What Is The Cheapest V12 Ferrari in the World Actually Like? Ferrari 550 

So in the end......you can't afford it, and he doesn't want to sell it anyway! Bit of a non story!

Fun Fact - the alloys WERE magnesium, but the originals cracked - so they were all replaced with aluminium ones. The original mag items are now considered unsafe, but unscrupulous sellers do try and sell them on

Have to say i think it will be an absolute money pit.

You have the best happy smile and happy persona in RU-vid Autos.

A ropey old Ferrari V12 is still a Ferrari V12 as per the owner's inclination to hold onto it.

I could listen to those wonderful gear box clicks all day.

I'll tell you the same I told my best mate before he bought a Alfa Gulia GTAm "if you need somebody to talk you out of it, you're talking to the wrong guy!"

Paint fade is one thing, complete mismatch is another! :) Ferrari 550 - how many times havent we looked & dreamt on the classifieds for one?

YES - new Ferrari content for the channel. Lets hope it will bring new viewers.

I love this new format of going to look at a car that we all want but that is just too cheap. Then honestly appraising it and revealing it’s state of jeopardy! Great work Jack.

I have to agree with those comments about there being no such thing as a ‘cheap’ Ferrari. Even viewed on the screen of an iPad, the car just looks ‘edgy’, the rear bumper out of alignment, and virtually every panel a different shade of red…and that’s before you get onto the interior cosmetics and all the stuff that’s not working properly. I’d give it a very wide berth, personally.

I can't live without Air Con, and whilst I'm absolutely no expert, if I was told that AC would be circa £10k to fix I wouldn't be surprised.

Hope it gets further restored as time goes by

5:13 thought for a second he was gonna drive it through the back of the barn :)

What a gorgeous car!😍 The 550 is one of my favorite Ferraris along with the 355

4:39 waiting for a football to come over the fence and hit the car :)

What could possibly go wrong?! Seriously though - could be the purchase that takes your channel to the next level... look at Hoovie's Garage.

I had a 95' Taurus SHO w/5 speed manual that was a "salvage" title here in the US that I scored cheaply at the time. It was a brilliant car for the time I had it, the repair was of high quality and you'd have never known it was in an accident. I suspect the damage was very light, but the hood was god awful expensive for the SHO version because it was an aluminum one piece stamping(unlike normal Taurus's) so it was "totaled" by the insurance company and someone scooped it up and fixed it to turn a small profit off of me, which I was fine with as it was done right and I still got it for a "song" at the time according to KBB.

No such thing as a 'bargain' Fezzer, let alone a v12, mate! I ran a 456M GT (2002) for a few years - dream car, in my favourite Verde Zeltweg with an absolute dream of an engine (same as the 550 Maranello), which is bulletproof. Stuff you don't want to have to think about are 20 year replacement bits - one example can serve: quoted £2k for the 2 short pipes on the transmission oil cooler (didn't even know it had one! Got them fabricated for £500...); suspension (did you try the Sport flip switch - it made a huge difference!); don't talk about wiring (had back and forth with Maranello, who eventually admitted there were 'differences in the cars' looms... so "non possiamo fare niente..."; just everything o these is aging... Happily moved mine on five year's back, and agree with an FOC lady who said "they're like boats - the second best day in your life is the day you finally own a v12, but the best ..." etc.! That Dino 308GT4 is the way to go. Preferably in Giallo Fly, or Verde Germoglio ;-)

As soon as you walked around the car, Jack, I knew there was DS rear damage (at the very least)... paint doesn't match up well. Interesting car and if it eventually does go, it would be a fun daily if you can piss away 40 grand on an old, V12 daily. LOL

Glad you got a run out in a V12. Buying it would have been like having 2 Italian mistresses! Did you get a Golf GTI - Have I missed a video?! 🙏

Very cool car. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

You can see the bodged panel repairs a mile off

That's a beater Ferrari for sure. Mismatched paint, broken A/C, one speed wipers, what else? He may as well keep it and drive the wheels off of it.

