1955 Ferrari 555 F1

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2025

Scuderia Ferrari’s 1953 Formula competitor was the 553, which was actually designed to F2 specs, which is what the World Championship formula was that year. They made an F1 version of the 553 for 1954. For 1955, Ferrari updated the 553 to the 555. The new bodywork was longer and more rounded than the year before and earned the car the name the Supersqualo (super shark).

The car is powered by a 2.5-liter Lampredi inline-four that made about 260 horsepower. This car, chassis 555/1, had the following competition history:

• 1955 Monaco Grand Prix – 8th (with Paul Frere and Piero Taruffi)
• 1955 Belgian Grand Prix – 4th (with Frere)
• 1955 Dutch Grand Prix – 7th (with Mike Hawthorn)
• 1955 Italian Grand Prix – 10th, DNF (with Hawthorn)

The car was also driven in a non-points race by Nino Farina. In 1956, Ferrari had moved on and sold the 555s, including this one. The car was slightly modified and successfully raced in Australia and New Zealand through 1959.

The car was damaged in an event in 1963, after which the engine was removed for use in a boat. The chassis was fitted with Morris Minor (!) bodywork and a Chevrolet V8. In the 1990s, the car was restored back to stock, and now it’s selling at no reserve with an estimate of $4,200,000-$6,300,000. More info can be found here.