F50 Perfection: A Guide To Excellence

I have argued elsewhere that there are many dimensions that together form a framework for defining the quality of halo supercars.

I will take each of these dimension of quality, one by one, and cover the various aspects with illustrative pictures and explanatory words for the F50 model as a case example.

This will help understand how to differentiate between specific F50 examples (from the bad to the outstanding).

That can help buyers look for the right things when buying (instead of just listening to the often cursory advise received from their selling dealer, or the superficial information from many auctions house or 1-page ‘history report’ from archivists).

This will hopefully convince potential buyers to do a lot for themselves and ask the right questions to their advisors, and understand the pertinent parts of history and provenance (owners, countries of registration) thereby being able to know how to trace mileage and ascertain to what extent it is genuine over a 30-year span.

As mileage is a prime value driver, you would then be in a position to evaluate the uncertainty of mileage and therefore a more appropriate price premium/discount attached to mileage.

Similar knowledge on maintenance, condition, books, toolkit and accessories will complete the picture of what makes an F50, bad, good, excellent, or outstanding (naturally with corresponding premia/discounts which will result in different values for the differing examples).

Here is the framework’s dimensions of quality:

I. Condition

1. Exterior
2. Interior
3. Engine Bay
4. Boot
5. ‘Under the Skin’ ​

II. Originality
III. Mileage Traceability
IV. Maintenance
V. Provenance
VI. History
VII. Books
IIX. Toolkit
IX. Accessories
X. Launch Brochures & Press Kit
XI. Featured Media & Events.

(Note that for F50s, there are a couple of aspects like colour or US-specs that play a role in desirability).

We will cover all of these dimensions over several posts and we will illustrate with F50 photographs.

Some aspects can be covered in more than one dimension. For example I like to cover weave under Originality as opposed to under Condition, Exterior. Mechanical aspects are looked at in both Condition ‘Under the Skin’ as well as in Maintenance (services, engine-out refresh, inspection reports).

Let us start by looking at Condition, Interior.

A general impression can formed through a quick glance.

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Start looking at the originality and condition of the three materials of the seats (cloth, leather and felt-like).

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Also examine the dashboard and instrument panel cover material which often fades and becomes un-attractive with time. Many replace it but this is a no-no. Others, keep a horrendous-looking dashboard (like a recent F50 from Japan which was on the market) but say happily ‘it’s original’. For me, it needs to be both original and in excellent state through care and attention over the years.

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Look also behind the seats and close to the doors that the alcantara-type cover is neat and well preserved.

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Also check that the carbon fibre on the doors and interior is not scratched or gone yellow.

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To finish with the interior, look at the quality of the material on the hard roof (as well as on the soft roof), the pedals area, as well as the rubber matts and gear gate.

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Let us look now at Originality, the second dimension of quality. (Some parts of the first dimension Condition have not been forgotten but will be covered in later posts).

We saw in the last two posts that the material of the interior, especially the fast deteriorating dashboard/instrument cluster needs to remain original and not be replaced. Here I cover six other aspects of originality, namely:

1. Matching numbers. The key components needs to be the original ones fitted by the factory with no replacement
2. Certification of Authenticity by factory: note that if you are told ‘Classiche under progress’, it means little as it can be denied, but then you already bought the car assuming it was a matter of weeks to receive the red book. Also ‘the F50 comes with the Classiche Redbook’ does not mean it’s original as the factory issues sometimes the Classiche with qualifications (that this or that has been replacement). So you need (a) to have the Classiche in hand and (b) read it carefully for any qualifications - I have included below one set of page and corresponding picture depicting that the engine is original with its number. You then have to (c) go to the F50 and check the actual number of the engine and confirm that it matches the number given on the Classiche (Classiche can be done 10 years ago and since then the engine might have been replaced )
3. Weave: ensure it is everywhere. So many cars show weave here and there but then you find a door doesn’t have it (repainted), or the front clam doesn’t have (possibly replaced/accidented…) Many F50s have their bumpers repainted - again that is quite a no-no for me. Also PPF is not recommended as it hides the real and natural surface of the car (like some people leave the delivery plastic on expensive furniture at home or on car seats to avoid markings…) I also heard stories of when the PPF is removed, it can peel along some of the original colour as it is very thin, or if some chips got embedded under the PPF, when removing the PPF, the chips can cause scratching
4. The presence of many Ferrari carbon composite manufactures’ stickers with the correct dates on them throughout the car. You can find them on large parts like body panels as well as much smaller parts. There are also many labels (with relevant dates) around original cable clusters throughout
5. I found the clutch being the original factory-fitted one on this F50
6. I also found that the tyres were the original factory-fitted Goodyear ones.

