ 1979 book Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer – a copy of which is included in the file. Millward briefly sold the BB in the late 1970s but soon regretted the decision and bought it back. He eventually sold it for good in 1980, when it passed to Leonard Potter and was re-registered 111 HLM. The following year, Potter sold it to Nigel Walker of Modena Engineering in East Horsley, and he commissioned Autokraft to convert the Ferrari into a ‘targa’ by having the roof panel removed and strengthening added to the chassis and sills. The car remained in that form for more than 30 years, through an extensive mid-1980s restoration, and would be featured in books such as the sixth edition of Ferrari by Hans Tanner and Doug Nye, as well as Ferrari Supercars by Nathan Beehl. Through 2015 and 2016, the BB was extensively restored to original specification in Maranello – all of the work is carefully catalogued in the history file, with the invoices totalling €190,000. The car was then awarded Red Book certification by Ferrari Classiche. Now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub, this Ferrari 365 GT4 BB is presented in its original colour combination and is immaculate throughout. One of only 58 right-hand-drive cars delivered to the UK, it is supplied with its original instruction book and tool kit, was displayed at Salon Privé in 2021, and is surely one of the very best examples of Ferrari’s first mid-engined supercar. MODEL HISTORY Developed as a replacement for the front-engined Daytona, the Ferrari 365 GT4 BB was first shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show before being put on sale two years later. It was the first mid-engined road car to carry the Ferrari name and – like the Scuderia’s contemporary Formula One cars and sports-prototypes – it featured a flat-12 powerplant. The 4390cc unit used belts rather than chains to drive its overhead camshafts, and it was mounted longitudinally, with the five-speed gearbox positioned underneath. When Motoring News tested a BB in July 1974, it said that, at high revs, ‘the engine is really howling… a beautiful, hard, cammy noise that is unmistakeably Ferrari’. The clean, angular Pininfarina styling laid down a template for mid-engined Ferraris that would last until well into the 1980s. Beneath it lay a blend of unitary construction around the cabin and a tubular structure elsewhere, and the bodywork was made of steel – apart from the doors and the nose and tail sections, which were aluminium. Inside, air-conditioning was standard and road-testers complimented the comfort levels and general ease with which this latest two-seater supercar could be driven. It came at a price, though, with only a handful of ultra-exclusive cars from Mercedes and Rolls-Royce costing more than the 365 GT4 BB when it was launched. With 360bhp, the BB had a top speed in the region of 180mph, and Motoring News recorded an unofficial 0-100mph sprint in 12 seconds while carrying a full load of fuel. There was a competition-spec version, too – the BB LM, which was raced by the likes of legendary Ferrari concessionaires NART and Ecurie Francorchamps. A Charles Pozzi-entered BB LM managed to finish fifth overall at Le Mans in 1981 with the all-French driver line-up of Claude Ballot-Léna and Jean-Claude Andruet. Only 387 examples of the 365 GT4 BB were built before it morphed into the 512 BB in 1976. This new model featured an enlarged 4942cc engine but was still fitted with Weber carburettors. These were finally phased out on the 512i, which was introduced in 1981 and represented the final stage in the development of the Berlinetta Boxer before it was replaced by the Testarossa in 1984. Other Cars from The Classic Motor Hub 1969-Alfa-Romeo-1750-Spider-Veloce-RHD-01.jpg 1969-Alfa-Romeo-1750-Spider-Veloce-RHD-02.jpg 1969-Alfa-Romeo-1750-Spider-Veloce-RHD-20.jpg 1969-Alfa-Romeo-1750-Spider-Veloce-RHD-01.jpg 1/20 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider Veloce RHD The Classic Motor Hub United Kingdom 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GTA-01.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GTA-02.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GTA-20.jpg 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GTA-01.jpg 1/20 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA The Classic Motor Hub United Kingdom 1969-Jensen-FF-MkI-01.jpg 1969-Jensen-FF-MkI-02.jpg 1969-Jensen-FF-MkI-20.jpg 1969-Jensen-FF-MkI-01.jpg 1/20 1969 Jensen FF MkI The Classic Motor Hub United Kingdom Last Featured Cars 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-02.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-15.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1/15 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Classic Connection United Kingdom 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-02.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-20.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1/20 1968 Fiat Dino 2000 Lutziger Classic Cars AG Switzerland 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-02.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-20.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1/20 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fantasy Junction California

