Ferrari F50 (1995)

Following in the footsteps of the fabled F40, Ferrari’s F50 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1995. Hugely influenced by Formula 1 design and technology at the time, at the F50 heart was a naturally aspirated V-12 engine derived from Ferrari’s 642 F1 car, campaigned during the 1991 Formula 1 World Championship. With 512 bhp on tap, its Formula 1 origins and 8,000 rpm redline made the engine truly sonorous when driven as its manufacturers intended. Top speed was claimed as being 202 mph and from a standstill, the F50 would sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds.

As if its performance wasn’t enough, what truly set the F50 apart from its competitors at the time was its open-top body style, allowing buyers to choose from the closed comfort of a Berlinetta or the thrill of an open-top sports car, and no open-top sports car on sale at the time could match the sheer performance of the F50. Top-down, the driving experience that the F50 provided its lucky driver and passenger was a close as one could get to driving a road-legal Formula 1 car. Only 349 examples would be built, far fewer than the F40 that preceded it.

The factory build of this example began on 13th October 1995, with its factory completion and date of delivery to supplying dealer noted as 28th November. The first owner of this example was a noted Ferrari collector and classic motorsports competitor, his F50 would stand apart from the others. This example is the 1st of just 4 cars to leave the factory in Grigio Argento Fer 101/C, this one uniquely optioned with seats inserts and luggage in Giallo. The colour itself, transitioned to Argento Nürburgring after the F50 production run was completed but all four silver F50s were built in and would be Classiche certified as Grigio Argento.

From the official production run of cars, the colour breakdown is as follows:

• 302 Rosso Corsa
• 31 Giallo Modena
• 8 Rosso Barchetta
• 4 Nero DS 1250
• 4 Grigio Argento

Of the 4 in Grigio Argento, all find themselves within significant collections. All are ‘Euro’ specification cars and none of the original silver cars have ever been in the USA before now.

• 1st Supplied new to Austria
• 2nd Supplied new to Japan
• 3rd Supplied new to UK
• 4th Supplied new to Holland

Supplied new by Austrian dealership Wolfgang Denzel AG of Vienna, this example found custodianship with its first keeper, Mr Jean-Robert Grellet of Lustenau, Austria although the car would be registered on a German registration mark ‘DO-F50’ or Dornbirn.

Grellet used the car regularly and as a keen and active member of the Ferrari club scene, he attended a number of events with the car. Throughout 1996 the car was seen often; the Radstadt club meeting, to the Girard-Perregaux F50 watch presentation in Switzerland. During the Ferrari Factory Finals at Mugello, Grellet’s F50 was the victim of practical joke gone wrong – he reported the car as stolen but some friends had ‘hidden’ the car in a nearby field and the car was relocated shortly after.

His use of the car would not diminish, with the F50 being used to attend the 1996 Monegasque Ferrari club meeting and the Factory 50th Anniversary celebrations in June of 1997.

The car was placed for sale in the Brooks Gstaad auction in December of 1998 having covered 22,500 km. The car was unsold on the night, with a deal taking place shortly after. The car was purchased by a prominent collector and imported into the UK in 1999 earning its UK registration mark at this time. The car visited H.R. Owen Ferrari for three services including the replacement of its dash binnacle. During a holiday to Lake Como in 2001, the F50 was pinched from a public parking garage.

Two years later, the car would be registered in Japan for the first time. Protected by Japanese Civil Code that protects purchases of movable objects such as cars or jewellery, so long as they were made in good faith, the F50 would remain in Japan. Such is the strength of this code, that despite it being taken from its British owner, the insurance company could not lay claim to the car at the time. The British owner was paid out in full.

Tracing the car through Japan, the F50 was first registered in Tokyo on 6th February 2003. It would stay within the care of its first owner for 8 years, during which time it would see near annual maintenance from the local garage. The car would pass through three more owners in Japan with servicing continuing with the same garage until 2014. Mileage during its time in Japan was well documented and the car saw regular servicing.

In 2024, DK Engineering carried out extensive due diligence to understand the current standing of the F50. DK Engineering engaged and negotiated with all of the key stakeholders; the former owner in the UK, the former insurer and finally with Ferrari managing to negotiate and document their now lack of lien or claim. With this Ferrari agreed to remove their internal Rub marker and the car is now considered in free circulation, HPI clear, accompanied by individual confirmation letters.

In August 2024 the car arrived at DK Engineering in the UK, where work would begin immediately to undertake a total restoration of the car. Having already completed two F50 restorations to Cavallino Platinum standard, the car was in the right place to be returned to its original glory. Going above and beyond a traditional service or ‘glow-up’, this example was taken back to a bare tub, with the carbon fibre re-lacquered on all visible surfaces, from the intake plenum to the cabin floors. The engine was fully separated from the tub to be totally rebuilt in house along with the gearbox. With the engine and bodywork removed, we were granted unrestricted access to the bulkhead and cabin spaces as well as the front section. The panels were refinished and restored to their original Grigio Argento hue. Mechanical works extended to a thorough overhaul of all componentry, refinishing the suspension, recoating the original exhaust and ensuring the car presents as expected. Works totalled just shy of £500,000 ($665,000) and the results should be seen in person to be truly appreciated. Documented photographically including body numbers, we are confident the car has not been damaged.

Offered today is a remarkable example of Ferrari’s F50. The 1st of just 4 examples in Grigio Argento and unique with Giallo inserts.

• 1st of Just 4 in Grigio Argento 101/C
• Supplied new by Austrian dealership Wolfgang Denzel AG
• Uniquely optioned with Giallo inserts and matching luggage
• Thought lost for over two decades
• Believed to be the only unique F50
• Located and totally restored by DK Engineering
• Offered today with clear title, free of liens and encumbrances
• Inspected for Classiche certification in July 2025
• Accompanied by hardtop, flightcase, luggage, build book and press pack