Ferrari’s front-engine grand tourer, the 456, was introduced in 1992 as a replacement for the mid-engine Mondial as the company’s only four-seat car in production.

The original 456 was available in GT and, from 1996, GTA forms. The GT had a six-speed manual gearbox, whilst the GTA had a four-speed automatic. It was only the fourth automatic gearbox ever offered by Ferrari. The Pininfarina-designed car had pleasing, aesthetic, flowing lines and was generally regarded as the most beautiful car to be produced at Maranello for some time.

The 5.5-litre, 65-degree V-12 engine with four valves per cylinder was derived from the Dino V-6, rather than the more conventional 60-degree V-12s used in the 412 and Daytona. The 456 engine produces 436 brake horsepower, with a top speed of 186 mph and a 0–60 time of just 5.1 seconds, and it can propel the car a quarter of a mile in 13.4 seconds. The 456 Modificata, or 456M, was introduced in 1998 with minor interior and exterior changes. Power was also increased to 442 brake horsepower, though performance remained the same.

The 456 was a modern interpretation of Ferrari’s traditional 2+2 models, and it offered every day practicality and tremendous performance, handling, and agility. It gave little away to its mid-engine rivals.

Comfort and luxury was second to none. The electric seats can be adjusted in every possible direction and are heated for cold mornings. Adjustable steering, air-conditioning, and superb in-car entertainment added to the driver-friendly characteristics of the car, and in turn, they made the 456M a rival to anything on the market.

The Ferrari 456M GT presented here, chassis number 113244, was delivered new to Germany on 12 December 1998. The car has the optional Scuderia Ferrari shield on the front wings and is finished in pristine Grigio Ingrid with a black leather interior. This car is showing just 6,154 kilometres on the odometer, it is complete with its original books and tools, and it is immaculate in every way. With minimal mileage and use since new, this car presents itself very much as it did when first delivered.

The 456 was billed by many pundits as the Daytona for the 1990s, and it was the first time in more than 20 years that Ferrari had produced a front-engine supercar. It had the classic Pininfarina feel, with a long nose, short tail, and wide, low stance. It was celebrated as being a masterpiece at the time and it continues to be one today. As Ferrari’s flagship model and the most powerful and fastest production car of its day, it did not just work, it worked sensationally.