– Continuous history and same owner for last 21 years – Genuine ” competition-client “ – Just 18 700 km – Ex Frederico Fritz d’Orey, Ex Maxime Bochet
This F355 Challenge, first registered on 2 March 1995, is one of 109 examples of the F129 AB version intended to compete in the championship set up by Ferrari in 1993 for the 348 Challenge. This French car was delivered new to the Ferrari dealer Daverat in Bayonne for Maxime Bochet, a driver from Pao, who used it to compete with good results in the Ferrari Challenge for three seasons.
The car was then sold in 1997 to Frederico ” Fritz ” d’Orey, the former Brazilian driver who made a name for himself in Formula Junior and also raced a Maserati 250 F in Formula 1 Grand Prix. It was during his ownership that the rare 1998 Season Kit was installed by Pozzi, improving the car’s performance. Unfortunately, health problems prevented ” Fritz ” from enjoying the Ferrari and two years later, having completed just a few laps on the circuit, he sold the F355 Challenge to the current owner, when the mileage was 9 200 km. The current owner, a gentleman driver, put the car to good use and took part notably in a round of the GT FIA Championship at Magny Cours in 2000.
For the last few years, the car has only been driven on the track for club outings and training sessions. Superb in its ” Rosso Corsa ” livery, the current mileage is just 18 750 km and the car remains in its original Challenge F355 configuration. The cockpit is fitted with a sturdy roll-cage and two bucket seats with six-point OMP harnesses. Beneath the lightweight aluminium bonnet, the V8 remains capable of delivering nearly 400 bhp, at a screaming 8250 rpm. Lovingly looked after, our example has benefitted from regular maintenance carried out by the owner’s mechanic. Very recently, the wheels have been repainted and the windscreen replaced. The extensive folder with the car includes copies of old registration documents, invoices, MOTs and technical manuals.
Our example comes with a large supply of spares, details of which are available on request, and these can be collected from the owner’s home. After a major service that includes the fitting of new timing belts and four new tyres, our ” Challenge “, complete with transparent history, will be ready to take to the track once more. It offers a unique opportunity to drive a powerful ” competition client ” either on the road or the track. In short, the best of both worlds.
This Ferrari F355 Challenge is a superb example of the stripped-out racing version of the marque’s 1990s performance icon. Under the engine lid is the same glorious 375bhp 3.5-litre V8 as the road car, coupled to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. The odometer shows 14,043 km (8,726 miles).
By design, the F355 Challenge carried over some of its mechanical components from the standard model, but featured a range of modifications that focused on making the car lighter and more responsive, as well as ensuring it was safe for motorsport use The race-ready machine is equipped with all the correct parts, including the full OMP roll cage, Kevlar composite OMP racing bucket seats with OMP safety harnesses, a competition steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara, engine cut-off switch, and a fire extinguisher – all of which are original on this car.
On the outside, it sports 18-inch Speedline alloys housing upgraded 14-inch brakes from the F40 LM, along with a substantial original carbon-fibre rear wing, black Challenge rear grille, front and rear tow hooks, and a lightweight exhaust system. The early F355 Challenge cars feature the Bosch Motronic 2.7 engine management system, with dual mass air flow meters, which is widely accepted as delivering more responsive performance compared to the Motronic 5.2 system. The car was also given upgraded fans and a manual radiator fan control, a competition clutch, and solid suspension bushings with competition anti-roll bars, drop links, coil springs and shock absorbers. It even retains the original scrutineering sticker on the roll cage, and lap timing machine.
The vendor believes that this is likely the most original example of the F355 Challenge, having three such cars in his collection, and having viewed and inspected more than 20. It was delivered to its first owner via Jacques Swaters’ Garage Francorchamps, and this gentleman subsequently campaigned it as part of the dealership team, competing in the Pirelli Trophy as part of the European Ferrari Challenge championship in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
It has had just three previous owners from new, and is one of just 108 recognised examples of the F355 Challenge. Having owned the car for the last two years, the vendor had the car road registered in the UK in November 2019, making it one of the very few examples of this track-focused machine to be legal to drive on the public highway.
