***Photographs supplied by Vendor***

Highlights

5.5-litre V12 engine, six-speed manual gearbox with gated change
Red leather upholstery in very good overall condition
A worthy successor to the front engined Ferrari 412i and Daytona
Registered in Luxembourg

The Appeal

A series of front-engined V12 grand tourers has run through Ferrari’s history, starting with the 250 in 1952 and continuing today with cars like the 812 GTS. This 1999 Ferrari 456M GT Coupé is a most worthy gentleman’s express. For a car that wears the infamous Cavallino Rampante, the 456 is understated, elegant and nostalgic; clearly paying homage to its GT predecessors the 412i and Daytona.

With the signature gated gear change synonymous with classic Ferrari and pop-up headlamps at the end of that long bonnet, you feel incredibly special behind the wheel of the 456. This particular car displays just 52,983 kilometres on the odometer and has clearly been well looked after its whole life.

Beneath an elegant and subtle exterior finished in Blu Tour de France, this 456 retains its original numbers matching 5.5-litre V12 engine and sumptuous six-speed gearbox. In spite of wearing silk gloves, this 442 bhp Ferrari still packs one heck of a punch.

The History and Paperwork

Registered in Luxembourg
Imported into the Netherlands
52,983 kilometres indicated on the odometer

The Interior

Tastefully upholstered in red leather
Gated manual gear change
Very little wear

Hailing from before the days of Ferraris having aggressive sports seats and a plethora of LCD screens, the 456M GT Coupé is upholstered in swathes of red leather and the seats are no less comfortable than your favourite armchair. They’re refreshingly analogue as well. There are no satellite navigation screens or digital rev counters flashing messages at you. Instead, you have a few simple gauges telling you all you need to know and nothing more, meaning there is nothing to distract you from the simple pleasure of just driving.

This is a 23 year old car now, but there is really very little wear to report. Naturally the driver’s seat is slightly more worn than the others but besides some gentle creasing, there is nothing of note beyond the lightest smattering of patina. Akin to the simplicity of the instruments, with no fiddly buttons, the steering wheel too is a refreshingly simple affair, alleviating the risk of accidentally changing the radio station or calling your bank manager as you dial in some opposite lock.

This car’s real party piece is that gated gear change, the polished lever protruding like Excalibur from the transmission tunnel. As this Ferrari has seemingly travelled a mere 52,983 kilometres during its lifetime, there is not much wear to any of the controls either.

We struggle to think of many greater places to sit than inside this 456. The red leather was a great choice and the analogue feel means that none of the controls or accessories feel half as dated as many cars built ten years later.

The Exterior

Blu Tour de France (522)
Simple five-spoke alloy wheels
Minimalist trim and badging

We simply love how understated this Ferrari is on the outside and the Blu Tour de France paintwork very attractive without being at all loud. Pinninfarina’s script adorns the sides of the car although even if it weren’t there, any car enthusiast worth their salt would be able to recognise who penned those swooping lines.

As for the condition of the paintwork, we couldn’t see any excessive wear or any damage of note. With the car having covered so little distance, there are few stone chips and it is clear that past owners have taken great care of it.

It sits upon simple yet very attractive 5-spoke alloys which all look to be in good condition. The pop-up headlamps are a great touch and contribute to the car’s clean, sleek appearance.

The Mechanics

442 bhp 5.5-litre V12
Six-speed manual gearbox
Rear-wheel drive

There are few combinations that are quite so marvellous as a naturally aspirated V12, a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive. The 456 was hardly pioneering in this respect, but today few cars can give you that experience.

The vendor informs us that this car is in fine fettle mechanically and drives exceptionally well with no untoward noises or smoke.

Summary

Few cars manage to be quite so visceral and yet also so tasteful as the 456M GT. This 1999 example is in a particularly choice specification and would be an excellent way to storm across continents.

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