• First registered on the 01/03/1996 and finished in Nero with matching Nero interior, a rare combination for the 456
• Maranello Concessionaires Archive confirms that just 141 manual 456 GTs were supplied to the UK with a base price of £145,000
• 5.5-litre, 48-valve, V12 derived from the Dino V6. 436bhp, 0-60 in 5.2 seconds
• The odometer indicates 57,321 miles making the car eminently usable without having to be concerned about adding a few miles to a ridiculously low-mileage example
• Supplied to auction with book packs that includes the service book and an advisory-free MOT Certificate valid until 16th June 2022
• Very few cars at this estimate offer a 6-speed manual gearbox mated to a V12 engine with luxurious interior and a Ferrari badge

The 456's looks are smooth and understated, and distinctive external features include a small grille with fog lights on the outside, bonnet-mounted air scoops, a motorised undercarriage spoiler that begins its deployment above 65 mph, and pop-up headlights, making this the last Ferrari to do so. By today’s standards the 456 can be viewed as the last Ferrari to offer uncompromising styling and luxury interior comfort. The model was warmly received by press and enthusiasts alike, and although not produced in large numbers was always gently in demand by 'silver-haired' Ferrari owners before it was eventually replaced in 2004 by the 612 Scaglietti. The Maranello Concessionaires Archive confirms that just 141 manual 456 GTs were supplied to the UK.
 
The name '456' refers to the fact that each cylinder displaces 456 cubic centimetres and this was the last Ferrari to use this naming convention. Despite its supercar performance, 436bhp, 0-60mph in 5.2 secs, and a top speed of 188mph, the 456 has a relatively unstressed engine which has proven to be a very reliable unit. Developed during the Schumacher era, the 456's construction was ground-breaking featuring composite and aluminium bodywork, cutting-edge body to chassis mating technology, along with four-wheel electronically adjustable suspension, resulting in a super lightweight 1,690 kg. The Ferrari 456 had no direct rival, as it does today, the antiqued Aston Martin V8 was too bloated and the Porsche 911 was simply not special enough.
 

When this 456 GT was specified in Nero coachwork with a matching Nero leather interior, it not only bucked the trend for the 456 but also the GT market at the time. Black paint was the preserve of aggressive sports cars of the 1980s, and by the mid-1990s the supercar market had moved towards a softer palette or established 'on brand' marque colours. Most Ferraris of the ‘90s either came in traditional Rossa Corsa (predictable), Giallo Fly (lairy), Argento (boring) or Nero, combining understatement and aggression in one colour. This car’s triple black combination beautifully offsets the aluminium instruments and open-gate gear shift like no other 456.
 
Offered to auction with a history file that includes the book pack and the stamped service book. At the time of cataloguing the indicated mileage was 57,321 and the advisory free MOT Certificate is valid until 11th June 2022.