Ferrari only built 349 examples of the F50 between 1995 and 1997, making it a rare Italian stallion. However, Ferrari also built a limited run of 19 pre-production cars, with six of them heading to members of the Brunei royal family. This is one of them, but unlike some of the others, this car retains its left-hand-drive layout.
DK Engineering has the rare gem up for sale and released a walkaround video showing all the subtle differences between this pre-production car and the "regular" F50. This one is missing the front cargo compartment, for example, while the dual fans have a gold center instead of being all black. The storage pocket and bag for the tools have different shapes while the red label denoting the production number attached to the underside of the front hood is missing.
Even the area around the windshield is different; the base panel has a satin finish instead of a glossy coat. At the top of the glass, there are two mounting holes on each side as opposed to just one. A closer look reveals the side mirror caps (and the interior mirror) are missing the manufacturer's plaques.
At the rear, the Perspex engine cover has exposed screws and louvers attached to the panel rather than being molded in. The engine compartment is missing most of the labels you'll find on a standard F50. In addition, the calipers for the handbrake are gold rather than black, and lack the prancing horse logo.
Stepping inside, a standard F50 doesn't have those red side bolsters in the seats, nor does it have red stitching on the dashboard or the chassis number plaque on the passenger side. Interestingly, the turn signal stalk is completely blank while the tint of the door cards, dashboard, and side sill is not shared with the customer cars. Missing from the pre-production prototype are the speed warning stickers and the bag to hold the soft top. This car even has a suspension lift system to lift the nose of the car.
This Ferrari F50 is in immaculate condition, having racked up only 1,180 miles (1,900 kilometers) since production in June 1995. It has changed hands several times since then, and now it's located in the UK where it's up for grabs. It earned a certificate of authenticity from Ferrari in March 2018, so it's the real deal.