G,T and O are three letters that adorn the world's most desirable and arguably most valuable Ferrari. Second generation GTO's were born during the early 1980's when many leading motor manufacturers thought FISA's Group B regulations would evolve into the definitive platform for showcasing their most technologically advanced machinery. In order to qualify for Group B, FISA stipulated that 200 identical road cars had to be produced and sold to the public for homologation to be granted. However, Group B was destined to become a stillborn series and much to the disappointment of race fans the world over, Ferrari's 288 and the Porsche 959 never took to the track in anger. Nevertheless, like Porsche, Ferrari decided to go ahead with a limited production run for their super high performance Group B challengers. The 288 was the first mid-engined Ferrari street car to be fitted with a longitudinally mounted engine, this was an all-alloy Tipo F114B 90° V8 with a capacity of 2855cc producing a phenomenal 400bhp at 7000rpm thanks to twin IHI turbochargers at 0.8 bar of boost while Behr intercoolers cooled the charge air. As a result zero to sixty MPH was just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 189mph was possible. These astounding figures meant Ferrari's 288 GTO arrived as the fastest production car in the world on its 1984 launch. 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO D.K. Engineering Ltd If you are interested in the content of this listing, please contact the Dealer. Contact details are indicated below in the section "Contact the Dealer." Should you require confidential support from SpeedHolics for your inquiry, kindly complete the section "I am Interested." This listing is provided by SpeedHolics solely for the purpose of offering information and resources to our readers. The information contained within this listing is the property of the entity indicated as the "Dealer." SpeedHolics has no involvement in the commercial transactions arising from this listing, and we will not derive any financial gain from any sales made through it. Furthermore, SpeedHolics is entirely independent from the "Dealer" mentioned in this listing and maintains no affiliation, association, or connection with them in any capacity. Any transactions, engagements, or communications undertaken as a result of this listing are the sole responsibility of the parties involved, and SpeedHolics shall bear no liability or responsibility in connection therewith. For more information, please refer to the "Legal & Copyright" section below. SH ID 25-0529008 FEATURED BY SPEEDHOLICS Sold SEARCH OTHER CARS United Kingdom Dealer This Car Contact the Dealer I am Interested Legal & Copyright Transmission Manual Drive Side LHD D.K. Engineering Ltd Little Green Street Farm, Green Street Chorleywood United Kingdom Contact details kbn@dkengineeringltd.com +44 (0)1923 287 687 Visit dealer's website If you are intrested in this car and you would like SpeedHolics to put you in touch with the right person, please fill in this form. Let us arrange everything for you. How to contact you? I'd like to receive weekly updates about new listings SUBMIT We take your privacy seriously. While submitting your information please check our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Your content has been submitted Disclaimer SpeedHolics has not been paid to feature this product or brand, nor will we profit from any purchases you may make through the links in this article. We’re a fully independent website. SpeedHolics provides the information contained in this section solely as a resource for its users without any form of assurance. While SpeedHolics tries to provide high quality content, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, appropriateness for use or timeliness of this information. Visitors to this page should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any of the material it contains without first conducting their own investigations and seeking professional advice specific to their own situation if necessary. We will not be liable for any transactions carried out by you as a result of the information that you can find on this page. Please exercise your due diligence. Dealers Support Are you the owner of this content and you want to make changes or to ask any questions to our editorial team? Write an email to team@speedholics.com. Copyright & DMCA Photos and texts are property and copyright of the respective owner as indicated in the section "Dealer" of this page. SpeedHolics has requested and obtained written authorisation to reproduce the content. Copyright holders who believe their rights under copyright law have been infringed are invited to follow our notice and takedown procedure as required by DMCA regulations. The notice and take down procedure is described here: https://www.speedholics.com/copyright G,T and O are three letters that adorn the world's most desirable and arguably most valuable Ferrari. Second generation GTO's were born during the early 1980's when many leading motor manufacturers thought FISA's Group B regulations would evolve into the definitive platform for showcasing their most technologically advanced machinery. In order to qualify for Group B, FISA stipulated that 200 identical road cars had to be produced and sold to the public for homologation to be granted. However, Group B was destined to