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1995 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta Prototipo heads to auction

We've seen our fair share of classic and exotic cars head to auction, but it's rare to see something as special as this 1995 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta Prototipo on offer to the general public.  Prototipo, of course, is Italian for "prototype," indicating this example's status as the very first example of the F40 successor ever built. It saw duty as a development vehicle, auto show star, and media evaluation tool. That's right: if you ever read a "first drive" review of the 1995 Ferrari F50, chances are this is the car your favorite auto scribe was driving.  Per the listing, it was also the model for Shin Yoshikawa's cut-away illustration and several scale models (including those sold by Burago, Maisto and Tamiya) and its likeness was even depicted on postage stamps.  After this world tour, the Prototipo returned to the Ferrari factory for a complete rebuild, after which it was sold (as promised ahead of time) to Jacques Swaters, a personal friend of Enzo Ferrari. It remained in the Swaters collection until 2007, when it was sold to a Ferrari collector in Burbank, California. It has since changed hands several times. While it may have lacked the raw, angular aggression of its F40 predecessor, the F50 was no less stunning (or less special) as a result. Its ferocious 4.7L V12 made more than 510 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque, which is still plenty respectable even today, especially considering it weighed just a little over 2,700 pounds. That combination was good for a 0-60 run of just 3.7 seconds on the way to a 202-mph top speed.  As CassicCars.com points out, fewer than 350 examples of the F50 Berlinetta were ever produced.  The F50 Berlinetta Prototipo will cross the block Wednesday, Jan. 15th, 2020, at the Worldwide Auctioneers event in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Ferrari Roma is revealed as a gorgeous two-door Italian coupe

There’s a new Ferrari in town, and itÂ’s called the Roma. Take a second to enjoy the few photos Ferrari shared with us for the time being. ItÂ’s a gorgeous two-door coupe. Unfortunately, Ferrari hasnÂ’t said much beyond the carÂ’s vitals yet. We know itÂ’s equipped with the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8, which is paired to the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission found in the SF90 Stradale. The boosted V8 is sitting at 611 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. Ferrari says itÂ’ll get to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed somewhere just north of 198 mph. Its wheelbase is exactly the same as the older California T and new Portofino at 105.1 inches, but itÂ’s slightly longer overall by a few inches. The carÂ’s dry weight is quoted at 3,245 pounds, which makes it lighter than the California T convertible and Portofino replacement. WeÂ’re guessing the Portofino and this car share a similar platform, but Ferrari doesnÂ’t make that clear in its rather sparse release. The car is described as a “2+ coupe,” but we can't see what's actually behind the front seats in photos. WeÂ’ve asked Ferrari for further clarification here. As for the rest of the interior, it looks like a revolution in technology and design. We spy a completely new infotainment system and center stack layout, and the gauge cluster is all digital, as well. Plenty of touch capacitive buttons appear to have made their way into the cabin, and weÂ’re especially confused by the operation of the strange gear selector just below the central infotainment system (pictured below). Just like other new Ferraris, the passenger has a screen directly in front of them, too. ItÂ’s a good looking interior; we just want to know more about it. Ferrari says itÂ’s called “Roma” to represent the “carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterized Rome in the 1950s and ‘60s.” WeÂ’ll have more to share with you soon, so check back for additional details on the newest Ferrari.

What's the smarter investment, Ferrari stock or a Ferrari?

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is gearing up to spin Ferrari off into its own company, and float some of its shares on the stock market. But buying and trading in Ferrari stock could face a rather unlikely competitor from within. As Bloomberg points out, the values held by classic Ferraris keeps going up, and by no small margin. Even something as relatively humble as the 80s-era Testarossa, for example, has nearly doubled in value over the past year alone. Meanwhile the value of some models – particularly those built in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s – have skyrocketed nearly seven-fold since 2006. Just look at the 250 GTO, one of the most coveted of classic Ferraris among collectors: not taking inflation into account, they were worth thousands in the late 60s, were already selling for hundreds of thousands in the 1980s, and by now are trading hands – on the rare occasion when they do trade hands – for tens of millions. One sold in 2004 for $10 million, and another in 2013 for over $50 million. Those kinds of increases can make a vintage Ferrari seem like a sound investment. That might make it difficult for Ferrari's stock to compete. The company hopes investors will view it as a luxury goods manufacturer along the likes of Prada, Hermes, or Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, the stocks of which tend to increase in value at a greater rate than those of most automakers. But even the best of those luxury stocks have merely doubled in value since 2006, compared to the aforementioned seven-fold increase enjoyed by some classic Ferraris over the same period. Add to that the prospect of actually getting to enjoy owning a classic Ferrari – albeit at the risk of damaging it and hindering its value – and the idea of investing in Maranello's products instead of its stock can seem like a much more enticing prospect. Related Video: