1999 Ferrari F355 GTB F1

Only 4,985 miles from new and believed to retain all factory finishes, simply beautiful

Lovely spec including Rosso paint, Crema leather, Red calipers, and F1 paddle-shift gearbox

Last major service on December 17 at a highly regarded marque specialist. Offered with a fresh MOT

Incorporating the latest Formula 1 technology at the time, could the F1 variant be the collectors choice?

The Ferrari F355 is a modern classic, so beautiful, so well-engineered and so well received that it marked the beginning of the end of the old-guard "Ferraristi' philosophy that the only "real" Ferraris were ones with 12-cylinder engines. The Ferrari F355 Berlinetta and Targa GTS burst onto the world stage in the spring of 1994. It had almost exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor the 348, yet it was virtually a new car, as its stunning coachwork indicated. Many hours of wind tunnel testing influenced the harmonious shape which incorporated an F1 style flat bottom with an air flow channel that generated enough down-force to offset any lift.

The longitudinally mounted 3496cc V8 had a stunning 380 horsepower at a spine-tingling 8250 rpm. The gearbox now had six speeds with a new type of synchromesh that made it much easier to shift. New electronically adjustable shock absorbers varied their stiffness within milliseconds to suit the road surface. Around Ferrari's 1.86 mile Fiorano test track the 355 was two seconds a lap faster than the 12-cylinder 512 TR; that level of performance combined with its sensational shape made it a worldwide success story.

This particular F355 Berlinetta is a UK-supplied, right-hand-drive specified with the F1 paddle-shift gearbox, Crema leather, Bordeaux carpets and Red brake calipers, probably the optimum specification for a 355. At the time of launch, the F1 gearbox utilised, as the name suggests, technology descending directly from the 1989 Ferrari Formula 1 programme offering for the first time in a production sports car the ability to shift gears from the steering wheel without the use of the clutch pedal. An expensive £6,000 option that makes the F1 variant the rarest of all F355 produced with just 1,042 road going GTB"s. Retaining what we believe to be all original factory finishes and showing just under 5,000 miles, this example is one of the finest we have seen. The most recent invoice you will find in the history folder will be for a new MOT and prior to that a major service including belts carried out at a highly regarded Ferrari specialist dated December 2017.

Dry stored correctly new from new, this is a unique opportunity to own a Ferrari with timeless beauty, in superb original condition. If only the very best is good enough, wait no longer as this F355 is available on sale at a very realistic guide price.