THE F50: A LEGEND IN THE MAKING

The success and acclaim of Ferrari’s 40th-anniversary supercar, the F40, only raised the stakes for the all-important 50th anniversary to come, which the manufacturer recognized would need to be met by an even more extraordinary automobile. The result was four years of development that went into a dedicated road car that nonetheless had very strong ties to then-contemporary Ferrari racing technologies. Its chassis design was founded on a Formula 1-style lightweight carbon fiber tub, while designers at Pininfarina molded the curvaceous coachwork from carbon fiber, Kevlar, and Nomex honeycomb, and crowned it with a solid removable targa top, stowed in an accompanying road case.

Into this spectacular shell was dropped a new naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V-12, the type F130B engine that had begun life in Ferrari’s 1992 Formula 1 car and underwent further development in the 4.0-liter 333 SP, which won numerous Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in IMSA GT and FIA sports car racing between 1995 and 2001. Enlarged for the F50, the engine was tuned for reasonable revving and tractable road manners, and after being fed from a racing-style fuel cell produced 513 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque. The resulting performance was otherworldly, with 0 to 60 mph possible in just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph—figures that are impressive today but were considered astonishing in the mid-1990s. Monstrous Brembo brakes with huge rotors, 14 inches in front and 13.2 inches at the rear, anchored by aluminum pistons, drew everything to a halt.

Even today, climbing behind the wheel of an F50 gives the feel of a Formula 1 car, with the LCD dashboard instruments and very traditional steering wheel ensuring that one never forgets, for the leather and air conditioning, that they are in an all-business machine. It was intended to best the best in the world, and that it was, running head-to-head with the like of the McLaren F1 at the dawn of the modern hypercar.

RALPH LAUREN’S GIALLO MODENA F50: ONE OF TWO

Just 349 production F50s were built: famously one less than the market would accept. While every one is special, some are more special than others—the example offered here being especially so, and on multiple fronts. Of the 349 F50s, only 55 were to US specification, and of those only two were finished in Giallo Modena—this being one of that fortunate pair, accented with Nero interior.

As one might expect from such a significant example, it was ordered by none other than Ralph Lauren, a name that scarcely requires introduction in the automotive space for his incredible collection of significant sports cars, always considered among the world’s finest and most valuable. It is very rare that Mr. Lauren has parted with a car once acquired, making the opportunity to purchase a vehicle with his provenance quite a rarity. Nonetheless, Mr. Lauren retained the F50 until May of 2003, at which point it was made available for sale through Paul Russell & Company with 3,300 miles; it appears to have been sold into the hands of a dealer in Florida.

In the winter of 2003 the car, with 3,400 miles, was acquired via Ferrari of Washington in Sterling, Virginia, by the current owners. Husband-and-wife who both enjoyed Ferraris, the couple became avid tifosi in their retirement, eventually actually each racing their own Challenge model and developing quite a competitive instinct! The F50 was one of the centerpieces of the couple’s collection, but they had bought it for the love of it, not to flaunt, and as both valued privacy, it seldom ventured out into the world. Early in their ownership it was taken to a couple of events, including being driven for demonstration laps at Watkins Glen, and used as the poster car for the Burn Prevention Foundation Concours in 2005, as well as display at the Cavallino Classic in 2009. It is believed to have not been shown publicly since that year at the Celebration Exotic Car Festival in Central Florida.

Befitting its owners’ meticulous care and feeding of their collection, the car is offered with fewer than 5,400 miles at time of cataloguing, and has just received a fresh service by Ferrari of Central Florida at the end of 2024, including replacement of the fuel bladder, tires, and brake components. This is documented in a reassuring file of invoices, which includes numerous services undertaken over the last two decades, including rectification of “sticky buttons” in 2014. Further, the F50 also had its Ferrari Classiche Certification reviewed and renewed last year, with a new Red Book to be received by the time of sale and, of course, confirming that all components remain original and exactly as they should be in such a well-preserved, much-loved example. An original owner’s manual accompanies along with a “duplicato” warranty book from Ferrari, in a leather folio, along with a flashlight.

In a world of low-mileage F50s, this car benefits from the sought-after US specification, as one of only two in this rarefied color, and from a pristine, “no-stories” history, beginning with Ralph Lauren and continuing with 22 years in the good hands of the present owners. It has always been extremely well-loved, properly kept, and gently used, and stands now, in its 30th anniversary year, as one of the very best of its kind in every regard, period.