Estimated Price: £95,000 - £110,000

The Ferrari F355 Berlinetta burst onto the World stage in the spring of 1994, with the Targa GTS and Spider following in 1995. The F355's name is derived from its 3.5-litre V8 engine generating 374bhp at a spine-tingling 8,250rpm from five valves per-cylinder, as denoted by the Cinquevalvole inscription on the rocker covers. The F355 was the first road going Ferrari to have an F1-style gearbox, as an option alongside the six-speed manual. Buyers, however, still favoured the “click clack” from the chromed-steel open-gate that proceeded the howling exhaust note when manually changing gear, a sound enjoyed since 1948. In an increasingly digital age, manual Ferraris from the 1990s, combining analogue driving and modern styling, are undoubtedly the most desirable, commanding a significant premium in the current market.

Confirmed by the accompanying service book, this Spider was delivered new in Rossa Corsa with Crema leather, Bordeaux carpeting and specified with the fabulous 6-speed manual gearbox. The first owner, a Mr D. Compton, took delivery from Testarossa Cars S.A. to his Marbella address on 7th January 1998 and, weeks later, registered the car in the UK on 22nd January 1998. The history file includes a Sytner Nottingham sales invoice dated 29th September 1998 made out to a Mr C. Burton with an odometer reading of 818km. A year later, a Mr A. Smith purchased the car from Sytner with an odometer reading of 2,900km. We assume that, although both invoices record the odometer reading in miles, they actually represent kilometres, an error familiar to those who have ever argued with MOT testers, and naturally the accompanying documentation supports the odometer reading. The car was sold in 2004 to a Mr Woods, who kept it for a decade, owned briefly for a year by a Mr Bevin, and later enjoyed for three years by a Mr Gerrard until 2018.

Having owned and enjoyed an F355 GTB in the UK, a well known client of ours, Mr Johnson, set about looking for a good left-hand drive F355 Spider to use at his home in Monaco. After a satisfactory inspection report, he purchased this car on 1st April 2018 with 36,000km indicated. Coincidentally, the car had previously spent time in Monaco during Mr Smith's ownership and been serviced at Ets Cavallari, the service arm of Ferrari Monaco, in 2003. During its second residency, it was also maintained by them, until the car returned to the UK with Mr Johnson as he took over the reins of the family estate. With a stable of special Bentleys to enjoy, and 1,000 acres to manage, Mr Johnson successfully consigned the Ferrari to a sale of ours in 2022.

Purchased to be enjoyed at the, then, buyer’s French home, plans changed and the car was welcomed back to our auction halls in 2023. It was acquired from there by our vendor, who freely admits he underestimated how much use he could realistically get from a two seat convertible Ferrari whilst running a successful company combined with a young family. Regular, albeit short distance, dry weather motoring has added less than 2,000km to the odometer in three years, and despite the limited enjoyment, our vendor added to the extensive service and maintenance record with an April 2025 invoice for an engine and gearbox service, including a cambelt and tensioners. Additional works include attention to the roof, fitting new Michelin tyres and commissioning professional ceramic coating treatments to the coachwork.

Presented to auction with its tan leather tool kit and matching folio containing the handbooks together with a carefully collated folder showing meticulous maintenance records by noted specialists, purchase invoices and even a 1999 cutting from The Sunday Times classifieds with the car’s advertisement circled. The Cherished Registration Number N16 SSY, allocated to the car in 2005, is generously included in the sale, along with an advisory free MOT certificate issued in June 2026 at 42,086 kilometres or a shade over 26,100 miles in old money.

Very few left-hand drive Ferraris boast British ownership from new and, for domestic buyers who wish to use the car for continental touring, the service history and provenance is perhaps unparalleled. Equally, as a manual Ferrari F355 Spider finished in classic colours, today’s estimate represents real value for a European buyer in comparison to its contemporaries marketed on the continent.