7 tempting Ferraris in the Bonhams|Cars Bonmont sale

1997 Ferrari F355 Spider

Estimate: £77,000 to £100,000

After the lukewarm Ferrari 348, the F355 was a return to form for mid-engined V8 cars from Maranello. While it looked similar to its forebear, it was much more than a facelift with numerous dynamic improvements making their presence felt. In 1995, the range was joined by the drop-top Spider.

Like many of the cars in The Bonmont Sale, this example was supplied new to a Swiss owner, and it has remained in the country ever since. That first customer resisted the temptation to tick the ‘Rosso’ box and instead opted for a rare colour combination. The subtle grey paint is contrasted with a Tubi exhaust to ensure the flat-plane crank V8’s song is clearly heard.

It’s the entry level Ferrari in the auction, with a five-figure price being possible.

2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica

Estimate: £230,000 to £270,000

Twenty years ago, the fastest convertible in the world was a front-engined Ferrari. The 575 Superamerica was Maranello’s first coupé-cabriolet and had a top speed of 199mph. Its flip-top hard top was patented by 365 GTB/4 Daytona designer Leonardo Fioravanti.

We digress. The 575 was the ultimate incarnation of the 1996 550, which itself evoked the spirit of front-engined V12 Ferraris of the 1960s and ’70s. The example is finished in the classic combination of Rosso with tan leather, and has the optional sequential F1 gearbox. It has just 13,800km on the clock, but the auction listing notes that the hydraulic system for the roof has a fault. That doesn’t dissuade from the estimate of around a quarter of a million pounds for this one-of-599 car.

2022 Ferrari 812 GTS

Estimate: £410,000 to £500,000

Another modern Ferrari with a convertible hard top is this 812 GTS. Unlike the limited-run 575 Superamerica, the 812 GTS was a full-time part of the range – Ferrari’s first V12 convertible series production since the 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider.

Technology had moved on some way in those 50 years. The 6.5-litre engine produces 800PS (588kW) at 8,500rpm, at the time the most powerful naturally aspirated engine. It drives through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and has carbon ceramic brake discs. There’s also a mix of active and passive aerodynamics to keep all the performance in check. The result is 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds, a top speed of 211mph and a Fiorano lap time just half a second shy of the more track-focused F12 TDF. Phew!

Bonhams|Cars is selling this three-year-old example that has spent all of its short life registered in Switzerland. 

1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Estimate: £410,000 to £450,000

Is it a Ferrari? Is it not? Enzo Ferrari named the Dino series of cars after his son and it never officially carried Prancing Horse branding, this sub-marque taking its aim at the Porsche 911. But Ferrari badging or not, it is a Maranello thoroughbred.

The first Dino arrived with a 2.0-litre V6 engine and aluminium body, and that gave way to the steel-bodied 246 in 1969, its 2.4-litre engine compensating for weight gain. It has 197PS (144kW), and in 1972 the GTS arrived with its removable roof panel.

This example was built in 1974 and was imported into the USA by renowned Ferrari agent Luigi Chinetti. It is reported to be one of just 29 finished in Celeste Metallizzato, which is complemented by Blu Connolly Vaumol leather upholstery. It was once changed to red over black, before being returned to its original rare colour scheme. The bare metal restoration also allowed the opportunity to remove the oversize American-specification side markers.

It returned to the road in 2023 and is now being offered with an estimate of close to half a million pounds.

2018 Ferrari 488 GT3 Competition

Estimate: £410,000 to £450,000

Now for something slightly different. There’s no chance of using this 488 for an Alpine road trip as it’s a pure racing car. The 488 GTE made its debut at the 2016 Australian GT Championship at the Albert Park Circuit where Italian Andrea Montermini and Dane Benny Simonsen shared the GT3 for Australian team, Vicious Rumour Racing. It was a promising first outing that foreshadowed a 488 GT3 winning the Bathurst 12 Hour in the following season.

Bonhams|Cars is selling this 2018 car that was first owned by Jeli Zouh for FFF Racing Group who raced it exclusively in the GT3 Open Invitational. In 2021, it changed hands to come into the ownership of Modena Cars (Switzerland) who added a 2020 Michelotto evolution kit before completing a full season of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. It claimed three podium finishes.

In November 2023, the car received an engine and transmission overhaul, the car having been driven 2,000km since (contributing to its total of 24,000km). The chassis remains intact and original... so who will be racing it next?

2010 Ferrari 599 GTO

Estimate: £720,000 to £810,000

Ferrari doesn’t designate the Gran Turismo Omologato name very often. When the 599 GTO was announced in 2010, it was only the third in history, after the 250 GTO and 288 GTO. It was a development of the 599 GTB Fiorano that arrived four years earlier.

In between came the track-only 599 XX, and the GTO was the road-going sibling of that car. It combined its increased 625PS (459kW) with a 100kg saving compared to the GTB, which conspired to create a 0-60mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 208mph.

Only 599 were built, that limited run of cars being sold to favoured customers. This one went to its first owner in Switzerland and is now being offered with extensive Ferrari service history and a Ferrari Classiche ‘Red Book.’

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta

Estimate: Undisclosed

The final Ferrari in the auction is listed without an estimate. When the 250 series came to an end, Pininfarina was tasked with shaping the 275 that would replace it. The result was an elongated nose and a built-in spoiler that reflected Ferrari racing cars of the time. Under the skin, there was independent rear suspension for the first time on a Ferrari road car, while a new transaxle improved weight distribution and the Colombo V12 engine was enlarged to 3.3 litres.

This matching-numbers 275 GTB/4 was first sold via Ferrari’s dealer in Rome to a gentleman racer who had previously competed in the Mille Miglia twice in the 1950s. Soon after the car’s first year service in 1968, it was exported to the USA. Two decades later, it was shipped to Japan before ending up in Switzerland via a Californian dealer 30 years ago.

The most significant moment in its history was a full restoration by Ferrari, which included returning it to its Berlinetta specification. Ferrari itself carried out the €180,000 (£153,000) body restoration while the mechanicals were rebuilt by an officially authorised Ferrari service agent. The result? A good-as-new 275 GTB/4 with Ferrari Classiche certification.