1994 Ferrari 348

This is the later, mildly face-lifted version with the 320bhp V8 engine (up from 300bhp in the earlier cars), a wider rear track, and subtly altered suspension geometry to further sharpen the handling. 

In the desirable Spider configuration (of which only 1070 were made worldwide), the folding convertible roof offers the very best of all worlds and we can think of no finer way to spend a summer day than tearing across the continent with the roof down and the love of our life sitting beside us.

The car comes complete with the private number ‘F5 PYD’.

The paintwork was refreshed last year and is looking wonderful. However, prospective bidders should take note of the fact that the car was stolen and recovered in 2001 and was declared Category D as a result of a spot of damage to the rear right area. 

The initial repair work hadn’t been carried out to the current owner’s satisfaction, and he paid to have the work carried out to his own high standards, rather than those who originally commissioned the work. This means that the new owner should be able to get the new marker ‘condition inspected’ placed on the HPI register once the vehicle has been through the appropriate inspection, which will further bolster the car’s value. 

The folding black roof is in excellent condition and the Pirelli tyres are in good order.

The whole interior has recently been Connolised and now looks and smells wonderful. There are still a couple of minor scuffs that should be visible in the photographs.

The car also comes with the following: the leather-bound handbook and owner’s manual; a full leather toolkit (the tray type); a Ferrari indoor car cover, seat covers, and a steering wheel cover, all of which come with the official Ferrari carry bags.

There are a few fiddly little jobs yet to do, as is the case with any car that has been standing for a while. They’re all fairly minor, and comprise things like a few interior trim screws that need tightening and a driver’s seat that has some play in the backrest mechanism. 

None are major but they do need doing, which would be a lovely way to pass a couple of afternoons if you, like us, like nothing better than to spend some time fettling a new purchase!

The current owner has had the following work carried out on the car in the years he has owned it: All the steering, anti-roll bar, and suspension bushes have been replaced with Powerflex versions to tauten everything up; the flywheel was stripped, cleaned, and then re-assembled with new seals and Kluber grease; the clutch pressure plate and release bearing were both replaced at the same time; two new catalytic convertors have been fitted; the ignition system benefits from having had two new coil packs and Magnecor ignition leads installed; the brake compensator was replaced, as were the front and rear pads, which were upgraded using EBC Red Stuff, a move that eradicates one of the car’s few weak points; the alternator was rewound and tested; and the two front tyres were replaced.

A full service and a change of cambelt was carried out in Feb 2016 at 22,678 miles (invoice in the history file below). A full geometry setup and wheel alignment has been recently carried out too; aficionados will know that the 348 is very sensitive to even minor changes to the suspension geometry, something the owner has taken the time and trouble to take care of. 

Other work completed at this last service includes two new toe shims, the replacement of the right-hand air intake hose, along with new end plate gaskets, the gearbox oil seal, and both rocker cover air breather pipes. 

The only issue of note on the test drive is a handbrake and/or rear brakes that are binding slightly. This could just be because the new brake pads haven’t bedded in properly, or they might need a minor adjustment to free them off a little. 

Other than that, the car drives as it should and, crucially, all the electrics work, which is not always the case with cars like this…

The vehicle also comes with two straight through catalytic converters. Although strictly speaking the car shouldn't pass an MOT with them fitted, the noise they make has to be heard to be believed (see video below).

Invoices and receipts for all of the above work are available for inspection, along with many of the original receipts. 

The service history book is stamped as follows:

16/12/94 – initial service 

06/10/96 – at 4,760 miles

20/04/98 – at 6,395 miles

29/06/00 – at 7,935 miles

28/02/04 – at 15,276 miles

15/12/05 – at 17,363 miles

28/01/08 – at 17,710 miles

18/07/11 – at 21,890 miles

26/02/16 – at 22,678 miles

The current mileage of just under 23,000 miles is supported by the paperwork and the online MOT history check.

Everyone has dreamed of owning a Ferrari at some stage in their life, and this is a rare opportunity to buy a sensible modern classic that ticks all the right boxes.

However, that Cat D marker might put some people off but rest assured that is reflected in the price with an estimate of just £45,000, which is significantly below the usual market price for these cars.

And yet, fortune favours the brave, and we think that this might just prove to be a very affordable way to get behind the wheel of what is increasingly becoming a rare car. 

For this reason, we’d strongly urge you to take a look at the car in the metal for yourself as we know that you will be pleasantly surprised.

The car can be viewed in Abingdon, to arrange please use the 'Contact Seller' button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or view our frequently asked questions below.