The bodywork presents very well overall, with no evidence of any major damage, and the paint finish is still generally good all around the car. However, this is a competitive track car, so there are of course some cracks and chips in the Giallo Modena finish. Its five-spoke Speedline alloys are scuffed and chipped around the rims, though of course these would be straightforward to refurbish should the next owner desire. The headlight pods work as they should, and all of the light lenses appear in good order. Its large carbon-fibre rear wing also looks in great shape, with a glossy lacquered finish.
In the cabin, the F355 Challenge retains much of the original trim, protected by a full OMP roll cage, and retains its original Kevlar composite OMP ‘Ferrari Challenge’ bucket seat. The previous owner also sourced an original 348 Challenge seat, which he had fitted to enable a passenger to come along for the ride. As with the paintwork, there are a few marks around the interior commensurate with its track use, but no substantial damage. There are a few small holes in the driver’s seat inner bolster, but for their age the lightweight buckets are in very good condition. The vendor reports that the roll cage still has FIA stickers from events in the 1990s applied to the frame, which is further testament to its originality.
Its last scheduled maintenance was at GTO Racing in 2020, which consisted of a major service. During the vendor’s two year ownership, the cam belts have also been renewed, and it has had a full inspection to ensure it is in good mechanical order. The most recent MOT test was on 24 July 2020 at 13,834 km, when it achieved a first-time pass with only one advisory regarding slight cracking in the offside front tyre, and with the tester noting the presence of the factory-fitted undertray.
Accompanying the car is a good history file, containing not only documentation covering previous servicing and maintenance, but also some period literature that shows the F355 competing in period.
This Ferrari F355 Challenge is an exciting and well-sorted track car, which would make a great entrant for the Pirelli Ferrari Formula Classic Series. Of course, with its road legal status, this also makes for a thrilling weekend toy, delivering a rawer driving experience than a standard road car, and turning many more heads in the process. The vendor notes that this car’s originality is a major part of its appeal, representing an intriguing slice of modern Ferrari motorsport history, which will no doubt capture the imagination of racers and collectors alike.
The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller’s knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.
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On January 1, 2021, we are not going to tell you that Ferrari will be at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 in the new Le Mans Hypercar category. We can just tell you that it is working on Maranello’s side to finally come and fight for the overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. So Hypercar or LMDh? The last victory of the Italian brand dates back to 1965 with Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt. Of course, there have been many successes in GTE in recent years but not for scratching. F40 and 333 SP did not shine on Sarthe soil.
Two options are possible: Hypercar which would mean no program in the United States or LMDh on a chassis which would not be Ferrari badged but which would allow driving on both sides of the Atlantic at a lower cost. If the GTE category were to disappear by 2024, it is difficult to see Ferrari staying out of the way. You are going to tell us that it has been a decade since we told you that Ferrari will arrive in the premier class and you …
On June 13, 2009, Luca di Montezemolo, boss of Ferrari, gave the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans where no less than ten Ferrari 430s were entered. Stefano Domenicali, then at the head of Ferrari F1, was also there. Even Fernando Alonso, who was going to drive for Ferrari in 2010, had to make the trip. “Formula 1 remains the priority,” Luca di Montezemolo was content to say.
