Ferrari F50 1996, Itália
Fotografia
Ferrari commemorated its 50th anniversary with the introduction of a new limited-production hypercar that established unprecedented benchmarks in performance and aesthetics for a Maranello road car. The F50 was powered by the new F130 B engine, a naturally aspirated V-12 that was developed from the 3.5-liter motor the manufacturer had used in Formula One a few years prior. Bored to displace 4.7 liters, and utilizing 60-valve cylinder actuation, the new motor developed 513 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque—sufficient to launch the F50 to 60 mph from standstill in just 3.6 seconds.
The F50 tub was clothed in beautifully curvaceous, wind-tunnel tested Pininfarina coachwork made of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and Nomex honeycomb. A removable hardtop allowed the car to strike the guise of a closed berlinetta or an open spider, offering the best of both worlds. While a rubber fuel cell and cloth upholstery suggested the model’s competition-derived design brief, the F50 was nevertheless appointed with creature comforts like air conditioning and adjustable ride height. With just 349 numbered examples built through 1998, the F50 claims a degree of rarity unmatched by the F40 and many other Ferrari flagship models. It remains a favorite of marque-focused collectors, often serving as the centerpiece of modern Ferrari collections.
As clarified by a Ferrari certificate of origin issued in early June 1996, chassis number 105111 is the 144th example built, and it was delivered new later that month via Kroymans BV in the Netherlands to an enthusiast residing in Gravenwezel, Belgium. Finished in Rosso Corsa paint, the F50 was only rarely driven while being treated to a life of fastidious maintenance. When serviced by Kroymans in September 2002, the odometer displayed 5,147 km (~3,198 miles).
In January 2020 the Ferrari was the subject of a major service by Forza Service BV in Oss, the Netherlands, that cost in excess of €25,000. In addition to the maintenance of all fluids, filters, and belts, new ECU components were installed, and new tires were mounted.
Meticulously cared for by only one owner throughout its lifetime, chassis number 105111 displays only 7,227 km (4,491 miles) at time of cataloguing. Notably, the mileage is very well documented via annual “Contrôle Technique” service visits in Belgium. As further validation of the highly original nature of this example, expert Christian Beringer has measured and certified the paint on the car to be original and as it left the Factory. This blue-chip example is accompanied by a toolkit, a soft top, and the hardtop in its proper flight case; it is desirably documented with the certificate of origin, import paperwork, owner’s manuals, warranty book and service log, as well as the coveted “birth book,” a Ferrari-prepared binder showing the car’s assembly at the Factory in Maranello.
As a minimally used example that is very well documented and offered with the coveted delivery “goodies,” this highly desirable F50 would make a splendid acquisition for any level of marque collector, and is sure to distinguish any gathering of modern supercars.
