1997 Ferrari F50

Elevation. When Ferrari’s designers were given the unenviable task of creating a worthy successor to the mighty F40 and a car to commemorate the storied marque’s 50th anniversary, they knew they had to raise the game. And raise the game they most certainly did. The resulting F50, which continued the sequence of flagship Ferrari ‘halo’ supercars, was more technologically advanced, offered better performance in all areas, and was of a far higher build quality than its predecessor.

Gone was the turbocharged V8, replaced with a Formula 1-derived naturally aspirated V12 – something that we imagine would have satisfied Enzo Ferrari greatly, had he still been alive to see it. The engine was bolted directly to the rear of a monocoque chassis crafted entirely from aerospace-grade (and very pretty) carbon-fibre. Just like on a single-seater, the suspension was independent and, at the rear, attached directly to the gearbox. The composite Pininfarina-styled bodywork put aerodynamic function first but, in doing so, only gained aesthetic flare and drama. The approach with the F50 was zero-compromise, hence the radical construction and omission of any power steering, ABS brakes or traction control.

The overall quality of the F50’s construction really is worlds apart from the F40. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the interior, which, while functional and spartan, is a genuinely lovely place to sit. We particularly love the wonderfully over-engineered carbon-fibre bucket seats, with their ‘floating’ bolsters, and red cloth inserts and thoughtful shoulder pads trimmed in cloth rather than leather for grip.

The F50’s party trick is its roof, or lack thereof. Such was the thought and execution of its removable hard roof panel (and corresponding buttress panel and roll hoops), that the F50 looks like an entirely different car closed than it does open. Its versatility is a wonderful thing. Especially when the performance served up by the F50 is nothing short of dizzying. With no roof to obstruct the shrill song of the huge V12 and a chassis set up to properly harness all that glorious power, the F50 is an extraordinary car to drive. Miraculously, it’s refined, comfortable even, and remarkably approachable. As a package, it feels so special – more so when you consider only 349 were built, compared with the comparatively plentiful F40, of which around 1,300 left Maranello. For Ferrari, it was mission well and truly accomplished.

Chassis no. 107065

As confirmed by the Maranello Concessionaires archive, this Ferrari F50 – chassis number 107065, car number 314 of 349 – was sold new by the United Kingdom’s flagship Ferrari dealership on 24 June 1997 to one Paul Plant. A launch-specification example finished in Rosso Corsa, the car was fitted with medium-sized seats and size-eight pedals. Remarkably, Plant had been allocated two F50s by the factory and, less than three months after taking delivery of chassis number 107065, entrusted Maranello Concessionaires with selling it, opting instead to keep his second later example. By that point he had only driven 675 miles.

This F50 was acquired by its second – and current – owner on 10 September 1997. Satisfyingly in the 29 years since then, chassis number 107065 has covered a mere 7,500 miles (350 of which were recorded in the last 13 years) and been maintained solely by Official Ferrari Dealers including Maranello Concessionaires.

You need only glance at this F50, with the exceptionally clear carbon-fibre weave prevalent across the entirety of the Rosso Corsa body, to understand its exceptional and highly original condition. This is especially evident beneath the vast rear clam, where the Formula 1-derived V12 engine is very tidy (retaining its original exhaust system) and you can find many original hand-signed Ferrari carbon composite manufacturer labels.

Chassis number 107065 is accompanied by almost all of its factory parts, accessories and documentation. The largest of those items is the factory F50 flight case, in which the removeable hard carbon-fibre roof panel is stowed, along with the buttress panel and roll hoops when the aforementioned panel is fitted to the car. The temporary canvas tonneau roof section can be found in its original zipped leather bag mounted between the bulkhead and the seats.

All the car’s handbooks including the service and warranty supplement, owner’s manual, direct line booklet and organisation and assistance booklet are also present. In addition to the spare keys, chassis number 104367 retains its tool kits, tyre inflator and factory seat and steering wheel covers, too. Even the original three-piece Schedoni luggage set (complete with dust covers), the interior courtesy lamp and beautiful lithography set remain – items that are so often separated from the cars. There’s also an extensive file this F50’s entire history.

At a time when collectors are coveting low-mileage limited-production modern-era supercars more than ever before, this two-owner 7,500-kilometre Ferrari F50 ticks all the right boxes. It’s a wonderfully cherished and highly original example of arguably Ferrari’s wildest flagship ‘halo’ supercar.

Service History

22 September 1997 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 675 miles

25 February 2000 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 1,572 miles

3 July 2002 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 1,287 miles

19 May 2006 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 2,704 miles

22 December 2009 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 6,580 miles

7 April 2011 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 6,767 miles

29 November 2022 – Serviced by Official Ferrari Dealer – Mileage noted as 7,383 miles

Factory accessories accompanying this F50

Complete set of handbooks including the service and warranty booklet

F50 spare-parts catalogue

F50 lithography set – A1 size

Three-piece Schedoni luggage set with dust covers

Two tool kits including wheel socket

Interior courtesy lamp

Tyre-inflation cannister

Soft and hard roof sections with respective leather bag and flight case

Metal roll hoops

Ferrari seat and steering wheel covers

F50 press kit