Ferrari 456 GT

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Introduced in 1992 to replace the 412 coupe, the 456 GT was powered by a hand-built 5.5 litre V12 developing 436bhp and was capable of a whisker under 200mph with seating for four (just!) and their luggage.

It was the GT car of the ‘90s, rivalled only by Aston’s Vantage 550 (which although more powerful was much heavier) and by Ferrari’s other GT, the 550 Maranello (but that was a strict 2-seater). The gorgeous Pininfarina lines look just as good today as they did when launched and it’s still an event if you’re lucky enough to spot one for they are rare, with only 3,289 made in total. No surprise considering the £170,000 price tag!

This early, pre-airbag 1993 car is LHD and of German origin, coming to the UK in August 2001. Finished in deep Nero Tropical with full black leather and six-speed manual transmission, it’s considered by many to be the purest of the 456 series. Purchased by our vendor in 2003, the car was used every day, in all weathers, and has now clocked up 191,200km (118k miles), with 70,000km of these by our vendor – any excuse to enjoy the Tubi sports exhaust!

Like the faithful old friend it is, it has been maintained regardless of cost and over the last four years has been treated to a meticulous restoration with the spectacular results you see today. In 2014 the engine was rebuilt by Ferrari gurus MDL following a seized valve which damaged the RH cylinder head. The rebuild included (among other things) replacement of all 48 valves, cylinder heads, gaskets, valve clearances adjusted, hoses, timing belt, and a gearbox overhaul with new clutch and flywheel assembly costing a small fortune.

The fuel tank was next to be replaced in 2016 and following this, after spotting some corrosion, it was decided that although likely ruinous in terms of cost (not unusual with hand-built Ferraris!) the car would undergo a major body and chassis restoration. As luck would have it, Migliore Cars of Bromsgrove had been maintaining the car and were also involved in an unusual project which was using powertrains from donor 456 GTs for a secret ‘hypercar’ project in Europe. While stripping these donor cars down, they found serious structural corrosion issues common to all of them and were thus ideally placed to use this knowledge in the rebuild of L351 WOW, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable areas and reusing parts from the donor cars wherever possible to make it economically viable.

The rebuild project gained much interest and a large following in the Ferrari community, with 20,000 views on the Club Scuderia forum. The full extent of the rebuild is too detailed to cover in full here but included a complete strip down of the car to replace, repair and re-weld all corroded structural, chassis and panel work; replacement of both doors, seals and glass; refurbishment of the power steering rack by ZF; alternator overhaul; A/C and PAS pump refurb; replacement of the climate control ECU; complete replacement of the original tan interior in black; new headlining; re-packed seat squabs with the famous Cavallino prancing horse hand-stitched into all four headrests.

New suspension was fitted all round along with upgraded drilled and slotted brake discs, with all engine cam covers, rocker covers and inlet boxes repainted in Ferrari matt black crackle finish, new engine mounts and so on. Once the body repair work was completed the car was professionally repainted in its original Nero Tropical with the wheels refurbished too. No expense was spared and even with the donor cars to hand, the rebuild cost over £40,000 with a thick file of receipts and photos to document every detail. As a result the car looks, and drives, like a new 456 GT.

Other documentation includes the original purchase invoice, Ferrari book pack, service book with 20+ stamps, 15 old MOTs and a current MOT until February 2019 with only one advisory for worn rear tyres. The leather tool roll is also included along with a Clifford alarm, two fobs and the WOW factor private plate! 

Consider this: if you are in the market for a 456 GT, did you know about the likelihood of serious corrosion in numerous problematic areas and have you any way of detecting it without pulling the car to pieces? The answer to both questions is almost certainly ‘no’. So why take the risk? This car is a lesson in what can happen and how much it can cost to put it right.

Yes, it may be left-hand drive and yes, it has done 191,000km. But look at it this way: it’s had a total rebuild by Ferrari experts (engine, gearbox, chassis, body and interior), it is now probably better than any other 456 out there, and it should manage another 150,000km with ease. It is also being offered here at less than the cost of the rebuild. So if you are in the market for one of these fabulous beasts, you’d be mad not to buy it, wouldn’t you?