I’m sure all of us would love to do the commute in an exotic from time to time, to break up the monotony of the week. But let’s face it, just how practical is that? There’s a reason you don’t see Ferraris and Lamborghinis being used regularly. While the new models are undoubtedly more reliable, efficient and comfortable, the classics can be tempermental and difficult to deal with in traffic. Someone, however, decided to ignore convention, because this 1999 Ferrari F550 Maranello for sale in California is closing in on 80,000. The car has had the recently 30,000 mile service with the coolant pipe update which should assuage some reliability fears over the short term.

Year: 1999
Model: F550 Maranello
Engine: 5.5 liter V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 76,203 mi
Price: $52,900 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1999 Ferrari F550 Maranello

Great chance to get into a 550 Maranello at a good price. I was unsure of the service history and the cam seals were leaking a little on the car so I sent it to have a complete 30K service performed along with the coolant pipe update. This 550 will literally come with a brand new major service. If you are looking for a concourse car this is not your Ferrari if you are looking for a nice, straight 550 that you can drive and enjoy this is a great car for you. I had the car inspected prior to purchase since I was unable to talk with the previous owner, I am happy to forward this inspection to any interested buyer. After the car was inspected I drove the car 300 miles down to my home on the central coast and I was very pleased. The AC blew cold, everything worked properly and the car stayed cool while I sat in traffic for a hour on the 101. The clutch is good and has plenty of life, all of the power functions worked like they should the transmission was smooth and the motor is strong and I think a little faster than mine. I was personally at the shop while I had it inspected and racked. The front brakes and rotors are like new and the tires have over 65% life left.

The right rocker panel does have a few dents that you can only see when the car is up in the air. The springs have been upgraded with a Eibach lowering sprint set on the factory coilover that brings the car down about 1", this 550 also has a very nice set of headers on the car along with a harness bar for a set of 5 point belts other than that the car is stock. While I had the car inspected I did have the fluids changed just to be safe and a complete saftey perfored along with a California smog which is passed perfectly. The front bumper does have rock chips along with a few on the hood, nothing that cannot be touched up. I personally feel that the 550 is one of the most reliable Ferraris built this car will make someone a great driver. All questions are welcome along with any inspections that you would like to have done locally, all inspections must be performed prior to the ending of the sale. This car has a clean carfax and will be available to prospective buyers. Anyone with 0 or negative feedback must email me prior to bidding or I will cancel your bid. Thanks for looking at my auction.

At just over $50,000, it’s rather tempting to think you can get into a grand touring Ferrari of recent vintage for brand new Mercedes-Benz or Lexus money. However, as with all exotics, your repair bills will be much more than those other luxury marques. Still, I appreciate the fact that this F550 looks so good after logging this amount of distance. To be honest, I’d probably take this F550 over a creampuff any day of the week, as I wouldn’t feel guilty using it as intended. So what if it has a few scratches and scuffs here or there? If you maintain it as intended and keep up with the cosmetics well enough, this is a car that would surely appreciate if kept in original condition.

-Paul