The 550 Manarello was Ferrari’s first two-seater, front-engined V12 car since the demise of the 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ in 1973. Unveiled in 1996 at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, the Marenello featured a traditional Ferrari recipe: two seats, smooth styling by Pininfarina, a 478hp V12 powerplant sending power to the rear wheels, and the usual melodic exhaust note that is expected from the marque of the Cavallino.

As far as numbers, 0 to 100kmph was done in a smudge under 4 seconds, and top speed was achieved at the 320kmph (199mph) mark. The car’s performance, despite its origins as a grand tourer, earned it some wins at the FIA GT championships from 2001 to 2005.

A few special editions were made on this basis; amongst the most famous ones were the 550 Barchetta (a roadster version) and the 550 GTZ coupé, styled by Zagato.

This Le Mans Blue Ferrari 550 was sold new in Padua, Italy, on May 6th, 1998. The car changed hands twice in Italy before being exported to the Emirates, where it was owned for 10 consecutive years by a meticulous collector in Dubai; later, in the early 2020’s, it was purchased by our client in Abu Dhabi. The car has been maintained to a high standard by a reputed independent specialist in Dubai, and later, under our client, by his local Ferrari dealer, who also certified the car with the Classiche ‘red book’ in March 2022.