In addition to its regular stable of exquisite berlinettas and spiders, Ferrari has long been known for crafting limited-production cars of superior quality and specifications for its top-shelf clientele. While such models in prior decades generally took the form of luxurious grand touring machines such as the 400 Superamerica or the 330 GTC, the character of the premium examples in the mid-1980s pivoted with the newfound interest in sports car racing. Over the next 15 years, Maranello introduced a small number of commemorative performance cars that redefined the limits of a production automobile, culminating with the brilliant Enzo.

The modern Ferrari hypercar lineage began with the 288 GTO, which was further developed into the F40. The F50 followed, building on a fresh platform and a new V-12. In 2002, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo – the Italian automaker’s then president – revealed that Ferrari’s latest supercar would be named after the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. Citing the triumphs of the Scuderia’s Formula 1 driving champion Michael Schumacher, the CEO summarized, “In 1999 we won the manufacturers’ championship; in 2000 we added the drivers’ championship for the first time in 21 years. We won the last championship of the 20th century, and the first of the 21st century. I wanted to celebrate this with a car very much like Formula One. After honoring Modena and Maranello, we felt this was the right car to honor the name of our founder.”

The reference by Schumacher was no flight of fancy, as the Enzo was clearly far more rooted in Formula 1 technology than any of the prior Ferrari supercars. The chassis was centered on a lightweight cockpit tub fashioned from carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb, weighing just 200 lbs. Aluminum subframes connected to the tub were then mounted with body panels made of carbon fiber and Kevlar.

The coachwork was the source of much discussion, and after several iterations were evaluated; Pininfarina designer Ken Okuyama sketched an angular machine that appeared to be a Formula 1 car with a skin stretched over it to cover the wheels and cockpit. The design was then massaged with testing in the coachbuilder’s wind tunnel to ensure maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The purposeful styling was further emphasized with vertically rising scissor doors and 19” alloy wheels.

Mechanically, the decision was made to again employ a V-12 – rather than the turbocharged V-8s used in the 288 GTO and F40 – though the F50’s engine was eschewed in favor of a brand-new 65° motor. The type F140B engine displaced six liters and was built with high-tech competition components such as Nikasil cylinder liners, titanium connecting rods, and a telescoping intake manifold that provided a torque boost. The engine was the largest that Ferrari had built since the 712 Can Am racing car of the 1970s, and was mated to a dual-clutch, paddle-actuated six-speed transaxle with lightning-quick shifts. Performance was nothing less than extraordinary, with the V-12 developing 651 hp and 485 lbs./ft. of torque, good for 3.3-second blast offs to 60 mph from standstill and an incredible top speed of 218 mph. Brembo carbon ceramic brakes with 15” rotors were equipped for optimal stopping power.

Even by the standards of the Enzo model, most of which are stored by collectors and scantily used, this sensational example is distinguished by its remarkably minimal usage, with just 2,727 miles at the time of cataloguing. Chassis 136089 was completed at the Ferrari factory on September 30, 2004, finished in the gorgeous color of Grigio Titanio (Titanium Gray), one of only six Enzos that were painted in the striking shade. The Ferrari was sold new in Switzerland to Shannon James, a pharmaceutical executive living in Stein. Mr. James enjoyed his new Ferrari on the first international Enzo Rallye and Tour from Maranello to Modena and Mugello in 2005. He clearly cherished the Ferrari, as service records on file from 2006 to 2016 show the care that was lavished on the Enzo.

In 2013, the Enzo received its Ferrari Classiche Red Book, certifying it as an example with its original chassis, engine, gearbox, body, brakes, and suspension. In 2016, the Enzo was sold to Stefan Mayr of Germany, who kept the Ferrari until 2019, when it was sold to the consignor, a noted American collector of the world’s finest classic and modern sports cars.

J.K. Technologies of Baltimore was hired to federalize the car, and the firm, respected as the pre-eminent resource for federalization, converted the Enzo to US specifications. A note on file to the consignor from the owner of J.K. Technologies, Jonathan Weisheit, states, “To date, we have imported and converted 12 or 15 Ferrari Enzos for various customers across the USA. Your Enzo #399 is, by far, the best example of the Enzo we have ever seen. It goes along with all of your other cars that we have been privileged to import and modify for your amazing collection.”

Since receiving the Enzo, the consignor has driven it sparingly and stored it in his climate-controlled collector car facility. The Ferrari is complete with its Ferrari Classiche Red Book, report by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, tool kit, and manuals. Particularly elegant in its rare and highly desirable color scheme, and displaying just 2,727 miles at the time of cataloguing, this stunning Enzo would make an ideal acquisition for the consummate Ferrari collector who is assembling a showroom-quality collection of Maranello’s supercars. Ferrari enthusiasts can look forward to ownership of the marque’s crowning millennial achievement, a model so dynamic in performance and character that it could only be named after il Commendatore himself.