Jeremy Clarkson's 1996 Ferrari set to sell for £250,000

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 12:50 · Archive

A 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS that Jeremy Clarkson bought and praised as 'the greatest car in the world, ever' is heading to auction with a guide price of £200,000 to £250,000.

Jeremy Clarkson's 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS is heading to auction in Birmingham on 14 November with a guide price of £200,000 to £250,000. Clarkson bought the car new after being impressed by its performance during a road test for the BBC motoring show Top Gear. He described it as 'the greatest car in the world, ever' and 'the nicest car I have ever, ever driven'.

The car originally cost around £95,000, equivalent to almost £200,000 today when adjusted for inflation. It is a mid-engined supercar powered by a 380 bhp 3.5-litre V8 engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, fitted with rare factory sports seats. The vehicle has approximately 15,200 miles from new.

Despite Clarkson's enthusiasm for the car, he kept it for only four years and covered around 6,000 miles before giving it away as a reader prize for his Sunday Times column. The Ferrari regularly featured in his columns, including when he retook and failed his driving test in May 1999.

The guide price represents an increase from an offer made to collectors just over a year ago. Outlets attribute this to a recent surge in classic Ferrari prices, which have risen following record sales in early 2026. The car is being sold alongside three other vehicles from Clarkson's current collection: a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider, a 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 and a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V, all offered without reserve.

How it is being reported

• Jeremy Clarkson's old Ferrari set to sell for huge sum as it goes under the hammerJeremy Clarkson praised the Ferrari model as the "greatest car in the world; ever" and featured in multiple of his columns, including when he retook and failed his driving testThe Mirror · 5 Nov, 12:20
• Jeremy Clarkson's 1996 Ferrari he described as 'the greatest car in the world, ever' set to sell for £250,000Despite waxing lyrical about its engine and showering praise on its road manners, the petrolhead-turned-farmer kept it for only four years before giving it away as a competition prize.Daily Mail · 3 Nov, 14:53
• Jeremy Clarkson's 1996 Ferrari he described as 'greatest car in the world, ever' set to sell for £250,000Despite waxing lyrical about its engine and showering praise on its road manners, the petrolhead-turned-farmer kept it for only four years before giving it away as a competition prize.This is Money · 3 Nov, 14:45

In this story: Jeremy Clarkson · BBC · Ferrari · Birmingham · Iconic Auctioneers

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