Description
This is lot number 516 in the Bonhams Beaulieu Sale on September 14th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Displayed by Ferrari at the 2006 Paris Motor Show
Left-hand drive
Equipped with the desirable HGTC package
UK-registered since 2021
Circa 23, 500 kilometres from new
In naming its new four-seater Gran Turismo after Carrozzeria Scaglietti, Ferrari acknowledged the immense contribution made by its Maranello neighbour and close collaborator over the preceding 50 years. Founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 and now a wholly owned subsidiary, the company has been responsible for manufacturing many of Ferrari's most memorable cars.
The 612's design brief called for a car capable of accommodating four adults in comfort - rather than being merely a '2+2' - without sacrificing any of the superlative driving dynamics expected by dedicated Ferraristi. Introduced in 2004, the result was the biggest Ferrari road car ever, yet one that weighed less than the smaller 456M.
In styling the 612, Pininfarina paid homage to one of its most famous past creations: the fabulous 375 MM commissioned by renowned Italian film-maker Roberto Rossellini for his wife, Ingrid Bergman, the long nose and scalloped sides of which find echoes in the Scaglietti. No content with merely shedding weight as a means of boosting performance, the 612 featured an improved version of the 575M Maranello's 5, 748cc 65-degree V12 engine producing 540bhp and 434lb/ ft of torque, while the improved F1 semi-automatic transmission now changed ratios more quickly. Lighter, more powerful and endowed with superior suspension and brakes, the 612 Scaglietti was around six seconds per lap quicker around Ferrari's Fiorano test track than the 456M. Its top speed? 198mph (315km/ h).
A worthy rival for a Bentley or Mercedes, the beautiful Ferrari supercar offered is finished in Tour de France Blue with grey leather interior and has the desirable performance-enhancing HGTC package of upgrades. This particular 612 was displayed on Ferrari's stand at the 2006 Paris Motor Show before being shipped to its first private owner in the United Arab Emirates where it remained for several years until being imported into the UK. The current vendor purchased the Ferrari at a UK auction in February 2021, at which time it had yet to be UK registered. Only some 400 kilometres have been covered since then, the car has been recently details by Classic Car Oil London, and it is presented in a condition commensurate with such sparing usage from new.
