By Sponsored Article – October 19, 2026
Broad Arrow Las Vegas Auction Preview: 1997 Ferrari F50
The F50 was by no means the first road car to draw on Formula 1 engineering, but when it was unveiled at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show in anticipation of Ferrari's 50th anniversary, it was arguably the most literal translation of Grand Prix technology to the street yet attempted. Road & Track's technical analysis described it as virtually a road-going version of the 333 SP, the multiple IMSA GT and FIA championship-winning sports-racer Ferrari had developed from its 1990 F1 program. Paul Frère, winner of the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, wrote in the magazine that company president Luca di Montezemolo wanted the car to give its driver “the impression that he drives a Grand Prix car.”With just 106 miles from new, Broad Arrow is pleased to present this 1997 Ferrari F50 as the star lot of the upcoming Las Vegas Auction on 31 October. Surrounded by the energy and excitement of one of the automotive world’s most glamorous events, the offering of chassis 107165 is the closest collectors can get to taking delivery of a brand new F50. Powering an unforgettable analog driving experience is the 4.7-liter, 65-degree V12 developed from Ferrari's 3.5-liter Formula 1 unit, with five valves per cylinder, titanium connecting rods, and dry-sump lubrication. It produces 513 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. As in a Grand Prix car, its cast-iron block was bolted directly to the back of a 225-pound carbon-fiber tub and carried the rear suspension. Pushrod-actuated double wishbones with electronically controlled damping, titanium hubs, unassisted steering, and Brembo brakes without servo assistance reinforced its connection to the F1 single-seater. Unlike Ferrari's F1 cars, however, which had used electro-hydraulic paddle shifters since 1989, the F50 kept a six-speed manual shifted through a traditional open gate, and it would be the last of Ferrari's halo cars to do so.Development testing involved Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger, Niki Lauda, and chief tester Dario Benuzzi. Road & Track recorded zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, while Ferrari claimed top speed of 202 mph. Its testers observed that where most exotics merely hint at the racing experience, the F50 “slaps you in the face with all its visceral ingredients.” To avoid a repeat of the F40, which was built in 1,311 examples to meet its exploding demand, Ferrari built just 349 examples between 1995 and 1997 to ensure its exclusivity.The F50 offered here, chassis number 107165, is the 334th of those 349 cars, a late-production example delivered new via Maranello Sales Ltd. of Egham, Surrey, whose decal it still wears on the windshield. It is finished in Rosso Corsa over Nero leather with Rosso seat inserts, the combination most closely identified with the model. In the nearly three decades since it left the factory, it has covered an astonishing 106 miles. Ferrari built the F50 to be driven hard, and most surviving examples show at least some evidence of it, but this example has been entirely spared from the moment it was delivered. As a result, its paintwork, carbon-fiber cabin, leather upholstery, and switchgear are free of the fading, wear, and handling marks that even careful use brings. The car presents today much as it would have on the day Maranello Sales handed it over.As one would expect given its time-warp condition, its factory accessories have been preserved to the same standard. The car is offered with its removable hardtop and the original flight case that houses it whenever the F50 is run as a barchetta. Also present are its J.P. Tod's driving shoes and three-piece Schedoni luggage set with dust covers, along with its tool kit, wheel socket, and fuse, bulb, and belt kit. Its car, seat, and steering wheel covers in their Ferrari-branded bag finish the set. Items such as these were routinely separated from their cars over the years, lost between owners, or simply used, which makes the full complement alongside an F50 of this mileage truly exceptional. The F50 long ago made the passage from new car to blue-chip collectible, and the chance to buy one in delivery condition largely went with it. Chassis 107165 is the exception. Impeccably preserved and complete with its original delivery items, its offering at the second annual Las Vegas Auction on 31 October is as close as one can come today to taking delivery of a new F50. For the collector who wants the model exactly as Ferrari built it, a better-preserved or more complete example would be very difficult to find.Experience an extraordinary weekend where collector cars, luxury, and entertainment come together in the heart of Las Vegas. In partnership with Concours at Wynn Las Vegas, Broad Arrow’s 31 October auction will offer collectors the opportunity to acquire a range of sought-after modern Ferraris as part of a 75+ collector car lineup. Discover the lots on offer and register to bid at broadarrowauctions.com. View Listing GALLERY-EMBED