Back in the 1980s, when Chris Rea wrote the lyrics for the hit song "Driving Home for Christmas," this is the car he should have been driving. Unfortunately, he did not get it until a decade later.
Chris Rea wrote the lyrics of "Driving Home for Christmas" while stuck in traffic in late December, while it was snowing. The artist looked around at other drivers and noticed how they "all looked miserable. Jokingly, I started singing: We’re driving home for Christmas…"
All he needed to write down the lyrics were the streetlights shining inside the car. “It is a car version of a carol,” he explained. Rea originally wrote the song for Van Morrison, but he ended up playing it himself.
There is no word of the car he was driving at the time he was stuck in a traffic jam writing down lyrics. But almost ten years later, he was blasting music in this 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta.
It is a unique "1 of 1" car described as the world’s finest example of the iconic F355 Berlinetta, presented in exceptional condition, a so-called 'holy grail' collector specification. Furthermore, it will soon turn 30 years old and join the rarified ranks of classic Ferraris.
Photo: Bell Sport and Classic
Ferrari unveiled the model at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the 348, and it instantly drew attention. It was more potent, faster, and safer.
Built around a steel monocoque with tubular steel rear sub-frame, the car features front and rear suspension with independent, unequal-length wishbones, coil springs over gas-filled telescopic shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars. Two-stage dampers and hydraulic power steering were also on the menu.
1,300 hours. This is how much the F355 Berlinetta spent in the wind tunnel so that the Ferrari team could roll out a car with impeccable aerodynamics, way better than that of the models that Ferrari derived from it: the two-door targa top and the spider.
Ferrari rolled out the Berlinetta with a mid-mounted flat plane can 3.5-liter V8 engine, linked to either a six-speed manual (which is what Chris Rea’s Ferrari has) or to a six-speed F1 automated manual, steering 375 horsepower (380 PS) and 268 lb-ft (363 Nm) of torque toward the rear axle.
Photo: Bell Sport and Classic
That V8 F129 B engine was a masterpiece at the time of its arrival. With 107 horsepower per liter, it even eclipses BMW’s V12 or the McLaren F1. With an F1-infused technology, it came with titanium con-rods and five valves per cylinder. It made the car flash from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 184 mph (296 kph).
Other sports car manufacturers looked at the Ferrari F355 with envy and admiration both. The media of the time tagged it as "a landmark car" and a "game-changer," with Jeremy Clarkson labeling it as "the greatest car in the world, ever."
The model has recently been through a thorough mechanical and cosmetically makeover, carried out by Bell Sport & Classic’s specialist Ferrari team, at its Hertfordshire facility, under the supervision of former Maranello factory personnel. The restoration experts have lately had numerous Ferrari projects going through their hands.
A 330 LMB, an L-Series 246 Dino GT, and a Concours-winning Ferrari 330 GTC are now part of their portfolio, as well as this 1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta. They brought the paintwork back to factory condition, worked on the leather on board, which showed some wear and tear almost three decades after it drove through the gate of the factory in Maranello, and also restored the switchgear.
Photo: Bell Sport and Classic
At a time when everyone was after the much sought after Rosso Corsa, this model came finished in Blu Scuro Micalizzato over a Crema interior with Blu carpets. It is an early right-hand drive, with no airbag on board. It was purchased new by Ferrari collector Chris Rea via Maranello Sales. He wanted a sports car fit for a rock star, and that was it. The F355 Berlinetta seemed just right.
The sports car features the Bosh 2.7 Motronic ECU system, which brought along improved throttle response and extra oomph. Chris Rea held the driver-focussed Momo steering wheel in his hands.
The odometer only reads 25,000 miles (41,038 kilometers), which means less than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) per year, and this is how it will be auctioned off by Bell Sport & Classic. Some call the F355 Berlinetta the last of the truly hand-built V8 Ferraris. It comes from an era when even airbags irritated purists. And that is what Chris Rea was. A purist with an impressive collection of Ferraris.
There is no estimated price in the listing, but a well maintained F355 Berlinetta is anywhere between $138,000 and $308,000. Considering that this 1995 model looks as good as new and drives just as good, plus the celebrity factor, we would count on the upper part of the price interval.
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