I knew what car it would be straight away. Those pics when it was damaged are from my mate Andy’s salvage yard. A Robinson Autosalvage up here in the north east. He later bought a perfect grey 550 and a black 575. Small world when it comes to these cars. 😉

There I was... just about ready to say Congratulations Jack! lol I hope you are well and have been staying healthy. I've missed your videos, I was out with Covid for a few months now, I'm feeling better but I still have some lingering migraines. Take care Jack! ❤️🙏❤️

hi jack, the mot history tells us a story, it's still bent, the airbag ecu took a bath, + the brakes have seen better days... the windows were steamed up, waterleak?, or water still in the fabric? certainly not to be bought as an asset, but [once mechanically sorted] a very nice trackday tool tell us more about the gti... keep up the good work young man

I can feel it, you'll own this car one day

Caveat emptor. I got one about a year ago and I drove it once, its been living ever since at the Ferrari Dealer workshop getting unbroken, only to break again in a perpetual cycle. You would be better off in a 612 Scag instead, which are far more reliable.

550s are not selling at the higher-£70k+ prices. Last one to go at auction in June went for £47k and that looks mint with fantastic service history and recent servicing, cam belts etc.

I thought a 550 was joining number 27 Jack!...... Maybe in the future buddy! Nothing I could think of car wise could top that 550 for £40! Millionaire looks and performance for pretty much entry level BMW money!

Of course buy it!!!! It will make amazing content.

The categories have now changed as you probably know but a salvage vehicle will be cheaper than a 'mint' vehicle. I did notice some body issues, passenger door alignment not quite right and the other bodywork you pointed out. However don't be put off by a write off if the work is done well then there is nothing to worry about. Also you can get the salvage title removed with a special inspection the cost is around £200 pounds but this is not well published. Finally although you know the history it would be worth doing a check on 'Car Vertical ' I a have no connection with them but I can recommend them because the checks they do are comprehensive. Hope all this helps a Jack even if you don't buy this car. 👍

Magari aveva pure scritto "no perditempo" nell'annuncio XD

The 550 is the most gorgeous "modern" GT ever made!

Blessing in disguise Jack , I think you dodged an expensive bullet.

Jack in Leicestershire!! Brilliant 😊. Love the car, love the sound, love the colour combo, I know the story is kinda off putting but hey, it’s beautiful!! Please buy it and rescue it

We all know Ferraris etc are money pits.. however.. the owner is doing a sensible thing. The car looks ok… goes well and he enjoys it. The miles won’t matter and the car is being seen and appreciated by others people. Option 2 Chuck £50k at it to ‘get it right’ Won’t come out in the rain… will never be enjoyed again then prob sold at a loss.. The car owes the owner nothing so he should just service it and carry on! Well done 👏🏼 Good film Jack!!

50 shades of pink.

I wouldn't touch it. It seems good because of the price but with water damage and all of the other things that have happened you know there is going to be so much more to this car. Simple problems turn out more complicated and expensive and being a Ferrari its all going to get far more expensive than you think. The bodywork was horrid and the interior dash issues were going to be more expensive than suggested.

It was a story worth telling. It reminded me of the VIN Wiki channel i.e. cars which have stories. There are still a lot of expensive things wrong with the car. A good story well told.

I'm in a minority but I've always liked the 456 much more, and good ones with manual trans cost about $50K USD here in the Disunited States. This is a good find...but those headlights look like a Toyota to me.

550 and 355… just perfection 😍

Good things not cheap, cheap things not good.

A year ago Drivetribe did a good video of a 550 with its previous owners Harry Metcalfe and Richard Hammond before it went for auction… they were both still besotted with the thing.

I seem to remember a guy on Pistonheads bought one with high miles about ten years ago for under £20k? Jack, you should deffo buy it!

