1993 Ferrari 348 TB

F348 XXX (great numberplate, right?) is one of only 150 right-hand drive examples supplied to the UK. The car is being sold by John Truslove on behalf of the owner, Dr Susan Elias-Jones.  It sold to her at auction in 2016 for a shade over £50k, after reportedly being with its previous owner for 10 years.

Despite fond memories of a day spent taking it around Donington Park, the owner is now parting with her 348 after a move from Worcestershire to Dartmouth which has left her with fewer nearby roads worthy of a Ferrari. Today it has under 64,800 miles on the clock and is in very nice condition overall – it’s certainly scrubbed up nicely thanks to a 5-hour valeting session.

We’re told that the car been stored mostly under cover. We’re also pleased to note it has been kept MoTed almost continuously, at least as far back as 2007, driving just a few thousand (or a few hundred) miles each year, and faults have not been allowed to accumulate – always a good sign for future reliability. Its MoT is valid until 21 September 2021, and its most recent test was passed without any advisories.

Is it immaculate? No, but the small nicks you’ll find are nothing unexpected on a car of this age, and the next owner can attend to what small flaws the car does have safe in the knowledge that the underlying vehicle drives magnificently and is structurally sound (and it sounds wonderful too).

According to the history (more on that below) the nearside front wing and bonnet were resprayed in 2007, and today all the paintwork has a lovely lustre. There’s no rust to be found as you walk around the car, and there are no signs of poor panel fit. From a few paces back this 348 looks absolutely lovely.

However, close scrutiny of the paintwork will reveal various light scuffs and chips, and our photographer has revealed the worst of them. For example, the nearside corner of the rear bumper has a small stone chip, there’s some slight cracking around the lower area of the splitter, and there’s a crack in the paint at the rear of the driver’s door. As you can see though, these are very minor concerns that needn’t spoil your fun. Please take a moment to zoom in and assess them for yourself.

Some of the alloys are slightly curbed – not severely so; refurbishment will be a worthy investment for the next owner. In November last year the wheels were fitted with four Continental tyres in original sizes, so there’s no risk of scuffing the arches during hard cornering.

If we had to be picky we’d draw attention to some discolouration along the lower edge of the rear windscreen. The car also needs new wiper blades, and raising the engine hatch reveals some bubbling on its underside, in the corners. But paying too much attention to any one of these flaws is to do this Fezza an injustice because, as you can see, it does present very nicely.

And yes, those iconic headlamps do pop up on demand.

The black seat leather is in good condition throughout, with just minor creasing and the gentlest of fraying around the stitching belying their age. There’s slight deformation of the driver’s lower bolster, as you’d expect, but nothing is split.

It’s a similar story with the steering wheel, which is free from damage, and the surrounding dash console is also excellent. The plastics and trim around the centre console are all in good order.

There appears to be some misalignment around the passenger door’s inside handle, but in terms of actual damage, the only significant issues are the passenger side seat adjust lever which has snapped off, and the leather strap in the front boot which has also come off.

The red footwell overmats bring a welcome touch of Italian colour, and are in decent condition, with just a little fraying around the hem in the driver’s footwell. Slightly more intrusive are the scuffs around the driver’s sill tread area, but they’re only surface deep and not beyond repair.

The car’s underbelly isn’t as gleaming as its top half, with road dirt indicating its ongoing usage, but there’s little to worry about. Some areas of surface corrosion are visible, and the car has historically had issues with corroding brake pipes, so a professional underseal treatment would be advisable – preferably before next winter – but we don’t believe the car has ever required welding.

We’re not aware of any mechanical issues whatsoever, either underneath the car or in the engine bay, which is reassuringly clean and tidy following its valeting service – especially when viewed from the top. Visually it is let down by the central inlet manifold cover, which is flaking; having this refurbished would spruce up the appearance of the whole engine.

There are a few other areas of flaking paint (around fluid tanks for instance), easily rectified. More importantly, the electrical components and hoses look good, nothing appears to be perished, and there is no unsightly corrosion to speak of.

There are signs of long-term oil seepage underneath the engine, around the rear-facing bell housing; we don’t believe this is an urgent cause for concern, but it ought to be addressed.

There is a large amount of history with the car, with plenty of logbook stamps from main dealers and Ferrari specialists indicating its very frequent servicing. The cambelt has been frequently replaced, the most recent swap being in November last year, along with a service.

The clutch was replaced in 2010 at 56k miles, using a twin-plate AP clutch plus components from Hill Engineering (who supply uprated clutch parts). Aside from the clutch, we believe this 348 is entirely original spec.

The petrol tank was replaced with a second-hand item in 2012.

The driver’s door has historically been problematic, and money has been spent over the years on new wiring, ‘refit and resecure’ the release cable (whatever that means) and more recently the current owner has had the lock mechanism repaired. These troubles now appear to be firmly in its past.

Our estimate of £45,000-£55,000 is a fair reflection of the car’s underlying integrity and thorough maintenance record, while taking into account its few minor blemishes.

With its recent cambelt, frequent oil changes and uprated clutch having covered very few miles, we would be very surprised if this 348 causes its next owner any sudden headaches. It’s a genuine UK car that is on the button, with all its systems working without fault, ready to go… and go… and go, in the way that only a normally-aspirated V8 Ferrari can!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon - Fri, 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’.