Chris Rea’s Ferrari F355 – Classified of the Week

Bad news for the Rea family, as it looks like Chris will be hitchhiking home this Christmas. Normally a massive advocate for driving home for the holidays, he now can’t. Why? Because Chris Rea’s 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta is for sale. No longer will it be used on the road to hell, it won’t be seen parked outside the the blue café, and instead Chris will be wondering where do we go from here? Maybe he can call Josephine for a lift? That’s his problem though, the curse of the traveller you might say. Anyway, we just sell cars. MOVING ON.

That was fun. Now, the car. Chris Rea’s very own 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta. He bought this new, and being a man of evidently fine taste, he didn’t go for the commonplace red and instead opted for a far more moody hue of Blu Scuro Micalizzato. As you can see, it suits the car perfectly, especially when combined with the immaculate Crema leather and Blu interior. The F355 is a a design classic; an example of automotive beauty and perfect design at its peak. It doesn’t need to be a day-glow colour, as proven here. This will turn as many, if not more heads, than your ‘normal’ red one. Rea was no fool.

Of course, Mr. Rea wasn’t just about the looks. He knew what he wanted when it came to the noisy bits, too. Which is why this one is the highly desirable early 2.7 Motronic version (that’s the Motronic unit spec, it’s still a 3.5 flat-plane V8, worry not). Oh, and it boasts a gated six-speed manual, too. That’s 375hp a your direct control, delivered straight to the rear wheels. It is, should the mood take you, the ultimate driver’s car. An exciting, visceral, thrilling machine that will make you giggle with delight every time you plant the throttle.

While for many Chris Rea’s F355 may well be the ultimate example in the ultimate specification, it seems ol’ Chris was a busy man during his tenure. Proof can be found by looking at the odometer, which reads a mere 25,500 miles. However, this hasn’t stopped Bell Sport & Classic – the vendors – from giving this car a full and comprehensive refresh in readiness for its new owner. And given they’re experts in the Ferrari world, that’s very good news indeed. You will need to provide your own Chris Rea tapes, though. Yes, tapes. 1995 remember.

Celebrity owned, an incredible one-of-one specification, gated manual, low mile, refreshed and ready to go, this 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta is a true once in a lifetime opportunity. You could drive it (home for Christmas?), you could put it in the world’s finest collection or you could just pop a chair in front of it and stare at it. Whatever you choose, it’ll be money well spent because really, can money be spent badly when it’s on a Ferrari F355?