﹒Early 360 with comprehensive history

﹒F1 sequential auto transmission with paddle-shift

﹒Rare DS Nero paint

﹒Original condition and long MOT

When it debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari 360 Modena received a sharp intake of breath from the assembled motoring media. 

It was a car with a lot to live up to, as the 355 before it was considered one of the most beautiful cars the Italian maker had ever built – and that was against an impressive back catalogue of breathtaking designs. 

The 360 was a lot more than an evolution of the 355, even if it did use a number of the earlier car’s chassis and suspension components. 

For starters, there was the styling. The square, chiselled looks of the 355 were ditched for something altogether more rounded and lithe, the pop-up headlamps replaced by fared-in lamp units to meet US safety legislation, but executed beautifully. 

The styling was complemented by a cosy, endurance racing-inspired cabin with a large centre tunnel and low-slung driving position, again detailed with all the delicacy you’d expect from the iconic Italian supercar maker. 

But neither the cabin nor the striking body styling were its most beguiling feature. That honour belonged to the engine, which had been made the centrepiece of the car. Rather than the 355’s flat rear deck and big cooling intakes, the flying buttresses were gone, the rear made more coupé-like and a large glass hatchback installed through which the 3.6-litre V8 could be seen in all its glory, with air force fed to it through twin side air intakes fed by huge venturi that ran alongside each side of the engine.

It was mechanical engineering as a work of art. An engine as a thing of beauty. And it was stunning. 

This example is an early 360 Modena, first registered in March 2000, not long after the start of right-hand-drive production and supplied by Stratstone of Manchester, a very well-known supplier of top-end cars . It was also specified with Ferrari’s new F1 sequential automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles, which (as its name suggests) was inspired by the transmission in Ferrari’s Grand Prix cars. 

Its current owner is a serial car collector, who chops and changes his fleet as often as his socks as he has a long list of cars he wants to experience. He has owned the 360 for around three years, but wants to sell it to buy another supercar.

JEZ 360 started life as W882 NWF and has also worn the number plate V7JYY in its life. The current registration, chosen by the vendor and most recently valued at £2,250, is included in the sale. 

It has had seven previous keepers, though two of them appear to have owned the car for the long-term according to the service history, which is pretty comprehensive.

The odometer reading of 77,927 is actually in kilometres – the car was supplied with a KPH speedo as it was such an early example and this is backed up by a letter from Ferrari themselves in the car’s history.

There’s an astonishing amount of documentation with this 360, including a service book stamped up to 77,397 km and a host of bills and receipts including one for a £8,700 gearbox rebuild and another for a £4,700 suspension overhaul in recent times. While this backs up the fact that owning a Ferrari isn’t cheap, it also proves that this car has seen a no-expense spared maintenance schedule during its life. 

The book is stamped as follows:

14/11/01 – 8,823km miles – Stratstone Manchester

28/10/02 – 12,327km – Stratstone Manchester 

10/10/03 – 15,893km - Stratstone Manchester

24/09/04 – 19,906km - Stratstone Manchester

13/07/05 – 24,196km – R&D Automotive, Manchester

12/05/06 – 25,755km - Stratstone Manchester

27/08/09 – 42,044km – R&D Automotive Manchester

25/08/11 – 54,250km – Prestige Autocare Ferrari Specialists, London

13/03/12 – 57,845km – HR Owen, London

17/08/13 – 62,660km – Prestige Autocare Ferrari Specialists, London

24/12/14 – 65,899km – Prestige Autocare Ferrari Specialists, London

14/03/16 – 67,888km – HR Owen, London 

30/03/17 – 71,186km – HR Owen, London

12/07/18 – 75,562km - HR Owen, London

07/06/19 – 77,379km - Prestige Autocare Ferrari Specialists, London

It also comes with a leather wallet containing the original owners’ manual, a collection of booklets detailing how to operate the Becker Travel Pro sat nav and infotainment system, a sat nav CD and a pile of old MOT certificates.

It’s pretty snug inside, but the 360 delivers a real sense of occasion. You sit low in sculpted bucket seats, while the stylised dash is trimmed in leather with red stitching, which matches the door cards.

Red carpets complete the look, while the seats themselves are black leather with red highlights. The stubby gear selector is finished in anodised aluminium and is a beautiful thing in itself, with gear ratios selected by flappy paddles either side of the steering wheel. 

The luggage bay is trimmed in black woven carpet with the toolkit and first aid kit in their original leather bags, the pedals are finished in drilled alloy and it comes with its original Becker Traffic Pro infotainment system, which is Ferrari-branded and includes a rudimentary sat nav system that was all the rage back in 2000.

Finished in rare DS Nero (solid black), the 360 is pretty discreet for a Ferrari. In the eyes of many, that will add to its appeal as the traditional red Ferrari can be considered a bit flash.

It’s in excellent order, with no notable dents or marks other than a few very small imperfections that can be put down to it being an original 21-year old car, such as a handful of stone chips and some fading to the yellow on the Ferrari badges, which will be easy to rectify if they bother you. 

The headlights are slightly cloudy, but should respond well to a polishing kit, while the five s-poke alloys are in excellent order, with no standout kerbing and score marks. It wears the correct Pirelli P-Zero tyres all round and comes with a rear mesh grille to aid cooling.

The vendor reports that the Ferrari drives exactly as you’d expect it to – fast and responsive and with no running issues. We were able to hear it running and confirm that the 400bhp V8 sounds amazing, firing up with a vicious snarl and with an eager idle that just cries out to be driven.

The service history and associated bills corroborate the fact it has been well looked after, with brake and suspension work carried out fairly recently.

If we need to explain the appeal of a Ferrari 360 with low mileage and a full service history then you’re looking in the wrong place! This is a great car with an equally impressive history that is crying out to be loved and enjoyed by its next owner. 

Its collector value is enhanced by the fact it’s a really early UK car, with a heavily documented past and a mostly main dealer history. You’ll struggle to find another one this good that’s not red!


Notice to bidders