Jack. Great video. Love a 550. The driver side door paint looked mismatched on the video. If it was available I would let you buy it before me.

Why not to sort out the issues if £28k in profit?

Jack, You did a video on the cost of ownership if a V12.......remember??? What a car though!

My Honda Accord had a whole new rear end welded on after a major shunt. It probably should have a write-off, but I had it for another decade with no issues at all, and there were no signs that it had ever been repaired

Great looking car Jack, and a good project that I'm sure you could handle the refurbishment considering your experiences of your own Ferrari. Perhaps another day. I was wondering if Harry from 'Harry's Garage lives near you as I watched his video after your last one and I'm sure he drove on 'Jacks Bend' ? If so did he get permission? Haha. Best wishes, Bob M, South Wales

It would be a definite buy at that price (should he change his mind). Of course it does need a bit of tidying up to make it mint but I can only see the values of these going up and up. I couldn't see anyone losing any money if purchased at 40k.

We're happy, of course, to get you in as much trouble as possible... ;)

Ride height at the back doesn't look right.Run for the hills!

Have always loved the 550. I agree with you Jack though that in stock form 550's are too quiet and need an after market exhaust so you can hear that wonderful V12.

Good to see an owner keeping a car to enjoy it, rather than selling it to make a profit.

This Ferrari looks as if it is heading for a full restoration, especially if the owner is not really on top of basic maintenance (HVAC, interior...). It came with enthusiastic reviews in period. These cars have a tubular steel chassis with a Feran aluminium sandwich body. I have no idea how easy this is to repair (properly) but Ferrari no longer use this. Magnesium wheels have a life of perhaps 5 years. There are reasons why they are not more widely used.

Great video Jack....love the 550 maranello 🙏🙂

Fist thing that cought my eye was the exhaust tips. The angle seems very extreme. The second thing was the right side rear wheel sitting kind of low...

As a layman the paintjob is poor - makes your average 90’s red vauxhall astra look concours.

When you did the initial walk around my thoughts were that it had been hit on the drivers side. The body panels, seams and paint just do not look right. So it’s what’s underneath that might tell the tale. Its almost always the case that you get what you pay for…but if you recognize what you’re paying for then have a go!

Great story Jack! Can see why the owner has decided to keep it!

Purely cosmetic, but the headlights would be the first thing I'd change (back to stock). Otherwise a Ferrari that's a little rough around the edges has a certain charm about it (as long as you're not the one paying the repair bills that is).

I will NEVER EVER get used to the fact that the driver side is on the right. I would always tend to open the door on the left (and wrong) side. That is fourty five years of getting used to driving in right side traffic. Actually iI drove antique Army trucks with steering on the right side and in Asia I was driving cars in left side traffic many years back. But I am conditionned otherwise.

You could seem some slight difference in the colour of the panels. Either way sell everything including house - just BUY it!! Absolutely beautiful car

Yeah buy it!Manual gearbox snick from gear to gear,Go kart handling,tail out action a throttle prod away.Whats not to like?

I love that car! Awesome vid!!

I will much prefer to purchase a 456 or 612. Thanks for the video - very interesting story, and very well told.

There's a downside to a non-stock exhaust on a 550. See Harry's video.

By 1:06 man maths was kicking in 😂

What a stroke of luck with the insurance company. Something like that would never happen to me 😂. Northern Irish car ? Both registrations were from here.

my favourite car when playing Need For Speed III : Hot Pursuit many many years ago

I just posted a video yesterday asking what’s more exciting for £40k than mine, think we just found it 😅

Walk away my friend...all that glitters is not gold!

Right rear set of mufflers… Are they canted? Not centered? Or, is it just the camera angle? They look a bit low in their well.

I hope all the carpets and trim (in the boot too) including any sound deadening panels that got effected by the water damage were replaced as well as the inside being chemically cleaned, as this would be why the car got written off a second time. Flood water damage contains sewage and the bacteria that this introduces into the car can be a major health hazard going forward, hence why it got written off. These 550s have not aged well, unlike the 308 GT4 Dino...

