Ferrari F355 Berlinetta F1, £71,750: It has been a tough year for certain classic exotics, including some Ferraris such as the F355 of 1995- 99. At one recent auction, three of the five F355s offered for sale failed to find buyers. The two that did were a 1997 Spider manual with 25,000 miles that made £72,000 and a 1996 Berlinetta manual with 16,000 miles and some sought-after options that fetched £92,000.
It’s hard to say why the remaining three failed to sell but the pair that did had been refurbished and were finished in bright colours. Both were also manuals and had low mileage.
So what future for this 1999-reg Berlinetta F1 that we found for £71,750? Being finished in Rosso Red with contrasting cream leather interior, it’s off to a great start. The mileage (30,000) is good, too. The private seller claims it has been maintained regardless of cost, recent work including a cambelt change by a Ferrari specialist. The service history book is full, he says, with all invoices available for viewing.
It’s all looking good so far, the only cloud on the horizon being its F1 automated manual gearbox. This version is rare but that’s because new it cost £6000 more than the manual.
Inspection-wise, we’d check there’s no oily smoke on start-up and the exhaust manifold, coolant hoses and radiators are sound. The gearbox pump can fail, as can suspension springs and handbrake cables, so we’d also peer at those. Corrosion can be an issue in the engine bay and the base of the buttresses.
Finally, after that hot summer, we’d check the dashboard covering isn’t tacky. When it comes to F355s, you can’t afford to take any chances.
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I was lucky enough to have a
S4 or Cayenne?
Neither - if you're going to the Alps you want long distance comfort, space and efficiency. Both those will drink fuel and the S4 isn't even that practical. Think big estate so Volvo V70 or perhaps that Mondeo listed above (even if it is on the wrong wheels). Maybe Octavia Scout or similar, or for a little fun, if you can stomach the thirst, a Legacy 3.0R. AWD not essential though, just put a set of winter tyres on and you're sorted.
Haven't seen an mx6 in years,