Ferrari Presented This F355 to Michael Schumacher. It Is Now Available for Sale Without a Reserve Price.
RM Sotheby's
Former race cars of Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher are rarely available for purchase, and when they do come up for sale, they fetch seven-figure prices. However, there is a more affordable (though still costly!) option for those looking to add a Ferrari driven by Schumacher to their collection. RM Sotheby’s is auctioning a 1996 355 GTS, reportedly the first street-legal Ferrari driven by Schumacher after he joined Scuderia. This vehicle features an appealing configuration and is being offered with no reserve.
This 355 GTS, with VIN ZFFXR42B000105416, was said to be personally customized by Schumacher. It sports a Blu Le Mans exterior with a Crema interior, which we consider both stylish and understated, and comes with a six-disc CD changer. What music did Schumacher enjoy? We can't say, but with the top down, he likely couldn't hear much over the beautiful roar of a 3.5-liter V8 connected to a gated six-speed manual transmission.
According to RM Sotheby's, the sale includes service records that trace the 355's history. It was originally delivered in Germany on April 30, 1996, and first registered to Weber Management GmbH, a firm owned by Schumacher's manager Willi Weber. Allegedly, Schumacher used the car during his time in Monaco, although it seems he didn't keep it for long. Ferrari dealership Monaco Motors claims to have serviced the vehicle for Schumacher until September 1997. The GTS later passed through two private owners in France before the current seller acquired it in 2004.
The term “celebrity-owned” holds different meanings for different people, but in this case, Schumacher's connection is well-documented. There are multiple photographs of the championship-winning driver driving his GTS, and he even signed the back of the driver's seat prior to its sale.
Even without the association with Schumacher, this 355 GTS has a lot to offer. It appears to be in excellent condition, there are no significant visual alterations, and the odometer reads around 47,300 kilometers, equivalent to about 29,400 miles, averaging just over 1,000 miles a year. In 2020, Ferrari Classiche certified the car and revealed one notable detail: the engine is not original. RM Sotheby’s mentions a rumor suggesting this 355 GTS was equipped with “an upgraded engine” before it was given to Schumacher, although this has not been confirmed.
The 355 GTS is currently located in Paris, France, and registered in Belgium, but it qualifies for import to the United States under the 25-year rule. Bidding will commence on February 4, 2025, through the RM Sotheby’s website, and as a no-reserve auction, the highest bidder will become the new owner. While a pre-auction estimate is not available, well-maintained 355s can command prices close to $250,000. Given its excellent condition and documented connection to Schumacher, this GTS is likely to become one of the highest-priced 355s sold at auction, regardless of its body style.
If you’re too tall to fit in Schumacher's former 355 GTS, you might want to seek out the more spacious 355 Spider that was once owned by Shaquille O’Neal.
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