(Note I am not suggesting that an original clutch and tyres are a necessity, but not bad if there).

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3. Paint original with extraordinary weave throughout the bodywork including both bumpers
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OK, let’s cover Condition, Engine Bay as well as Condition, ‘Under the Skin’. Basically we look from outside at the engine compartment in the former, and in the latter we delve into the insides of the car. This is very important to me as it reveals how the car is in the non-obvious parts and it is much more revealing about the ‘true’ or ‘real’ condition as compared to a a car that is all shinning on the exterior after a super detailing at, say, Topaz (a leading detailer in the UK).

Here are few photographs of the engine compartment:

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Now we go ‘Under the Skin’, covering as many different parts of the mechanical and structural parts as well as the underbody. (Kindly forgive me if few pictures were posted in some earlier threads).

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We continue with the hidden parts in few more posts.

 

‘Under the Skin’ Cont’d

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‘Under the Skin’ Cont’d

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And the last ‘Under the Skin’

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In the next time, I will cover the tricky but paramount dimensions of history, provenance, and resulting mileage traceability and reliability.

 

Mileage is a key value driver in the market. Low mileage cars command substantial premia over higher mileage cars. However, speedometer mileage can (and often is) different from true mileage.

In F50s the mileage recording can be disconnected in few seconds from the engine bay, the instrument panel often breaks down, and manipulation of displayed mileage happens.

So it is crucial when buying a car to:
- understand the Provenance of the car (the various owners, and for each owner: the ownership period, the country of registration, and the mileage driven)
- understand the History of the car: all keys events, service, maintenance, sale, registration, insurance, storage… with appropriate documentation (with many showing the mileage) from delivery to the present - so a 30-odd years span
- understand Mileage Traceability across the years and how the mileage progresses.

Without the above, the stated mileage is just a number and cannot be relied upon. Two F50s recently came to my attention with very low mileage (hundreds of Km) but one had no history and the other no service book and with a long stay in Japan (not a known place for keeping documents with cars). I did not even consider them.

So history, provenance, and documentation not only command a high premium but should even be a necessary condition before purchase. Don’t buy a car without having a clear understanding (with proper backing documentation) of its owners and its detailed history.

The F50 has become such an expensive car that many consider them a blue chip investment (as opposed to just a fun car to drive or take to events). And that is why it has to have a very thorough and comprehensive history and you should enhance it, research it and build it up during your ownership.

To illustrate the above, here is an example showing the ownership trail and details (delivery documentation/sales contract; country, mileage driven, purchase and sale dates), the history in 4 folders and organised with a summary page explaining the history details for circa 6 months (so for 30 years you get 25 to 20 pages) as well as mileage traceability showing the progression over the years.

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Below is one of the pages of the History Summary (1 page for a six months period, so over 30 years you build 25 or so pages)

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It is also important to download the ECU data to confirm that the mileage corresponds to the one displayed on the tachometer.
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Here is another important dimension of quality which is the extensive accessories that come with the F50.

Their importance lie not only in the fact that they are an integral part of an F50, but also their presence and their condition reflect how much care and attention was given to the car in (a) keeping these items with the car throughout the years (e.g. original built book), (b) having them in top condition (e.g. flight case internal lining, soft roof material, torch in working condition, well maintained boots) and (c) finding and sourcing any missing parts.

Hopefully this will provide a reference of what to look for to potential buyers who are looking at a superior F50 for sale or to owners who seek excellence for their F50.

