Following in the lineage of the fabled 288 GTO and F40 as Ferrari’s flagship supercar, the F50 instantly impressed upon its introduction in 1995. The model was described by Ferrari as the “closest thing to a road-going Formula 1 car the company had ever built”, and the F50 shared many of the key engineering attributes pioneered by its Scuderia Ferrari stablemates. Notably, it was powered by the new F130 B engine, a naturally aspirated 4.7-litre V-12 unit heavily based on the 3.5-litre motor used in the grand prix Ferrari 641 a few years earlier. This utilised 60-valve cylinder actuation for 513 horsepower and 347 ft-lb of torque, while construction in the Maranello factory employed innovative manufacturing techniques used to build F1 cars. Created to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary, the F50 takes its name from this benchmark year and was a raw demonstration of performance by the Prancing Horse.

As much as the F50 pushed the envelope in terms of outright performance, it is the car’s stripped back, uncompromising approach that earned it a reputation as one of the ultimate driver’s cars. Bereft of features such as power steering, power-assisted braking, ABS, or even electric windows, the pared-back F50 returns maximum feel for the road while benefitting from the weight saved by the absence of such technologies. Complemented by some of the most advanced construction methods of the time, Ferrari designers made use of highly sophisticated composite materials and employed construction techniques typical of a Formula 1 car, building the F50 around a carbon fibre monocoque chassis—resulting in a remarkable dry weight of a mere 1,230 kilograms.

These attributes, inspired by the highest level of motorsport, resulted in a performance return worthy of Ferrari’s best, with the F50 capable of reaching 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, and reaching its formidable limit with an official top speed over 200 mph. Put to the test, the F50 was four seconds faster around the circuit at Fiorano than the F40 that preceded it. Even Ferrari’s then-president, Luca di Montezemolo, gushed with praise. He told MotorTrend in a 1995 interview that the F50 would be “the first and last Formula 1 car with two seats”.

Numbered “282” out of the 349 F50s created during the model’s two-year production run, this example was allocated “new” for shipment from Ferrari SpA to Ferrari UK in August 1995, and later assigned for distribution via Lancaster Garages of Colchester, Essex. That same month, its eventual first owner would sign a contact with the dealership to receive the car upon its completion by the factory. In April 1997, a Certificate of Origin was issued by the factory, and in the same month the F50 was finished, ready for export. It was completed in Rosso Corsa over a Nero hide and Rosso interior.

The F50’s first two owners did not keep it for long, and it was sold in October 1997to its third owner, a resident of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who cared for the car for the next 17 years. Its fourth and consigning owner bought the Ferrari through Top Gear Specialist Cars of Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, in 2014.

In current ownership, the consignor entrusted Stewart Roden Motors of Boxburn to perform a check-over and service in September 2015, diagnosing and rectifying other faults at the same time, with the work totalling £10,041.88. In November 2020, the car returned to the same garage for servicing, with works extending to the renewal of selected suspension parts, totalling £7,226.18. The F50 was again presented to Stewart Roden Motors in April 2021 for the replacement of its fuel tank, costing £16,402.01. It is worth noting that Stewart Roden previously was the Team Owner of Scuderia Ecosse who experienced great success in GT racing with Michelotto-built 360 and 430 race cars and are regarded as the Ferrari Specialist of choice for many Scottish Ferrari collectors. Invoices on file detail prior servicing in earlier ownership, while at the time of cataloguing, it has been arranged for the F50 to undergo servicing with Meridien Modena, an official Ferrari dealer and service centre in Hampshire, to be completed before the car reaches its next owner.

Presented for sale with selected books including original warranty card, history file, certificate of origin, original flight case, and tools, the F50 shows only 24,008 miles on its odometer at the time of cataloguing. Among the last of the true “analogue” Ferrari driving experiences, the F50 is a true thrill ride from the moment the ignition key is turned. Not only does Ferrari’s 1990s flagship offer a uniquely pure driving experience, its stunning visual cues, blistering performance, and genuine rarity ensure the F50 will remain one of the most desirable and highly collectible of Maranello’s modern classic masterpieces.