1997 FERRARI 456 GTA

This 1997 Ferrari 456 GTA is a beautiful grand tourer in sound mechanical and cosmetic condition. Having gone into storage in recent years when showing just 38,869 miles from new, it is now ready to be freshly serviced to go back into regular or occasional driving duties. It is finished in Nero Carbonio paintwork with black leather upholstery. This four-seater Ferrari is equipped with the four-speed automatic transmission that makes it an effortless long-distance GT.

First registered in May 1997, this is an original UK-delivered car – understood to be one of just 61 right-hand drive examples with the automatic gearbox. In 2011, when the car had around 37,000 miles on the odometer, it was recorded as a Category D insurance loss, which means it was repairable but the insurer decided not to do so. The damage was subsequently rectified, and the car presents in good order today. The vendor acquired the Ferrari two years ago and covered just a few hundred miles in the car before putting it into professional storage under a valid SORN.

The Nero Carbonio Metallic paint is described as being in overall good condition by the vendor. It is believed to be the original factory finish, with no evidence of any repainted sections. A thorough inspection of the photographs shows several scratches around the front section, a few small scuffs on the rear bumper valance, and a hairline crack and blemish in the front bumper above the fog light.

Minor delamination of the windscreen surround can also be seen in the images, as well as the partial loss of the black coloured finish to the surrounding trim on both the front and rear glass. Finally, while the alloy wheels are in generally good order, there is some noticeable kerb damage to the rims in several places, as well as small instances where the paint finish has started to bubble.

The vendor also describes the car's black leather hide as being in good condition. At a glance, there is evident shrinking of the leather on the passenger airbag panel, which is a common issue for this era of Ferrari. The front seats are in very good order, showing signs of use but no significant wear. The rear seats appear to be pristine. A report by the vendor states that the central locking is in need of some attention, and also that the air-conditioning is currently inoperable.

There are invoices totalling some £5,000 for work on the Ferrari 456 completed during the current ownership. In November 2016 at 38,217 miles, the previous keeper spent £10,000 on a mechanical overhaul at Rardley Motors in Surrey, including renewal of the cambelts.

Its last MOT test was in December 2016, resulting in advisories for some wear to the front passenger seatbelt, and the offside rear tyre needing replacement. The latter was taken care of in May 2017, with a full set of brand-new Pirelli tyres fitted to the car. At the same time, it was given a full health check by Dick Lovett Ferrari, and has covered less than 200 miles since then.

The car is accompanied by a file of paperwork from previous owners, as well as a copy of all invoices for work carried out in the current ownership. This Ferrari 456 GTA is a solid example of an elegant V12 grand tourer. Having been driven sparingly by the seller, this car now deserves to be lightly recommissioned following its period in storage and used as intended on the open road.