When it was introduced in 1996 as Ferrari’s new flagship, the Maranello represented a surprising departure. For more than twenty years, Ferrari’s 12 cylinder top of the standard production range cars had been mid-engined, initially the Berlinetta Boxer, and later on, the three variants of the Testarossa. Designed to recall the glory days of Ferrari's legendary front-engine sports cars (notably the 275GTB and 365 GTB/4 Daytona), the Maranello was simultaneously contemporary and classic. The Pininfarina styling evoked all the grace, proportions, and muscularity of the great vintage Ferraris without succumbing to retro design idioms. The form factor also gives the car a usability and practicality that makes it well suited to regular use and grand touring.
Mechanically, the car represented a significant advance, with a quad cam naturally aspirated 485 hp V12 engine and 6-speed manual transaxle, which endowed the car with a 199 mph top speed. Together with the 456 with which it shared underpinnings, the 550 represented some of the most significant technical advancement that Ferrari road cars had seen since the 1960s.
This particular example is beautifully configured in Tour de France blue with crema interior with dark blue piping, stitching, carpets, dashboard, and console. It was sold new in Zurich, Switzerland (registered ZH 5144). It remained in Switzerland until 2011, at which point it was exported to the United Kingdom, where it was routinely serviced by either DK Engineering or the main Ferrari dealer H. R. Owen. The car was imported to the United States in January of 2024, and in March of 2025, the car received its most recent cam belt service at Patrick Ottis Company, at which time the oil was changed and the brake fluid flushed as well. Now with 31,200 kilometers from new, the car has been Classiche certified and is complete with books and tools, and the removed mufflers and catalytic converters. A Tubi headers-back exhaust system is currently fitted.