become a stillborn series and much to the disappointment of race fans the world over, Ferrari's 288 and the Porsche 959 never took to the track in anger. Nevertheless, like Porsche, Ferrari decided to go ahead with a limited production run for their super high performance Group B challengers. The 288 was the first mid-engined Ferrari street car to be fitted with a longitudinally mounted engine, this was an all-alloy Tipo F114B 90° V8 with a capacity of 2855cc producing a phenomenal 400bhp at 7000rpm thanks to twin IHI turbochargers at 0.8 bar of boost while Behr intercoolers cooled the charge air. As a result zero to sixty MPH was just 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 189mph was possible. These astounding figures meant Ferrari's 288 GTO arrived as the fastest production car in the world on its 1984 launch. Other Cars from D.K. Engineering Ltd 1995-Ferrari-F512-M-01.jpg 1995-Ferrari-F512-M-02.jpg 1995-Ferrari-F512-M-15.jpg 1995-Ferrari-F512-M-01.jpg 1/15 1995 Ferrari F512 M D.K. Engineering Ltd United Kingdom 1990-Ferrari-F40-01.jpg 1990-Ferrari-F40-02.jpg 1990-Ferrari-F40-15.jpg 1990-Ferrari-F40-01.jpg 1/15 1990 Ferrari F40 D.K. Engineering Ltd United Kingdom 1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400-01.jpg 1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400-02.jpg 1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400-20.jpg 1968-Lamborghini-Miura-P400-01.jpg 1/20 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 D.K. Engineering Ltd United Kingdom Last Featured Cars 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-02.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-15.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1/15 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Classic Connection United Kingdom 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-02.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-20.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1/20 1968 Fiat Dino 2000 Lutziger Classic Cars AG Switzerland 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-02.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-20.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1/20 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fantasy Junction California

The Ferrari 550 Maranello is a traditional front-engined V12 Grand Tourer. The 5.5 litre V12 engine with 4 valves per cylinder with dual overhead cams and variable length intake manifold produces 485 bhp at 7000 rpm. The love for early 2000s Ferraris is increasing so don’t miss this well maintained 550 Maranello. This superb example in ‘Grigio Titanio’ with a light ice grey leather interior was delivered new via Sportgarage Leirer in Switzerland. Ever since then the car was maintained at the official Ferrari dealerships, first in Switzerland and then via Germany in Holland. We acquired the car 6 years ago for the current owner and again no expenses were spared on maintenance. The sticky switches were treated as were all other ‘faults’ the Maranello in general has. A new clutch was fitted as well as a set of new tyres. Most recently the car was serviced in January 2024 at the official Ferrari dealer. All original manuals and leather pouch come with the car, as well as a nice file with invoices The car is in superb condition, does not have a scratch and most of the paint is original. The interior is near faultless and has ‘Daytona’ style seats (have a look at the details). Having tested the car for 75 km we can say there is not a rattle or sound in the car apart from the 12 cilinders and the standard exhaust system. The gearbox is a delight and the engine pulls like a bear! The car has its full Ferrari dealer service history and original service book. The car has just 69.000 km registered (just over 41.000 mls. from new). The car has Dutch registration papers, is road registered and ready to enjoy! 2001 Ferrari 550 Maranello ‘Grigio Titanio’ Very Superior Old Cars If you are interested in the content of this listing, please contact the Dealer. Contact details are indicated below in the section "Contact the Dealer." Should you require confidential support from SpeedHolics for your inquiry, kindly complete the section "I am Interested." This listing is provided by SpeedHolics solely for the purpose of offering information and resources to our readers. The information contained within this listing is the property of the entity indicated as the "Dealer." SpeedHolics has no involvement in the commercial transactions arising from this listing, and we will not derive any financial gain from any sales made through it. Furthermore, SpeedHolics is entirely independent from the "Dealer" mentioned in this listing and maintains no affiliation, association, or connection with them in any capacity. Any transactions, engagements, or communications undertaken as a result of this listing are the sole responsibility of the parties involved, and SpeedHolics shall bear no liability or responsibility in connection therewith. For more information, please refer to the "Legal & Copyright" section below. SH ID 24-1031011 FEATURED BY SPEEDHOLICS Sold SEARCH OTHER CARS Netherlands Dealer This Car Contact the Dealer I am Interested Legal & Copyright Very Superior Old Cars Mme Curiestraat 8 Sassenheim The Netherlands Contact details info@vsoc.nl +31 (0) 