It is quite difficult and it takes a long time to complete such a wide ranging set of accessories and they are becoming more and more scarce given there low production numbers. They are also becoming very expensive (flight case and soft roof package, £50k+; toolkit: £30k; luggage set: £30k…)

I just want to give credit and lots of appreciation to Mark McCracken and his deep knowledge and efforts as he was behind, over a period of few years, making my accessories and toolkits complete and in best condition.
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And here are:
- the original promotional material that came with the F50 and its launch
- the full toolkit set.

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Ok, time to wrap-up and briefly cover the few quality dimensions remaining.

Recall we listed them in post #1:

I. Condition

1. Exterior
2. Interior
3. Engine Bay
4. Boot
5. ‘Under the Skin’​

II. Originality
III. Mileage Traceability
IV. Maintenance
V. Provenance
VI. History
VII. Books
IIX. Toolkit
IX. Accessories
X. Launch Brochures & Press Kit
XI. Featured Media & Events.

I think still remaining to cover is Condition Exterior and Boot; then Maintenance; Books; and Featured media & Events.

For the Exterior and Boot, it is just pictures of each with close-ups. I will feature just some as they are the usual pictures depicted by auctioneers and brokers.

Condition - Exterior
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Condition - Boot
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And the books are the standard four ones. Note that the F50 does not come with a separate pouch (it is integrated in the car):
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On the Maintenance dimension, we start with the list of the services that the car received (backed by the stamps in the Warranty and Service Book).
Many cars are regularly serviced only in the recent past when owners realised the importance. But that is not good enough. So it is also important to understand, in addition to the number of services, their distribution throughout the car’s lifetime. In other words, describing how many services took place during the first decade, the second and the third.
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Also if there is a major maintenance (mechanical or other) which took place, then it’s scope and the work carried should be explained.
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Worthwhile mentioning also is if there any comprehensive inspection carried out and the results
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Also long-term storage details help the understanding of the care the car receives on the Maintenance dimension
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And now to the last quality dimension, namely any events, publications, concours, races and the like that the car featured in. For the F50 case example that we used thought this thread, it’s the following:

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* * *

I hope that you found the framework of dimensions of quality as well as the details of the case example that we used informative. ​

It will help you know what to look for when buying an F50 (irrespective of what the dealer, auctioneer, facilitator, or seller say). It also shows that if you are looking for the best, things are much deeper than low-mileage depicted on an odometer. The amount as well as comprehensiveness of the information on the car and the life it lived will reveal to you a lot. If the information is restricted, or not rich and does not cover many of the dimensions covered, then it might be prudent to walk away.

How the F50 that you look at (or that you already own) score on the various dimensions of quality, will also help you to come up with a better valuation for the car: scoring ‘high’ on key dimensions (history, condition including ‘under the skin’…) will add to its value and similarly if the car is ‘weak’ on certain dimensions (originality, provenance, mileage traceability…), then discounts will apply. I will be discussing in some details a valuation model based on the above in a forthcoming book.

 

Hope to inspire you, Jag, to get back into F50s

 

One last addition. I took the F50 which was the case example that I used to describe the various dimensions of quality in this thread to a concours to be judged last week. It was at Cavallino Classic (in Modena, Italy).

Here are some pictures first.
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In Vino Veritas…

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The F50 JF received:

1. Platinum Award, with
2. Score of 100/100 points, and
3. Best of Show.

The first was good to have as the judges look at the car on its own and evaluate. The second, in my opinion, is the special one as there was a perfect score of 100 points with zero deductions. Finally, Best of Show was a comparison across numerous other cars.

it was a pleasure to have knowledgeable judges come with such a verdict of excellence.

 

Appreciated, Annand, and happy you enjoyed the content.

 

Thank you Mark. I am not sure how many F50s, if any, got the 100 points with the Platinum Award. What I know is that judges have a strong reluctance to award the perfect score, as if perfection is something to aim at rather than attain. (A 288 GTO totally restored by none other than Ferrari Classiche for a cost-is-no-issue figure still could not get to the top score).
Anyhow let us not forget that the 100 points is mainly for condition (and only what you see for that matter) and as I have been arguing there are so many other dimensions of quality which the car needs to excel in. So getting platinum, 100 points, best in show, is only part of excellence…