1992 Ferrari 348 TS 'Targa'

Purchased new by our vendor in April 1992 and one owner from registration to date

Right-hand drive, manual gearbox, UK car supplied by Evans Halshaw Dudley

'Rosso Corsa' red exterior, magnolia and red interior

Totally cherished, only 5,500 miles, and in excellent condition throughout

Original handbook and complete toolkit. Fresh MOT prior to the auction. J7 PRP remains with the car

First seen in prototype form in 1987, the Ferrari 348 entered production in 1989, replacing the popular and successful 328GTB/GTS. It was to be the last design under the supervision of legendary chief stylist Leonardo Fioravanti, and a lot of the styling cues came from the Testarossa, particularly the side strakes, however, its forms were softer than those of the 328 but still curvaceous, and with a longer wheelbase and wider track the interior had a bit more space. Although mid-engined, as was its predecessor, the 348 differed by mounting its four-valves-per-cylinder, quad-cam V8 3.4-litre engine longitudinally, enabling it to be positioned lower in the chassis. A further development was the introduction of a transversely mounted five-speed gearbox using innovative technology derived from the company's Formula 1 program. This meant that the transmission was mounted deeper in the chassis and consequently lowered the centre of gravity which has a beneficial effect on handling and road holding. Initially typed 'TB' and 'TS (Transversale Berlinetta and Transversale Spyder) the 348 reverted to Ferrari's traditional nomenclature partway through production. With its aerodynamic skirts, spoilers, a wheel at each corner, and distinctive gill slots feeding air to side-mounted radiators, the stocky 348 looked very much like a scaled-down Testarossa and, with around 300bhp on tap and a top speed of 170mph, gave little away in terms of outright performance to its larger, 12-cylinder sibling.

This very smart 348TS with the removable 'Targa' roof panel was built in right-hand drive with a manual gearbox, finished in Rosso Corsa with a Magnolia interior, and supplied to Evans Halshaw in Dudley in early 1992. It was purchased from there in April of 1992 by our vendor and has remained his pride and joy ever since. Whilst he has used the car regularly over the years, he doesn't go too far and the odometer currently reads 5,517 miles which equates to about 212 miles a year. Despite the tiny mileage the Ferrari has been fastidiously serviced and maintained and every detail of this attention is contained in the owner's file along with older MOTs, and the V5 etc. As you might expect, the original handbooks and tools remain in situ and are in the same cherished condition as the rest of this lovely Ferrari. The car will be MOT'd just prior to the auction and the 'private plate' (J7 PRP) will remain with the car.

The 348 was not quite as well-received as its predecessors initially, however, things have changed substantially, prompted by some decent retrospective road tests by leading journalists, and 348s have started to appreciate significantly. This one-owner, right-hand drive Targa, at this mileage, and in this immaculate condition, is an important opportunity and we welcome any inspection of this sparkling Ferrari.