252 218 980 Visit dealer's website If you are intrested in this car and you would like SpeedHolics to put you in touch with the right person, please fill in this form. Let us arrange everything for you. How to contact you? I'd like to receive weekly updates about new listings SUBMIT We take your privacy seriously. While submitting your information please check our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Your content has been submitted Disclaimer SpeedHolics has not been paid to feature this product or brand, nor will we profit from any purchases you may make through the links in this article. We’re a fully independent website. SpeedHolics provides the information contained in this section solely as a resource for its users without any form of assurance. While SpeedHolics tries to provide high quality content, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, appropriateness for use or timeliness of this information. Visitors to this page should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any of the material it contains without first conducting their own investigations and seeking professional advice specific to their own situation if necessary. We will not be liable for any transactions carried out by you as a result of the information that you can find on this page. Please exercise your due diligence. Dealers Support Are you the owner of this content and you want to make changes or to ask any questions to our editorial team? Write an email to team@speedholics.com. Copyright & DMCA Photos and texts are property and copyright of the respective owner as indicated in the section "Dealer" of this page. SpeedHolics has requested and obtained written authorisation to reproduce the content. Copyright holders who believe their rights under copyright law have been infringed are invited to follow our notice and takedown procedure as required by DMCA regulations. The notice and take down procedure is described here: https://www.speedholics.com/copyright The Ferrari 550 Maranello is a traditional front-engined V12 Grand Tourer. The 5.5 litre V12 engine with 4 valves per cylinder with dual overhead cams and variable length intake manifold produces 485 bhp at 7000 rpm. The love for early 2000s Ferraris is increasing so don’t miss this well maintained 550 Maranello. This superb example in ‘Grigio Titanio’ with a light ice grey leather interior was delivered new via Sportgarage Leirer in Switzerland. Ever since then the car was maintained at the official Ferrari dealerships, first in Switzerland and then via Germany in Holland. We acquired the car 6 years ago for the current owner and again no expenses were spared on maintenance. The sticky switches were treated as were all other ‘faults’ the Maranello in general has. A new clutch was fitted as well as a set of new tyres. Most recently the car was serviced in January 2024 at the official Ferrari dealer. All original manuals and leather pouch come with the car, as well as a nice file with invoices The car is in superb condition, does not have a scratch and most of the paint is original. The interior is near faultless and has ‘Daytona’ style seats (have a look at the details). Having tested the car for 75 km we can say there is not a rattle or sound in the car apart from the 12 cilinders and the standard exhaust system. The gearbox is a delight and the engine pulls like a bear! The car has its full Ferrari dealer service history and original service book. The car has just 69.000 km registered (just over 41.000 mls. from new). The car has Dutch registration papers, is road registered and ready to enjoy! Other Cars from Very Superior Old Cars 1968-Alfa-Romeo-2600-Sprint-Zagato-01.webp 1968-Alfa-Romeo-2600-Sprint-Zagato-02.webp 1968-Alfa-Romeo-2600-Sprint-Zagato-05.webp 1968-Alfa-Romeo-2600-Sprint-Zagato-01.webp 1/5 1968 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint Zagato Very Superior Old Cars Netherlands 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GT-1600-01.webp 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GT-1600-02.webp 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GT-1600-06.webp 1965-Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-Sprint-GT-1600-01.webp 1/6 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT 1600 Very Superior Old Cars Netherlands 1971-Lancia-Fulvia-1600-HF-Series-II-Fanalino-01.webp 1971-Lancia-Fulvia-1600-HF-Series-II-Fanalino-02.webp 1971-Lancia-Fulvia-1600-HF-Series-II-Fanalino-15.webp 1971-Lancia-Fulvia-1600-HF-Series-II-Fanalino-01.webp 1/15 1971 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF Series II ‘Fanalino’ Very Superior Old Cars Netherlands Last Featured Cars 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-02.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-15.webp 1973-BMW-3.0-CSL-01.webp 1/15 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Classic Connection United Kingdom 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-02.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-20.jpg 1968-Fiat-Dino-2000-01.jpg 1/20 1968 Fiat Dino 2000 Lutziger Classic Cars AG Switzerland 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-02.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-20.jpg 1965-Chevrolet-Corvette-01.jpg 1/20 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Fantasy Junction California