20th Sep, 2023 13:00 - 30th Anniversary Sale at The Imperial War Museum | Duxford, Cambridgeshire
1994 Ferrari 512 TR ABS
1 of 88 right-hand drive examples and 1 of only 38 with ABS
Estimate £90,000 - £120,000
Registration No: M469 XPP
Chassis No: ZFFLA40C4000096759
Mot Expiry: August 2024
1 of just 88 right-hand drive examples and 1 of only 38 with ABS
26,182 miles from new with 4 previous keepers
Documented ownership from new and offered with extensive history file
Finished in original factory Rosso Corsa over Crema
Ferrari's mid-engined, flat-12 Testarossa was unveiled to an expectant media at the Champs-Elysée's Lido nightclub on the eve of the 1984 Paris Salon. Though an evolution of the 512BBi, it was of markedly different appearance with large, slatted intake ducts leading from the doors into the rear quarter panels; it was nearly 6in wider than its predecessor. By the time of the 1992 Los Angeles Auto Show, the model had been heavily re-engineered and relaunched as the 512 TR. The many improvements included: uprated engine with broader power curve and higher peak figure of 428bhp; swifter gearchange; uprated braking; quicker steering; lower profile tyres; superior suspension settings; repositioned engine and gearbox, resulting in a lower centre of gravity and improved weight distribution.
Chassis 96759 started its life as a right-hand drive model for export to Singapore in 1994. The accompanying Ferrari warranty card shows that this particular example was initially passed through the UK and then went onto Singapore through Hong Seh Motors Pte Ltd to a Mr Ngiam. The car returned to the UK in 1999 and the first service listed was at 2,449 miles on 15th April 1999 with Kent High Performance Cars. The car has been through 4 previous owners plus the current owner whilst in the UK as follows:
Owner 1 - 07/04/1999 up to 17/04/1999
Owner 2 - 17/04/1999 up to 30/05/2001
Owner 3 - 30/05/2001 up to 01/03/2004
Owner 4 - 01/03/2004 up to 27/04/2004
Owner 5 (current) - 27/04/2004 up to present day.
In 2000, the car was recorded as a Category D write-off due to an accident which damaged the off-side rear quarter. There is a supplied estimate from one of the previous owners for the repair of the car to the tune of £60,000. The vendor is not sure if this particular estimate was taken up, but we do understand that the car has been repaired to a high standard and the vendor advises that you would be hard-pressed to tell on inspection. The vendor also advises that there is no adverse effect to driveability.
Our vendor, on acquiring the car in 2004, set about performing a large amount of restoration work which included a bare metal re-paint in Rosso Corsa and the vendor rates the finished article as excellent. The vendor has been largely looking after small servicing jobs himself after a career in the automotive industry although larger jobs have recently been performed by specialists which is all well documented. The engine bay appears in very fine fettle and the lovely flat-12 fired up with ease on our visit. Up to 2011 the car had annual oil changes, despite the low miles covered. However, in 2011, at around 21,500 miles the vendor decided to carry out a fairly substantial amount of work himself, which included; replacement fuel pumps, right rear wheel bearing replaced, new suspension bushes, powder-coated suspension components and a four wheel alignment.
In 2016, at around 23,000 miles, a new clutch was fitted due to the throw-out bearing becoming noisy. At 25,000 in 2022, the cam belts were replaced along with new coolant hoses, as they were beginning to swell due to their age. At 26,000 the car was inspected by a Ferrari specialist for a health check. A compression test was completed on the engine and found that all cylinders are within range. The vendor has subsequently been through the list and repaired most of the faults listed in the health check, which included the refurbishment of all four wheels and fitment of the correct new tyres. The vendor has advised that the air-conditioning unit would benefit from refilling with gas. On opening the doors, we can confirm the interior is resplendent in its original Crema hide and there was a new windscreen fitted in 2016. The original gauges all appeared to work on inspection and the carpets are in fantastic shape.
