The introduction of the 550 Maranello in 1996, marked Ferrari’s return to the front engine, V12-powered GT cars that they made the company name on in the 1950s and 1960s. The 550 was produced until 2001 before being replaced by the significantly updated 575M Maranello in 2002. Although the cars looked very similar on the outside, under the skin Ferrari made a number of significant changes to the 550, turning it into a far more modern car. The biggest change by far was, as opposed to the manual-only 550 Maranello, the 575M now offered a 6-speed single-clutch paddle shift style gearbox- an option so popular that nearly 90% of the production came equipped with this transmission.
This 575M Maranello was built in 2002 and was ordered in a very distinct and upscale-looking color combination of Grigio Ingrid over Dark Blue leather interior. Cared for by 3 owners, the car shows 24,123 miles and has extensive documentation and service records dating back to 2006 that will be included with the sale. The 575M was lauded when it was new for its evocative styling that harkens back to Ferrari grand tourers of old so this heritage color from the 1950s is a fitting choice. On the front fenders, the coveted Scuderia Shields have been specified which add a nice little pop of color and pick up the yellow accents elsewhere on the car. Sitting behind the simple 5-spoke wheels are a set of brakes that were larger than those found in the 550 Maranello and feature optional yellow-painted brake calipers.
The beautiful silver-gold exterior is paired with a dark blue leather interior which, although it may not sound great in theory, in person it is an absolutely stunning combination. One of the most significant areas of modification on the 575M over the 550 is the interior finishings. An entirely new seat design offers plenty of side bolstering but is a more comfortable place to sit for long stretches and features full power adjustment. The gauge cluster has also been completely revised with a large, centrally located tachometer, flanked by a speedometer on the right and auxiliary gauges on the left. The blue leather and carpets on the inside are nicely accented with copious amounts of white contrast stitching that looks particularly striking on the details in the seats and door cards. This car was also optioned from Ferrari with an uprated Hi-Fi system that features a factory-installed subwoofer and is controlled by a Becker head unit. A few of the major faults in Ferraris of this era are in the interior- notorious for shrinking leather on the dashboard and switchgear that gets sticky, both of these issues were rectified in 2019, meaning instead of worrying about them, you can get behind the wheel and enjoy the car.
Powering the 575M is a 5.7-liter V12 that is rated at 508 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque, which is connected to a 6-speed automated manual “F1” transaxle. This was the first V12 car from Ferrari to be available with the F1-style gearbox and it works very well in this sort of grand touring car. On the 575M, Ferrari spent extended time in the wind tunnel and improved the aerodynamics of the car so, when paired with the powerful V12, this was the first front-engined car from the brand to exceed 200 mph.
The 575M went out of production at the beginning of 2006, replaced by the 599GTB. Since then, front-engine V12 Ferraris have grown larger and more extreme in their design, and with that, moving further away from the classic styling they had in the brand’s golden era of the 1950s and 1960s. The 575M represents a wonderful middle ground with its timeless look, paired with truly exceptional performance, it is no wonder these cars have begun catching the eye of more collectors every year. This example with its wonderful and uncommon color scheme and a string of careful owners, would be an excellent V12-powered addition to any garage.
