1992 Ferrari 348tb

With just 9,408kms on the clock, this left-hand-drive Ferrari 348TB is in need of nothing other continued love and attention – and it has had an awful lot of both its life.

Supplied new on the 7th January 1992 via Symbol Car SpA in Milan, it is believed to have formed part of a private collection; we come to this conclusion as there is a copy of an Italian Certificato di Proprieta on file dated September 1994 in the name of 'Autocollection di Ricci Gabriela SAS'. If true, then this would account for the staggeringly low recorded mileage and the almost unblemished interior.

It was first registered in the UK on the 23rd August 1998, and the V5C registration document shows just four former keepers since it has been over here. Included is a recent glowing report of the car from a noted Ferrari specialist.

In the care of its enthusiastic owner for the past six years, it is only being sold as he’s just bought a plot of land and could do with converting metal and rubber into bricks and mortar.

Finished in Giallo Yellow, it’s wonderful to see a Ferrari finished in such a rare and attractive colour; red is all very well, and silver can look terrific, but if you’re going to buy a mid-engined Italian supercar then it’s nice to stand out from the herd, isn’t it?

it’s in great shape, too. Its early life in a private collection has enabled it to dodge the usual dents, dinks and scrapes that can plaque even the most carefully conserved cars.

The shutlines are still tight and the flanks are free of ripples. Everything lines up well, and the lights, glass and badges are all good, with the headlights rising and falling as they should. There appear no paint cracks around the vulnerable buttresses.

The five-spoke, OE alloy wheels are very good. Still shod with the original tyres, while this is interesting from the perspective of the car’s provenance they will be time-expired by now and will need replacing if the car is to be used on the road.

There are a few stonechips and marks on the front bumper but the vendor is keen to present the 348 in an unmolested condition, a conscious decision that gives the new owner the choice of maintaining the 348 as it is or having the car’s paintwork locally refreshed.

Regardless of the direction the car is taken in future, I think we can all agree that presenting it ‘as is’ and with nothing hidden or disguised can only be a good thing.

The black leather interior is in exactly the sort of condition you would expect of a 9,500km example. Still firm and taut, the leather seats are as comfortable and supportive as they have ever been, and they have only very, very light creasing to the driver’s seat.

And what a view that seat gives you. The simple, three-spoke steering wheel sits in front of that classic Ferrari dash, your feet operate drilled alloy pedals, and the gearlever is the iconic metal gate we have all come to know and lust after.

Incredibly, the front carpets still have their protective plastic film covering them; the car’s first owner simply placed overmats on top and subsequent owners have continued the practise rather than removing it, which is remarkable really.

The rest of the interior is similarly good, and Terry Keys Motorsport removed the sticky coating from the car’s steering column, dashtop and door cards in August 2016. Aficionados will know this is a common problem and it is good to see the vendor bit the bullet and paid for the work to be carried out.

An alarm and the Blaupunkt Frankfurt sound system appear to be the only non-standard items fitted.

The front boot, which is very clean and tidy, still contains the tool kit in its leather case. These often go missing as owners hang on to a souvenir, so its presence is a very welcome bonus.

The Ferrari came into the hands of Terry Keys Motorsport Ltd., the well-respected independent marque specialists, in 2012 and the chaps there judged the recorded mileage of 6,106kms at the time was likely to be genuine based on its condition.

A basic service was carried out by them in June 2012, followed a change of cambelts and waterpump a couple of months later. The same firm then serviced it and changed the cambelts and tensioners again in August 2016 at 6,860kms following a change of owner. It also fitted upgraded fuel lines and braided brake hoses.

Terry Keys Motorsport also inspected the car 6,106kms, and a copy of that report is attached – please read for the full view.

More recent work includes a reconditioned alternator and the replacement of an oil seal on the oil tank. Other than that it hasn’t needed anything since the vendor bought it, and the vendor tells us that it always starts promptly, even after sitting in his garage for months.

We’ve driven it and can confirm that it starts, ticks over, and drives very well indeed; these 348’s are all about the handling and the steering, and this one is a good example of the breed. “It just makes you feel good whenever you’re around it” was the summary - and that’s exactly what you demand of your classic Ferrari, isn’t it?

The engine bay is very clean (after all, when it is yours you’re going to spend an inordinate amount of time detailing that gorgeous V8 engine too, aren’t you?) and the underside is, perhaps, even more so. It’s in a stunning and original condition, and is so clean and free of even minor rust that we doubt it has ever seen a winter road.

It certainly hasn’t in the past half-a-dozen years because the vendor only taxes it for the six summer months, leaving it snug inside a Carcoon and with a dehumidifier going 24/7 in a purpose-built garage for the other six.

The Ferrari’s MOT certificate expires in May 2021 and was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s been doing since 2012. It also comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus the invoices for the work Keys Motorsport carried out.

It also has copies of two of its Italian titles, the current UK V5C registration document, its book pack (including the stamped service history booklet) and leather wallet, and two keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

Many classic car enthusiasts are coming to appreciate the benefits of running a modern classic like this, not least because they offer the sort of safety, reliability, performance and driving dynamics that we’ve all come to appreciate in our daily drivers, while still being sufficiently analogue to be easy to repair and to keep us interested.

And, even after all these years, the Ferrari 348 still stands comparison with some of the greatest supercars ever built. As Henry Catchpole wrote in Evo magazine in 2015: “[it is] instantly obvious this car has some of the best steering, possibly the best, that I have ever sat behind.”

But, if you’re going to splash out on a Ferrari it needs to be the right one – and this is most definitely the right one. With an impeccable service and maintenance record, it is in need of nothing other than some minor cosmetic paintwork should the new owner prefer to remove the few stonechips it’s gathered over the years.

And, that unusual colour should help maintain its value well too; with the price of good 348s having dropped a little in the past year, now is a great time to buy before they continue their almost-certain inexorable rise in value.

With the very best cars being advertised for £70,000, this one’s estimate of £49,000 to £65,000 acknowledges the need for some minor bodywork – and

we can’t think of a better, or safer, way to spend that sort of money…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.