In period, the Ferrari 456 was the fastest production four-seater in the world. Powered by what was essentially a detuned version of the engine powering the 550 and 575, the new 5.5-litre V12 unleashed no less than 442 bhp and, except for the F40, the 456 was the most powerful road car developed by Ferrari up to that point.

Pininfarina worked its magic on the 456 to create a subtly beautiful and curvaceous body contrasting with the hard edges of its predecessor. Aerodynamically efficient, the 456 remained stable up to its maximum speed of around 190 mph. Acclaimed on its debut, the 456's styling has not dated and is a tribute to Pininfarina's vision in creating one of the most beautiful vehicle designs of modern times. The 'Modificata' 456 M appeared in 1998, starting with chassis number 109589 and incorporated a number of changes including improvements to the aerodynamics and cooling, and the interior, still featuring Connolly Leather, was freshened up with new seats and other detailing.

This original UK, right-hand drive, 456M GTA was delivered new on 7th September 1999 to a Mr C. Hewitt by Maranello Sales Ltd in Egham. The car displays an impressive mileage of only 34,000 miles from new and is supplied with its original service manual, tool kit, compressor, x2 keys and a number of invoices in the history file.

Finished in the superb colour of Blue Scuro with a black leather interior, the paintwork presents very well and the interior is a joy to behold, having benefitted from a recent refresh. The car starts up with a reassuring howl and the automatic gearbox selects gears smoothly and is perfect for grand touring.

Judging by the service history, it's clear that this 456 has been correctly maintained by the supplying dealer and other reputable servicing centres. More recently this example has been looked after by Rardley, who carried out its latest service in 2015, as shown below:

1: Maranello - 25/11/2002 @ 993 miles.
2: Maranello - 13/08/2003 @ 8,107 miles.
3: Maranello - 15/04/2004 @ 13,151 miles.
4: Maranello - 22/04/2005 @ 17,289 miles.
5: Maranello - 29/03/2006 @ 20,251 miles.
6: Maranello - 21/06/2010 @ 28,172 miles.
7: SMDG - 26/10/2012 @ 30,787 miles.
8: New Gearbox - 08/08/2013 @ 31,120 miles.
9: Rardley - 12/12/2013 @ 31,631 miles.
10: Rardley - 08/09/2015 @ 33,819 miles.

Supplied with an MoT certificate until 8th May 2016, this 456 is ready for the arrival of Spring and is a fine example of one of the great V12 Ferrari Grand Tourers, that until quite recently have been overlooked in the market place. Last year at the Race Retro Sale, Silverstone Auctions set a world record for a Ferrari 456 and since then interest in the model has been steadily growing as collectors realise what fantastic cars they truly are.

]]>