Description
This is lot number 111 in the Bonhams Zoute sale on October 6th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Desirable European delivery example with six-speed manual gearbox
Rosso Corsa over Nero interior
Just over 49, 000 km from new
Known service history
Recent major service at 49, 081 km
German title
"Let's just go straight to it: the Ferrari F355 is one of the best cars ever to have come out of Maranello. The 355 replaced the rather lacklustre 348 and was a distinct improvement in both looks and dynamic ability. A quantum leap, if you like." Auto Express.
First presented to the motoring press in May 1994, the F355 effectively re-forged the reputation of Ferrari's V8 which, 328 and 348 notwithstanding, had suffered since the introduction of the Mondial 'world car'. The latter, with its four seats, well-appointed interior, and - relatively - soft ride, was considered far too sensible to be a 'proper' Ferrari; the F355 though, was cast in the mould of that great driver's car: the Dino 246 GT. Just how great an advance it was may be gauged from the fact that the F355's best time around Ferrari's Fiorano test track was three seconds quicker than the formidable 512 TR's.
Despite its prodigious performance the F355 was no mere 'racer on the road', but a thoroughly modern automobile employing state-of-the-art technology, in the form of computer-controlled variable damping, to reconcile the differing requirements of ultimate roadholding and acceptable comfort. A light-action clutch, proportional power-assisted steering, and driver's air bag were other features calculated to make the car reassuringly user-friendly.
The heart of the F355, though, was its phenomenal 3. 5-litre V8 engine. Equipped with four overhead camshafts and five valves per cylinder - a layout borrowed from Ferrari's Formula 1 engine - this remarkable unit produced a claimed 370bhp at 8, 250rpm, with 268lb/ ft of torque available from 5, 000 to 6, 500rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox, mounted transversely behind the longitudinally disposed engine, ensured a sufficiency of ratios to keep the motor on the boil whatever the situation. Subsequently the F355 could be ordered with the Formula 1-developed six-speed automated manual transmission, which became a popular choice. A total of just 2, 690 Spiders were produced with 6-speed manual gearbox (both EU and US production) out of the total F355 production of 11, 265 examples.
One of relatively few EU-delivered Spiders equipped with the desirable six-speed manual transmission (most were ordered with the aforementioned 'paddle shift' automated manual gearbox), this car was delivered new via Auto Becker in Düsseldorf, Germany. Finished in the ever-popular colour combination of Rosso Corsa with Nero interior. The Ferrari seems to have stayed in Germany since delivery and has always been treated like a collector's item; not surprisingly, it remains in excellent and highly original condition today, with a very clean engine bay and interior. This car has clearly been well looked-after both cosmetically and mechanically, as evidenced by the stamped service booklet. The last major service (including changing the belts) was carried out in January 2023 at 49, 081 kilometres. All its original books are retained and the car is offered with German registration documents, ready to be enjoyed.
