Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider equipped with the highly desirable 6-speed manual gearbox.

The car was delivered to its first owner, Mr Christopher Chronis, a well-known Melbourne fashion designer through Ferrari dealer Lance Dixon in Richmond, Victoria on the 16th May 1997. The second owner of the car also lived in Melbourne and used the car sparingly throughout his ownership.

The current owner acquired the car in 2022 and at that time the odometer read 39,375 km.

The car has its original books, including a fully stamped service book. Lance Dixon Ferrari maintained the car from new through until 2003. Cavalli Motorsport then serviced the car until 2016. In 2019 the car was serviced by Prestige City Garage and the last service was completed by Sports & Classic Car Services in July 2022. This was a cam belt service and at that time the odometer read 39,381 km.

Today the odometer reads 40,903 km.

This F355 was produced in an era of red Ferraris, so it is so refreshing to have this car finished in Giallo Modena (colour code FER 102 D.S). And what a fabulous colour . . . it brings out all the lines on the car and creates a perfect contrast with the black soft top. For the anoraks out there Giallo Modena is also the colour of the city of Modena, where Ferrari was founded. Walking around the car you cant help but being impressed with how well these F355s have aged. They still have an amazing presence.

Whilst Ferrari F355s are not super rare, finding a good example is getting harder and harder as these cars age. What we have here is an excellent example. The paint on the car is immaculate and it is hard to believe that it is almost 30 years old! It retains a strong depth of colour and deep gloss finish. You have to look hard to find any imperfections in the paint. The external trim is minimalistic, but all of the lights, lenses, badges etc are similarly well presented. The wheels are also in very good condition, with the only noticeable blemish being a very small mark on the left front wheel. The front wheels are shod with Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tyres, size 235/40 ZR 18. These are date stamped 1317 (week 13, 2017). The rear wheels are also shod with Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tyres but in the size 295/35 ZR18. These are date stamped 4919 (week 49, 2019). Both the front and rear tyres are in good condition.

The soft top on the car is in excellent condition and the mechanism to open and close it works well. The soft top tonneau cover is with the car, it fits well and is in good condition.

Inside the cabin everything is how you expect it to be based on the exterior presentation of the car. The seats present well and there are no rips or tears in the leather. They are comfortable and provide ample support. All the instruments are clear and appear to be in good working order. The switches on the dashboard and the centre console are not sticky as is often the case with Italian cars from this period. Even the carpets are in good condition.

It is very easy to find a comfortable driving position behind the wheel of a Ferrari F355. These car look fantastic but they are also ergonomically very good. They are also very rewarding to drive and offer exhilarating performance. This car is equipped with an immobiliser, so to start you turn the ignition on, then press the button on the remote control and wait for the red light in the middle of the dashboard to stop blinking. Then you turn the key further to start the car. It starts easily, even from cold, and then quickly settles into a smooth idle. The Ferrari F355 is often regarded as one of the best sounding Ferraris. The exhaust note is all performance and you cant help but smile as you sit patiently waiting for the engine to warm up. When ready to go, you notch the gear lever into first and gently edge the car out onto the street. It immediately become obvious that this is a great drivers car. The engine revs freely and it has almost instant throttle response. The gearbox is smooth and precise with just the right feel. It really just begs you to keep changing up and down because you can! The steering is surprisingly light and very direct. With electrifying performance on tap it is reassuring to know the brakes are up to the task and pull the car up efficiently and in a straight line. In summary, this car is an absolute delight to drive!

Obviously, we put the top down for our test drive to our photo shoot location. Even with the top down it is surprisingly quiet inside the cabin and you can easily have a conversation with your passenger.

The Ferrari F355 is what we consider a true modern classic. In our opinion it is one of best looking modern Ferraris. It is a fantastic drivers car and for us a manual gearbox is a must, yet this is also a car that could be used as a daily driver if one desired.

And yes, before you ask the car retains its original matching numbers engine.

Accompanying the car is a complete book set (minus the torch) including a fully stamped service book and the original toolkit.

Highlights:

- Australian delivered, factory right-hand drive, matching numbers example.
- Beautifully presented in a great colour scheme.
- Low mileage, with only 40,903km.
- Books, including a stamped service book and original tool kit
- All tags and stickers in place.
- Beautifully presented and drives superbly.

Price $239,950


Background:

Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Nike are brands recognisable the world over. So is Ferrari and interestingly the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer was named The Worlds Strongest Brand in the 2019 Brand Finance Global 500 Report.

Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeos race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni the company built its first car in 1940. The Second World War halted Ferraris dream, which was finally realised in 1947, when the first car bearing his name, the Ferrari 125 S, was built. From that day on Ferrari race cars dominated the world over, winning race after race and many world championships in Formula One, sports car racing and endurance racing. Ferrari built exclusive sports cars for the road too, but in the early days, this was primarily to fund his motor racing!

The Cavallino Rampate or prancing horse was the symbol chosen by Ferrari and like the golden arches it is recognised by just about every man, woman and child on the planet!

The Ferrari road cars from the 1940s and early to mid-1950s were built in very small numbers and it was not until the introduction of the 250 series cars that production numbers increased. Almost 1,000 Ferrari 250 GTEs were built from 1959 1963. The 250 series also produced some of the most special Ferraris ever built, including the Ferrari 250 LM, 250 SWB, 250 California Spider and of course the 250 GTO. The 250 series cars were superseded by the 275 series cars, the 330 series cars and later the 365 series cars. The nomenclature designated the cubic capacity of each cylinder. So a Ferrari 330 was powered by a 12 cylinder engine of 3,967cc capacity.

The Ferrari 308 GTB was introduced at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, essentially to replace the 246 Dino GT. The car was designed to fit between the top of the range 365 GT/4 Berlinetta Boxer and 2+2 308 GT/4. In 1977 Ferrari introduced the 308 GTS, which was essentially the same car with a targa roof. The car was made famous through its appearance on the TV show Magnum PI. The model evolved into the 308 GTBi / 308 GTSi in 1980 when Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection replaced the traditional Weber carburettors. Two years later the four valves per cylinder Quattrovalvole or QV was introduced. The 308 was an incredible success and circa 12,000 cars were built from 1975 to 1985 before the 328 was introduced.

The 328 GTB / GTS was essentially an updated version of the 308 with the same engine as its predecessor, but with an increased capacity of 3,185 cc. Interestingly 328 GTS production out numbered 328 GTB production by a factor of five to one.

In total Ferrari built 7,412 328s, comprising 6,068 328 GTS and 1,344 328 GTBs throughout 4 years of production.

The 348 TB and TS replaced the 328 in 1989 and remained in production through until 1995 when it was replaced by the F355. The 348 today is not recognised as being one of Ferraris finest, however, this is probably unfair as the 348 was a great success and in total 8,844 cars were produced throughout the six years of production.

The F355 was first introduced in May 1994 and it was a game changer. It bought a fresh look and an upgraded engine. It became the first Ferrari to be fitted with a 5 valve cylinder head. It remained in production through until 1999 and in total 11,273 were produced before it was superseded by the Ferrari 360.

The Ferrari F355 was offered in three body styles, being the coupe (F355 Berlinetta), targa (F355 GTS) and convertible (F355 Spider).