Apologies – we’re a bit late to this V12 gem. In around 2009-10, prices for the 456 fell back to about £40,000 tops, while some cars in poor condition dropped to as low as £25,000. Then from around 2014 they began to rally, only to fall back slightly a couple of years ago.
It all means that today you’ll struggle to find a good right-hand-drive 456, or the later 456M, for less than £40,000 while, if you want to sleep soundly in your bed, you’ll need to spend between £58,000 and £65,000 for a proper one with a low mileage and a good service history.
That last bit – a good service history – is crucial. Too many 456s have gaps in their histories, a legacy of those rock-bottom prices when many people with shallow pockets but eyes bright with the dream of Ferrari ownership snapped up the cars. Once reality kicked in, the first thing to go was servicing, with the result that lots of cars have patchy histories with few signs of the necessarily regular 6000-mile fettle and 24,000-mile cambelt change.
Many have since found good homes and had their service histories patched up. In any case, the model is, despite the litany of checks we advise (see below), a tough and reliable old thing. Indeed, it was Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo’s intention that it should be. He figured that building a reliable and practical supercar to be driven rather than locked away, as is the fate of most Ferraris, would be his brand’s best advertisement.
The car was launched in 1992 as the 456GT and wasn’t replaced until 2003. In between times – 1998 – it was facelifted when it became the 456M, for Modificata. Whether GT or M, the 5.5-litre front-mounted V12 produces the same 436bhp, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox that went from being a dog-leg gate to a more usable H-pattern in around 1995. Alternatively, from 1996 there was a four-speed torque-converter automatic. Naturally, the former attracts a premium, but the automatic is reliable and a good fit if you just want to cruise effortlessly from country to country.
Join the debate
Add your comment
that esate
can't help thinking they should've actually made that properly, not as a bespoke run
That mid life feeling.....
when I turned 50 I promised myself a fast Car, just to run for six months or so, in the hope I could avoid the big bills etc, my budget was £30K, and this was twelve years ago mind, I’m not into Ferrari’s, nothing decent before the F12 came along, I settled on the brand that most it seem hate...BMW, well, I bought an M3, apart from two Tyres it only cost me £100.00 a month for fuel, insurance was only £239.00 fully comp, I did 7,000 miles in it and only lost £4K come trade-in time, so, yes, you can drive a great Car on a budget, Ferrari’s though and the like?, nope, unless you’ve got a well paid job I’d look lower down the Food chain car-wise.
Peter Cavellini wrote:
There are fast cars and then there are Ferrari cars, no link, particularly given your choice was a very far down the food chain car and not a great one at that. You most blatantly did not say which gen/state mileage/history/number of owners...for all we know you bought a clunker for eight grand lost half and thought yourself a most interesting person. Guess you passed on all the upcoming problems on to the next most unfortunate owner
Deep breath...
One owner, had 14,000 odd on the Clock, a 2004 model, Six speed gearbox, running on 19” Alloys, the Car was painted in the color ( Phoenix Yellow metallic) , it had no mechanical issues before or after I had it, and it was bought from Elms Garage London, that enough?, as far as the food chain goes, it was fast enough and within my affordability range.
Actually
£4k loss in 7,000 miles for a secondhand 3 series isn't that great. Just as well nothing did go wrong then!
456 Venice saloon, one of seven made