Building on the success and popularity of Ferrari’s 348 Challenge series, the introduction of the F355 Challenge in 1995 gave customers the opportunity to purchase a brand new F355 and have it upgraded with a factory-supplied racing kit to compete in this new championship. This particular F355 Challenge is one of only 18 right-hand drive examples originally supplied to the UK, and one of just five delivered new in full Challenge specification for the 1996 season.

The list of modifications over the standard F355 was extensive and designed to transform the car into a serious competition machine while remaining road legal. Among the upgrades were a free-flowing exhaust, competition clutch, F40 LM brakes, Speedline magnesium wheels, OMP racing seats, six-point harnesses, airbag deletion, a race-spec Bosch ECU, adjustable rear wing, brake cooling ducts front and rear, adjustable anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, rose-jointed suspension bushings and a lowered ride height.

Delivered new in 1996 to Mr Henderson, who was already familiar with Ferrari Challenge cars after competing with his 348 Challenge in the 1995 European series, this car enjoyed a long period of ownership with him before being sold to Mr Carrington in 2002 with just 10,000 miles on the clock. Immediately upon acquisition, the car was sent to Specialised Cars Ltd in Knutsford to be prepared for the 2002 Ferrari Challenge season. It went on to compete successfully, achieving strong results at Castle Combe twice that season and at the Brands Hatch Festival.

After passing through several collectors, the car was purchased by its current owner in 2016. With plans to compete in the Ferrari Challenge once again, a search began for a genuine UK right-hand drive F355 Challenge, and this example was acquired from renowned Ferrari racer Nicky Paul-Baron. It was then sent to DK Engineering for a full inspection and preparation. The brief was simple: to go through the car in detail and resolve any issue, no matter how small. The resulting invoice came to an impressive £19,952.

This work was carried out with the intention of creating a competitive entry for the 2016 Pirelli Ferrari Formula Classic season, where the car raced in all UK rounds of the championship. The effort was rewarded, with a race win at Brands Hatch and a podium finish at Castle Combe. The car continued into the 2017 season, again competing in all UK rounds and securing podium finishes at Thruxton and Brands Hatch. Its final competitive outing came in 2018 at Donington during the Ferrari Classic Formula series, where it once more finished on the podium. Throughout this period, the car was maintained and prepared by Ferrari specialists DK Engineering, with a comprehensive history of invoices to document every stage of work.

Although its last race entry was in 2018, this Ferrari has not been left to gather dust. The current owner, having developed a genuine fondness for the car, embarked on a special project in 2023 to create a more understated touring version. The car was repainted in the beautifully refined Ferrari colour Rosso Mugello, while the rear deck lid and wing were replaced with an original non-wing F355 deck lid. Once the respray was complete, the car was reassembled by historic race specialists Pursuit Racing and then fully protected with PPF to preserve the fresh paintwork. This transformation alone cost over £40,000.

In total, invoices since 2016 exceed £140,000, covering race preparation, servicing, parts, the Rosso Mugello repaint and the PPF protection. This is undoubtedly one of the best-kept Ferrari F355 Challenge cars in the UK. I recently had the pleasure of driving it for an MOT, and it delivers exactly what one expects from a Challenge car: raw, responsive and utterly alive.

The car is offered with a second set of wheels, the original OMP Ferrari Challenge seats, the factory roll cage, a large collection of spare parts, a detailed history file and the original Ferrari F355 Challenge Technical Regulations, Kit Assembly Instructions and Spare Parts manual, as well as the original deck lid with adjustable rear wing. Having covered just 21,800 miles from new and recently MOTd, this is a rare chance to acquire one of the original 18 right-hand drive UK examples of the Ferrari F355 Challenge.