1996 Ferrari 456 GTA

Just soak up the power and the glory – the 456 combines an intimidating presence with an elegant beauty. It manages to look discreet, yet remains menacing at the same time – perhaps that’s the perfect combination for a V12 GT? We think it could well be.

There’s no doubt that a 456 is one of the prettiest modern Ferraris; it has a singularity of line that’s missing from many post-2003 Maranello products. Unlike other prancing horses it also works best in muted colours such as Grigio Titanio or as here in Verde – which sounds so much cooler than plain green. Either way, it’s far more subtle than ‘look at me’ Rosso Corsa.

This car has done just 65k miles in its 26 years, and looks to have been very well looked after, as it wears those years very well indeed. This is the last of the front engine V12 cars, and last of the pop up headlight Ferraris too. It’s also one you can fit a set of golf clubs in the back of.

Each cylinder of the 65˚ V12 engine displaces 456cc, and gives the coupé its name. This naming convention goes back decades but the 456 was the last Ferrari to use it until 2015’s 488 GTB. When new, the 456 was the world’s second fastest production four seater behind only Porsche’s 959 – and I wouldn’t want to sit in the back of one of those.

This is a striking looking GT car in the classic long bonnet mould. As Ferraris go, this one looks easy to get in and out of, and comfortable to travel long distances in. It’s not the kind of car that makes small boys turn and gawp like some Italian supercars, it’s a much more elegant and subtle presence, but it oozes class.

The aluminium body work is complimented with a carbon fibre bonnet – don’t bend it because a new one is around £10,000. The paintwork is generally very sound but it looks original and so there is the odd mark here and there. The front end in particular has stone chips, and the rear bumper has the odd chip of paint missing too.

In addition the sills underneath the doors are slightly marked where people have got in and out of the car over the years. The paint is also marked at the ends of the sills in the rear wheelarches.

The original Ferrari alloy wheels are in very nice shape, with only minimal marks, and all the tyres are good too. Overall the car looks completely straight, and very original. It’s clearly been looked after and enjoyed.

The cream leather interior is contrasted with green leather on the door panels and dash, and is mostly in very nice condition. There are some tiny marks on the original steering wheel, and the driver’s seat shows the usual signs of wear, although reconnollising would probably result in a much improved look, as none of the seams have worn through and the green stitching all looks very sound.

The driver’s side carpet in the footwell is a little scruffy at the very edges but a good clean would probably tidy it up considerably. By far the most noticeable area requiring improvement is to the passenger side dash panel, on which the leather has become partially unstuck and is wrinkled as a result. We imagine a trim expert could repair this relatively easily and at minimal cost.

There are three ride settings to choose from, and the owner assures us they all work as they should, as do all the electronics. All the gauges also work, and for some reason the oil and water temperature units are graded in Fahrenheit, which seems slightly odd for a car that was built for the British market.

The rear seats – and this is a genuine four seater – and fine for kids and smaller adults, but not really the pace for six footers to get comfortable. They’re in great condition though.

In the boot is the beautiful leather Ferrari tool set.

Engine in the front, gearbox in the back – that’s the way Ferrari balanced the 456’s chassis to avoid it being front heavy. And what an engine it is too. Just looking at it is exciting of, like me, you’re a bit of an engine nerd. Fire it up and the sound makes the CD changer (in the boot and working, says the owner) superfluous as the sound is magnificent.

The car is based around a steel spaceframe chassis with aluminium bodywork, aside from that hugely expensive carbon bonnet.

Underneath, there is the odd small area where the underseal has started to come away, leading to some surface corrosion. If we were buying the car we’d get it rustproofed with a wax based product to keep it sound.

The car comes with a pile of receipts for maintenance work carried out, old MoTs and also historic tax discs.

The fully stamped service book tells us that the cambelt was changed at 55,000 miles, and less than 10,000 miles have been covered since this major service.

The current owner has had the 456 for the last 12 years, and used it only occasionally, covering just 3000 miles in that period. However, he has kept the car thoroughly maintained during his time with it. He says:

‘I drove it around Scotland and went to the Isle of Skye in it. It’s never missed a beat in all the time I’ve had it and I’d happily jump in it and drive it to the south of France tomorrow [the way the weather is here today, this sounds like a sound plan].

I’ve had new Bilstein dampers fitted on each corner at a cost of around £4000. On these cars the fuel pump housings are made of a hard plastic which is known to crack. I’ve had this replaced by an aluminium part made in America, so this is no longer a worry.

The car has also had a new radiator, and anything else it needed. I must have spent around £25,000 on maintenance work during my time with it. It’s a great car. Everything’s been done except the paint, but I wanted to sell it as it is so nothing is covered up – you can see exactly what you’re getting. And I’m only selling it as I have my heart set on an older Ferrari. This one is cheap to tax and insure.

Everything works and you can fit the kids in the back. And it’s green so it’s not a ‘look at me’ Ferrari. But somebody else will get better use from it than I do. These 456s were £165,000 when they were new.’

Please note the registration number NS0 51 is not sold with the car and the new registration number is P733 YGJ.

It’s hard to talk about bargains that cost £30 to £40,000, but this is a bargain in Ferrari-land. It’s also an eminently practical supercar that you can fit a family of four into, and cruise across continents in. A sociable Ferrari, then. In fact, it’s a sensible family car, that costs no more than you can easily spend on a new VW Golf GTi. And good as a GTi is, it’s no Ferrari.

We estimate this Ferrari to fetch between £30,000 - £40,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.