• Original low mileage UK & Jersey Car • Has just been serviced at Autofficina for £1,524 • Desirable 'Tour De France' paint • Being UK Registered by the vendor • Full-Service History
• Excellent condition throughout
• Desirable six-speed manual gearbox • Cambelts and service 6 months ago
The Background
First rolled out in 1995, with the Spider following a year later, the compact yet brutal F355 came with a comparatively small engine capacity, but this proved to no sacrifice any of its talents. This is partly due to Ferrari's Formula One involvement in technology and aerodynamics but also the brand understanding of what makes a Ferrari uniquely special in an increasingly competitive market.
Surprisingly docile around town, the car still manages to excel where it counts - the open road. The rear mid-mounted F355 brought the brand back into the limelight for all the right reasons and as result became Ferrari's best selling car at the time.
This 1998 Spider comes with the preferred manual six-speed gearbox and has seen regular maintenance, with evidence in the paperwork documenting over 25K worth of spending. Coming with the expected full-service history, its interior and exterior presentation have been maintained to a high degree of care, with a further recent 4.5K bill to offer further assurance.
The car has seen 5 registered owners over its lifetime, all of which have dug deep into their pockets to contribute to its upkeep. This is confirmed by the substantial amount of paperwork. After spending its first 13 years in the South-East of the UK, the car was shipped over to Jersey in 2011. Needless to say, the high level of maintenance and servicing had been continued, with the car only covering around 5,000 miles over the last 10 years.
While on the island, the car was also shipped over to the Ferrari specialists Shiltech Performance cars at a considerable cost. It was returned back to the mainland recently and has been subjected to a substantial health check to ensure the car is in tip-top shape.
Registered new at HR Owen in London in 1998, the car comes with a full record of service stamps, which includes three cam belt changes over its lifetime. There is also evidence of in the excess of £25,000 worth of invoices covering the engine, tyres, cosmetics and running gear maintenance and parts. The car saw several big item bills within the first 10 years of its life, which includes a new clutch, re-synchronized throttle bodies, ECU upgrades, PAS Hydraulics, a new windscreen and a front end repaint.
The most recent bills are for £6,000, which covered an engine-out health check, roof mechanism and fabric repair, hub and brake overhauls, as well as a recent cambelt change in June this year (300 miles ago) and a final service a few weeks ago in preparation for sale and to make sure that the car is in fine fettle for the new owner. The invoices cover a range of specialists, including HR Owen and Shiltech, the latter of which fitted new manifolds, de-cat pipes and new gear bushes. The car has also seen its VAT paid for since it arrived in the UK from Jersey and is being registered for use on UK roads by the vendor.
It comes with a good record of MOT certificates, with the car being sold with a fresh MOT that expires in October 2022. It also comes with its Ferrari leather wallet, with a complete set of its handbooks as well as the original toolkit.
The interior has been well looked after, and the materials have resisted the years well, with no outstanding issues. The seats are in good shape, retaining their firmness with a little wear noted on the driver's side right bolster. The Connolly hide is in good condition with its stitching largely intact and has been treated recently.
The door cards and carpets are in good shape and damp free, with no significant wear or scuffs noted. There are no signs of water ingress in the cabin.
The dashboard is in a similarly good state, with no cracks or damage. The centre console shows a little more wear, particularly on the rubberised coating but doesn’t distract too much. All of the driver functions are operational including the heater and air-con. The car is fitted with a Sony multi-disc changer head unit.
The Spider’s roof mechanism operates as expected, with both front seats moving forward as part of the process. The electric motors do not sound strained. Both the steering wheel and gear lever are well preserved, with a few minor blemishes noted on the leather wheel. The leather tonneau cover is in very good shape and is a good fit. The roof lining is intact, with no damage observed.
The car comes with its original leather tool kit and tan leather hood cover. The front luggage compartment is free from significant wear, with the carpets in good condition and free of dampness.
Structurally in great shape, there are also no issues of note. The wheel arch lips, jacking points and windscreen surround all appear to be solid. The engine support cradle looks good. The panel gaps are equal throughout, with a positive flush fit. The doors open and close seamlessly, the struts and hinges all supporting the weights. There are no signs of body damage, dents or deformation.
The paint is in good order throughout, with no significant chips observed. The finish of the ‘Tour De France’ metallic blue paint reveals a beautiful lustre and an even hue throughout. The bumpers are scuff-free, with no door chips or touch up paint noted on the car. Please note that the dark patches on the front grill area come from the exhaust of another car and will wipe off.
The lights and lenses are in good condition with no damage or cracks, although the off-side front fog lens has clouded over time. The glass is free from damage, the front screen and mouldings were replaced early in the cars life. The side glass is similarly blemish-free with operational electric window lifts. All door and glass rubber are in good health, with no suggestions of perishing or leaks.
All of the alloys wheels are in excellent condition having been clear coated, and show no signs of damage or misuse. The Pirelli P-Zero rear tyres date from 2013, the front items are slightly older, but all are in good condition with plenty of tread left on them. The car has been fitted with a rear Challenge grill and front Ferrari side shields.
Naturally, it would be foolhardy to even consider a Ferrari without full-service history, so the watertight paperwork should add confidence to a potential buyer that the car has been maintained by specialists at a considerable cost and it is essential that corners are not cut with a car of this calibre. The physical appearance of the engine is good, with no issues with the hoses or radiator condition.
The ancillaries and wiring and pipes all look in good health, with confirmation that the car does not leak any fluids. The radiator cores are good and fully operational. The out tanks have been sandblasted and painted.
As hoped, the ignition lights go off once the magnificent engine is fired up. The car idles smoothly, with no rattling coming from the engine. Once on the move, the oil pressure remained stable and no issues with the engine temperature. The noise of the car can only be described as glorious - there simply is no other way to describe it. The exhausts show no black deposits, with no signs of white smoke at any point.
There are no rattles from the six-speed gearbox, with the clutch in full working order with a decent biting point. The brakes and suspension components appear to be in good physical condition and in excellent working order, with no damage to the springs noted. The car has been fitted with an upgrade Larini exhaust which improves performance and produces a subtle but sensational note .
Naturally, any Ferrari is going to be an immensely satisfying prospect. The F355 Spider offers the option of genuine open-top motoring combined with the glorious and unique spine-tingling Ferrari V8 soundtrack.
Established as one of the best cars to come out of Maranello, due to Ferrari pulling up their sleeves to improve reliability, quality and usability, yet the car doesn’t sacrifice anything when it comes to driver involvement, power or styling.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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1998 Ferrari F355 Spider Manual RHD
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