I sense not pushing the button on this may turn out to be one of life's regrets Jack. What better follow on to the Influenzo saga than Jack and his V12! I'd almost spot you the 40k to see it happen.

I'm almost certain that bridge you drove over at 8:16 is in Wistow near me.

Those kind of cars with accidents and other issues are the ones I go for. You have a certain risk, but you can make a hell of a deal taking this risk. I never was to much into perfectly sorted out cars. Nearly all my vehicles have cetain issues. But at least I can enjoy those vehicles without being to afraid driving and using them. By the way: This vehicle would be worth taking a loan in order to purchase it: Keep on trying to get it for yoursellf!

Ha. Just for a moment, at 5.12, I thought the test drive was going to be around the lawn. I'm not a fan of Ferraris, just never understood why enyone would rave over them. Have to say, though, the interior, the layout, the driving position, on this one looks absolutely lovely design.

Only a true Petrol Head would understand.... You bought a cheap, dodgy Ferrari, the only problem free drive of which was the one where it drove you to distraction and the edge of dispair, and you ask if you should perhaps buy another?... Yes of course! 😁

Forget the 550, tell me more about this GTI.

Buy it. It’s not collector quality, but it’s a car you can buy and enjoy and it would make a great RU-vid project.

Get rid of that exhaust and contact Fiammenghi to make you a complete system and let that glorious V12 sing like it deserves.

Yes, you should buy it, if it is offered again. I’m sure Jay Emm can help in securing the required financing. You may never have the opportunity again to acquire an “affordable” running and driving 550. Think of the content just in the compare and contrast with Jay Emm’s 550.

Can understand the change in heart from the owner. It's going to need some money thrown at it but at that price would have been worth the risk

Great story. I think the poor old car needs a proper classy personal number plate to rid the demons rather than the pauper Irish ones it's had in the past.

Andrew sounds like one those sort of fellows who'd fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling of roses 🤣

The v12 noise will make me forget about any past it's had

Lovely to see, thanks

Ooooh, flighty red Italian car that has been out in the rain: plenty of potential RU-vid content there :)

Buy it. If its bad, it still makes good content. Perhaps you could get some advice from Chivers as well in the process.

Jack, FFS run a mile. That car has got more stories in it than Barbara Cartland. 1. Look at the MOT history. What kind of loving enthusiast takes a car for an MOT with shredded tyres? It tells you there are problems with either geometry or lack of love so what else has been shortcut? 2. What car enthusiast drives the car 200 miles in a year? 3. Who would sign off a two tone paint job, it should have been completely repainted. 4. The DVLA don't even recognise the number plate PIL 6533 so what other mysteries lurk? 4. It takes no time at all to bleed the brakes and no car loving person would not get the air con fixed, particularly when the cabin is so small. When are you going to stop digging mate? I feel almost as sick as when you kept chucking money away on the other Ferrari! It's only because I care!

Perfect car for someone who actually wants to drive their Ferrari.

The design has aged really well.

I had a privilege to spend two days in Maranello palace, just across the factory gate.. and just to hear a V8 and V12 ROAR from the road almost every few minutes, it’s a true italian memorabilia……… 💚🤍❤️

I do dream of buying a second car. Ferrari cost of ownership and brittle puts me off. Current thoughts are :- Aston Vantage, Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type. It's an indulgent luxury, of course I don't "need" one of these cars.

Good keeper that car, what you can do Jack is do some work in the car and we will watch it :)

oooh so close.....but seems like you may have been saved by the owners change of heart..

Don't buy it even if it's forsale, it has got four more cylinders to go wrong! There are lots of faults, mostly minor, not the aircon they'll be expensive to fix. I suspect that the airbags went off, were they replaced? Maybe it hasn't got any. It'll co a fortune to fix everything.