Our Top 10 Ferraris of all time

If you were to ask someone to name a supercar I bet you they would name a Ferrari first, Ferrari is one the automotive world’s most evocative names. Ferrari was founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari, although the company didn’t build its first car until a year later in 1940.

Since the company launched its road car business in 1947, it’s reputation has grown from that of a respected racing team to a creator of automotive legends. What’s the best Ferrari ever? It’s difficult to answer so we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 favourite Ferrari’s since its establishment in 1940. What is your favourite Ferrari? Did we include it in our list?

1. Ferrari 250 GTO

The Ferrari 250 GTO is Holy Grail of the automotive world and one of the best Ferrari’s ever made. No car in history holds as much charisma and admiration as the 250 GTO – Just look at how much they go in auction if you don’t believe us! The 250 GTO model was the pinnacle of development of the 250 GT series in competition form, whilst still remaining a road car. It made its public debut at the annual pre-season Ferrari press conference in January 1962 and was the only front engine model on display.

That great V12 engine and superb aerodynamic body both comprised to give the GTO a phenomenal top speed in excess of 170mph. The GTO was soon began racking up impressive victories. There were class wins in the Sebring 12-hour, Targa Florio, Spa 1000km and Le Mans where it also finished second overall in 1962 and 1963. Ferrari also won the GT World Championship in 1962, 1963 and 1964.

Only 39 of these cars were ever built, making them extremely rare and desirable, buyers were personally vetted by Enzo to see if they were suitable owners. This exclusivity is why the Ferrari 250 GTO has been named the world’s most expensive car!

2. Ferrari F40

Built in celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, the fire-breathing F40 was the final vehicle to receive founder Enzo Ferrari’s seal of approval prior to his death. Sold from 1987 to 1992, the F40 was a no-nonsense race car for the road.The Ferrari F40 is a car that has gone down in the history of the motor car as one of the greatest supercars of all time.

Under the bonnet the F40 comprises a twin-turbo V8 developed from the 288 GTO that made 471bhp, and Ferrari claimed the F40 had a top speed just over 200mph. The bodywork is made from a mix of kevlar, carbon fibre and aluminium to save weight, while the stripped-out interior featured air-conditioning as its sole luxury.

While only 400 were initially intended to be built, more than 1,300 left the factory in five years of production. Today, you’ll need at least £1million to get one in your garage. Great car!

3. Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB

The 250 GT California Spyder was released in 1957 initially in LWB format and was Scaglietti’s interpretation of an open-top 250 GT. However, The wheelbase of the California was reduced from 2,600mm to 2,400mm, bringing with it greater handling capabilities and a more dynamic driving experience. The entire Ferrari 250 line seems to have secured its place in the palace of automotive royalties for generations to come. With unmistakable lines, a variety of powerful but also reliable Colombo V-12s, and limited-run production, almost all of the late-50s to early-60s Ferrari 250 models go for extortionate values at auction.

The California Spyder, as its name suggests, was designed for the American market. On the West Coast, Californian Ferrari dealer and racer John von Neumann was receiving requests from well-to-do customers for a fast, open-top Ferrari that could easily tackle downtown L.A, and thus the California Spyder was born.

Considered the most expensive and the most famous Ferrari ever produced. Its legend was enhanced by its starring role in John Hughes’ 1986 film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The California Spider regularly commands auction prices of more than $15 million.

4. Ferrari Enzo

The Enzo as a car was as significant landmark so much so that Ferrari named it after the founder himself, Enzo Ferrari and slapped a £450,000 pricetag on. The Ferrari Enzo was a world-beater when it debuted back in 2002. Its advanced suspension, high-strung naturally aspirated V12, and automated single clutch paddle-shift transmission were all as cutting-edge as it got back then.

The Enzo was considered an prominent model but its importance wasn’t appreciated until much later on, in large part because of how influential its design became in shaping Ferrari’s future design architecture.

The Enzo’s sharp and angular look still resonates to this day. Beyond its looks, the Enzo was also the first Ferrari that was fully wrapped up in Formula One technology. It had a carbon fiber body, an F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide ceramic composite disc brakes. It also featured an F1-derived 6.0-liter V-12 engine that produced 660 horsepower and 485 pound-feet of torque.

The Enzo is still regarded as one of the most influential Ferraris of all time, appropriately named after the legend himself.

5. Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

Ferrari’s first supercar, the 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’, was a 170mph GT that could cruise across continents. The Daytona was the fastest production car of its day, and not by a little but by a lot. Some tests put its top speed as high as 176mph and its 0-100mph time as low as 12.4sec.

Considered as one of the most loved Ferrari of all time, the 365 GTB/4 has become more desirable over the years. The car was initially produced to counter the Lamborghini’s Miura, the Daytona is now widely viewed as Ferrari’s first supercar. Its official name was 365 GTB/4, however, it was labeled Daytona by the press in honour of Ferrari’s 1-2-3 in the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours with the 330P4.

The famous Pininfarina designed the car unlike anything Ferrari had built at that time. It adopted a more angular design that accurately previewed the styling trends of the 1970s. Only 1,406 Ferrari 365 GTB/4s were built, and the model has since become a high-valued item among Ferrari collectors.

6. Ferrari Testarossa

An entire generation of car enthusiasts can agree that their childhood bedrooms included a poster of the Ferrari Testarossa on their walls. Designed by Pininfarina, the Testarossa was stunning in every angle. Its sleek front section is iconic, and the signature side strakes became so popular that it ushered in its own revolution in the aftermarket tuning scene.

The Testarossa remains comparatively cheap to buy because of its ’80s styling, and quantity of cars on the market, almost 10,000 Testarossas were built, making it one of the most popular Ferrari models.

However, despite the number of cars in the market, the Testarossa went under-appreciated for many years, for two main reasons: An F40 is faster, rarer and more exciting, and a Testarossa is a real pain to work on. The car went on to become a cultural icon, as a result of its starring role in the arcade game Outrun and its appearance in the third to fifth seasons of Miami Vice.

7. Ferrari Dino

The Dino 206 GT, 246 GT and 246 GTS are V6 mid-engined sports cars produced by Ferrari and sold under the Dino sub-brand between 1967 and 1974. The Dino brand arose when Scuderia needed smaller V6 and V8 engines to be competitive in racing. The first Dino had a modest 2.0-litre capacity, but the 246 had a 2.4-litre V6. The Dino 246 was the first automobile manufactured by Ferrari in high numbers. It is lauded by many for its intrinsic driving qualities and groundbreaking design.

Although the Dino doesn’t carry the Ferrari badge, it’s still considered a Ferrari through and through. Named after Enzo Ferrari’s late son Alfredo (“Dino”), the 246 GT sports car was produced from 1969 to 1974.

8. Ferrari F355

The Ferrari F355 is one of the most elegant Ferraris ever built, a testament to Pininfarina’s ability to design cars that embrace their era. It followed in the footsteps of the Ferrari 348, which featured styling cues from the larger Testarossa. This featured side strakes in the doors and a slatted engine cover, and yet more slats covered the tail-lights. The F355 simplified things by getting rid of all the slats in favour of gaping air intakes, which fed cold air to the engine.

As fantastic as the car looked, the F355 could also run with the best sports cars of its time. It was powered by a 3.5-liter V-8 engine that produced 375 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque.

9. Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale

The Challenge Stradale offered enthusiasts genuine race car-like performance and features in an accessible, street-legal package. Starting with the 360 Modena, Ferrari engineers removed all equipment considered irrelevant in order to drop weight, lowered and stiffened the suspension, and fitted massive alloy wheels. Inside, the two passengers were treated to bucket seats with racing harnesses and Plexiglas windows.

The 360 Challenge Stradale used a 3.6-liter, 425-hp V8 bolted to a five-speed automatic gearbox. Visually, it was instantly recognizable thanks to a green, white, and red band embedded in the middle of a white stripe that ran down the centre of the car.

10. Ferrari 125 S

The first car to be sold with a Ferrari badge on it was the 125S, only two of these cars were ever built. The 125 S featured an engine that was designed by Ferrari collaborator Gioacchino Colombo.

Developed over two years from a clean sheet of paper, the 125 S had a unique design and received a naturally aspirated V-12 engine. Ferrari built only two cars. Chassis 01C, also known as the Piacenza roadster, had a conventional sports car body and it was used in various races throughout 1947. The second model, chassis 02C, featured cycle fenders and different bodywork. The 01C is arguably the more famous model of the two.

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