We had to wait until 2012 to see in our columns a possible arrival of Ferrari at Le Mans. On 25 May 2012, James Glickenhaus announced that he would see his P4 / 5, from a Ferrari 430 GT2, on the Le Mans track. James Glickenhaus still wanted to clarify things: “If we can find the necessary partners to finance the project, it will come to an end. One thing is certain, this is a completely private initiative. Ferrari is not involved in the program at all. On the other hand, it is not excluded that another manufacturer is in the game. »To see Ferrari in the category…
A few days before Christmas 2013, the subject comes back to the table during the end of season dinner in Maranello, again via Luca di Montezemolo: “Pursuing the development in GT of technology transfer to road cars has always been an integral part of our activity. . We won with the 458 GTE, but I also like the idea of racing at Le Mans in the top category: who knows, maybe one day we can come back and win, say thank you and come home . Perhaps we should take this option seriously. “
The Ferrari boss clarified his remarks at the same time: “Even though the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an exciting challenge, it is not an immediate objective for us. Maybe we can talk about it again in three or four years. »An article in the German magazine Auto Motor Und Sport indicated a possible arrival of Ferrari in LMP1 in 2015. Still missed …
In June 2014, Fernando Alonso was given the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What revive the craziest rumors. On June 4, 2014, Endurance-Info published an article indicating Ferrari’s interest in the premier class due to the technological interest of LMP1 and the reduction in staff in Formula 1. A few months earlier, Fernando Alonso had been taken in the act of spying on the Audi R18 e-tron quattro during the FIA party. The ax falls on June 14 with a statement by Luca di Montezemolo in the Wall Street Journal: “Of course we will not be able to be present in Endurance and Formula 1. It is not possible. The boss mentioned a possible arrival in 2020, six years later. However, the deployment of resources at Ferrari’s Le Mans Classic in 2014 could have suggested that something was going on. Always missed …
“There are no plans to arrive in LMP1 in the short term,” we were told at Ferrari in October 2014. “Endurance was …
The rest was quieter in terms of rumors even if Ferrari repeatedly used the argument of Endurance as a dissatisfaction with the rules in Formula 1. It was not until the arrival of the Le Mans Hypercar category that rumors are coming back. “Frankly, we have an important strategic moment in front of us because having the same platform for WEC and IMSA is a good opportunity,” said Antonello Coletta in February 2020. “But we have to understand exactly the new sporting and technical rules. In the wake of Sebring, we will have everything we need in front of us to decide whether we have a chance to make a car or not. Of course, for Ferrari it is important to have a direct line to the road cars. By definition, endurance is the opportunity to have a direct connection, like the 458, 488 and all our cars of the past. Now, yes, the prototypes are different cars, but it depends on what …
Last May, Mattia Binotto, who heads Ferrari F1, explained that Endurance and IndyCar were among the tracks under consideration. Two months later, Ferrari confirmed the start of a technical analysis with a proposal to be made to the board at the end of 2020.
Between LMH and LMDh, Ferrari was still pondering what would be best for the Maranello manufacturer, as Coletta said last summer: “We are weighing the pros and cons. There have been changes in the technical specifications of both configurations. Today, it is still too early to say which will be the most attractive. Obviously Ferrari is a manufacturer, so it would be better to fully produce the car, but the fact remains that it is too early to say anything definitive. “
If Ferrari chose the LMH route, it would then be with its own chassis and not by calling on an external service provider: “If Ferrari decides…
One of Ferrari’s most celebrated distributors and race teams, Garage and Ecurie Francorchamps brought fame and glory to Belgium and the Ferrari name through the crucible of international motorsport. Founded in 1952 by Belgian racing driver Jacques Swaters, Charles de Tornaco and Geoff Richardson, Ecurie Francorchamps earned a name for itself on the international stage in the 1950s and 1960s in sports car racing, competing regularly at events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in an era when Ferrari dominated the field.
Off the track, Swaters was named Ferrari’s official importer for Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in 1952. Garage Francorchamps became one of Ferrari’s most important dealerships worldwide over a period of over fifty years, and Swaters himself was a keen collector of all things Ferrari.
This fascinating Fiat 900T Service Van played an interesting role in that legacy. Purchased new by Garage Francorchamps in September of 1978, previous Belgium registration documents on file confirm the van’s provenance. During Francorchamp’s ownership, it was used for race support and parts delivery and surely would have been an exciting site for any car enthusiast whilst roaming Belgium’s roads. The Fiat remained in service with Francorchamps for a decade before it was parked in 1988 in the workshop of Ferrari Antwerpen.
Today, the car presents in largely original condition, and its charming Francorchamps livery advertising Ferrari’s road cars of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s is very attractive. Although the engine is running, it is advised that the van receive further restoration and service work before being driven on the road. Nevertheless, it would make an incredible addition to any Ferrari collection, especially one in its native Belgium.
