Lot 235: 2003 Ferrari 550 Maranello 6.0-Litre Competizione Coupe

�The Maranello needs no excuses: it is right-minded, a return to traditional values, albeit values and standards that tower high above those set by the Daytona when it shuffled off to extinction a quarter of a century ago.� � Car magazine.
With the introduction of the 550 Maranello in 1997, Ferrari returned to its tradition of building front-engined V12 sports cars, resurrecting a line that had remained dormant since the demise of the 365GTB/4 �Daytona� in 1974. Styled by Pininfarina like its illustrious predecessor, the 550 Maranello was similarly proportioned, adopting the classical combination of long bonnet, small cabin and truncated tail. The body�s aerodynamics were developed in the wind tunnel, where hours of testing ensured that the minimum of drag was combined with constant downforce regardless of set up, an important consideration in a 200mph road car. Styling details such as the bonnet air scoop and hot air outlets behind the front wheelarches recalled the great competizione Ferraris of the past, in particular the immortal 250GTO, while the tail incorporated Ferrari�s characteristic twin circular lights.
The heart of any Ferrari is its engine, and the 550 Maranello�s 48-valve, 5.5-litre V12 developed 485bhp at 7,000rpm, some 100-or-so horsepower more than the Daytona�s. Ferrari had discovered long ago that providing optimum balance in a front-engined sports car necessitated the use of a rear transaxle, and the Maranello�s came with six speeds. The power train was housed in a tubular steel chassis, to which was attached aluminium coachwork, while the all-independent suspension incorporated dual-mode (normal/sports) damping, switch-selectable by the driver, which was complemented by speed-sensitive power-assisted steering.
Although not intended for motorsport, the 550 Maranello soon being developed by privateer teams to contest various series. One of the first to do so was Red Racing, whose �550 GT� was constructed with assistance from Italtecnica and used in the FFSA GT Championship in France from 1999 until the end of 2000. In 2001, UK-based Prodrive built racing customer versions of the 550 for various sports car series and the Le Mans 24-Hour race, although this was an entirely private venture undertaken independently of the Ferrari factory. Ten of Prodive�s �550-GTS� cars would be built over the next four years and campaigned by the British team as well as privateer customers, securing class wins in the FIA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and at Le Mans itself. Scuderia Italia used the 550-GTS to win the FIA GT Championship in 2003 and 2004, before switching in 2005 to the Le Mans Series and winning that too. Quite some record for a car that its manufacturer intended only for road use.
Somewhat late in the day, Ferrari seems to have awoken to the 550�s competition potential and developed its own racing version, which featured a 6.0-litre engine and special rear suspension, serving as a test-bed for the forthcoming 575GTC. This car, believed to be the only 550 Maranello prepared by Ferrari for the FIA GT Championship, was campaigned throughout the 2003 season by the Pirelli-sponsored French team, JMB Racing, alongside its 575GTC sister-car. The 550�s regular drivers were Fabio Babini/Philipp Peter. Records show that JMB Racing�s 550 Maranello, car number �9�, won the 9th round at Estoril in Portugal, helping JMB to secure 4th place in the Teams Championship.
At the season�s end �F133GT 2102� was placed in storage, remaining there until purchased in 2005 by the current owner, who drove the car in the Campionato Italiano Velocit� Montagna (Italian Speed Hill Climb Championship) winning the GTM category in 2006. The car comes with copies of correspondence from the Ferrari factory, signed by its Formula 1 Team Principal, Jean Todt, congratulating the owner on his success and thanking him for contributing to Ferrari�s sporting record. This car�s achievement was indeed of truly historical significance for, as Jean Todt notes, Ferrari had not contested such a championship for many years. Offered with Autosprint magazine article (featuring the car) and FIA papers, this unique 550 Maranello, with its singular competition record, is deserving of a place in any collection of Ferrari motor cars and remains eligible for a variety of Ferrari-orientated events worldwide.