A combo of excellence and irresistible like few others in the world: one of the most iconic examples of ferrari which, moreover, was used off the track by one of the great drivers in motorsport history, Michael Schumacher. is approx the Ferrari F50 that none other than the multiple German champion was able to drive in his debut as a driver for the Maranello house. Of course, his next owner will have to shell out a fortune to have it in his garage.
This particular copy originally belonged to Weber Management GmbH, the company of Willi Weber, Schumacher’s representative from the beginning and, as such, a key player in his landing at Ferrari. For this reason it is not surprising that it fell directly into the hands of the German driver at the moment of his landing in the Italian team.
In fact, when it comes to proof of authenticity, there is plenty of it: to the maintenance history of the F50 is added the report by Marcel Massini, a historian specialized in Ferrari, and both sources confirm that, in fact, the F50 that is now going on the sale was one of the Kaiser’s private means of transport between 1997 and 1999when he started making great history with the brand in Formula 1 after establishing himself with Benetton.
And as if it needed an extra dressing, we must add a luxury autograph on the interior panel: that of the engineer and designer Sergio Pininfarina, perhaps as a sign of admiration for the luxury F50 driver.
Weber got rid of the Ferrari F50 in 2000, when it was bought by a Japanese private collector. It has been the only owner in all these years until today, but apparently it has been used very little on the road: the odometer ensures that in these 25 years the unit has covered just 3,750 kilometers.
Before going on sale, however, the F50 traveled to north-west London for a tune-up by none other than DK Engineering, the prestigious automobile restoration firm specializing in vintage Ferraris.
It is difficult to calculate the value of a single piece like this Ferrari F50, but it is clear that the operation could easily beat any record that precedes it. And something can be guessed, in fact, because until now its selling price has not even been made public.
An icon of Maranello that has gone beyond its 50 years
Designed from the outset as a street Formula 1the Ferrari F50 is a two-seater supercar produced between 1995 and 1997 to anticipate the 50th anniversary of the brand (founded in 1947), but which ended up being a myth in itself.
There were never many units available of the F50, even in its early days: barely 349 copies were put up for sale, one less than the 350 that the market required, according to an internal study of the brand. Why that decision? A mandate from Enzo Ferrari, who argued that this was the key to continuing to produce exclusive models.
But there are also other reasons that raise the model legend: the successor to the F40 represented a great advance on a mechanical level. It was, for example, the first limited edition supercar built from scratch and not based on previous Maranello models. And at the same time he hung the sign of being The latest analog model from Ferrariwithout any electronic assistance.
Constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum, the F50 is also a real beast: it mounts a naturally aspirated V12 engine derived from those used by Ferrari in Formula 1. With 4.7 liters of displacement and combined with a manual gearbox, it delivers an impressive 520 hp, not bad for a car with 27 years on the market.
Another Schumacher gem for sale
Another Ferrari driven by Michael Schumacher is on sale these days, in this case on the track: On November 9, the Ferrari F2003-GA with which he won his sixth Formula 1 World Championship will go to auction.
This is chassis 229, the best of the four that the team has made available to the German for the 2003 season: it has accompanied him in nine Grands Prix, of which five he has won.
It is a very coveted collector’s item: Sotheby’s, the house in charge of the auction, has already anticipated that it will seek the highest bidder in an offer that could easily reach 10 million euros.
Source: Clarin
