Competition car
Chassis no. 2204
Engine no. 01

- One of only twelve cars built at the factory
- One of only three to compete at the 24 Hours of le Mans in 2005
- Raced at all the major European circuits during two seasons
- Ex-JMB Racing on behalf of Dietsmann
- Combines prestigious history, efficiency and good looks

When Ferrari unveiled the 550 Maranello in July 1996 at the Nürburgring, driven by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine (its official works drivers in F1), it was heartily applauded by its fans. It was Ferrari's first two-seat berlinetta with a front-mounted V12 since the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. For the manufacturer, it was a logical next step, after the success of the 456 GT coupé introduced four years earlier.
The 550 Maranello's 5.5-litre V12 developed nearly 500 bhp and was wrapped in a body by Pininfarina which married aggressiveness and elegance, in Ferrari's time-honoured tradition. In addition, its name - that of the hometown of the prancing horse - set enthusiasts' hearts racing.
Private teams and drivers wasted little time before turning to this Italian beauty and, as the manufacturer apparently had no plans to race it officially, set about preparing the car, reducing its weight, improving its handling on track and homologating it in the FFSA GT and FIA GT championships, the American Le Mans Series and for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with versions known as the 550 GT, 550 Millennio or 550 GTS developed or entered by teams such as Red Racing, XL Racing, Italtecnica, First Racing, Team Rafanelli, Wieth Racing, Prodrive or Scuderia Italia. Ferrari could not ignore the successes these cars achieved and in 2003 it joined the party with its own version, the 550 GTC, developed in association with N-Technology, the company set up by Mauro Sipsz and Monica Bregoli. Like the 575 Maranello which had just made its début, in November 2002, it naturally took over from the 550 in the manufacturer's 'Corse Clienti' programme with a 575 GTC which was also modified in collaboration with N-Technology.
For this new car for the track, the 6-litre Tipo F133M GT engine produced 605 bhp at 6300 rpm and was mated to an XTRAC 343-03 six-speed sequential gearbox. The car had a tubular structure with composite panels and was much lighter than the standard production model, weighing just 1,150 kg.

Ferrari built only 12 examples of this model, and the car presented here, chassis no. 2204, is one of them. Ferrari assigned even numbers only to its competition models, a special honour conferred on this example ... This car is, moreover, one of only three 575 GTCs to have taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans: on 18 June 2005, it competed in the famous race with the number 69. Entered by the highly reputable French team JMB Racing, it was driven by Stéphane Daoudi, Jean-René de Fournoux and Jim Matthews, but an engine failure forced them to retire during the eighth hour.
This was naturally not the only race contested by the valiant Ferrari. Bought new by Peter Kütemann (the founder and chairman of the Dietsmann business) directly from the factory, he engaged JMB Racing to prepare the car and manage it in competition.
In 2004, the 575 GTC - which was initially red, and then black starting with the 24 Hours of Spa - took part in the FIA GT Championship, driven mainly by Antoine Gosse, Peter Kütemann and Stéphane Daoudi. From March to November, they competed in the rounds at Monza, Valencia, Magny-Cours, Hockenheim, Brno, Donington, Spa (24 Hours), Imola, Oschersleben, Dubai and Zhuhai. It raced as number 19 (except at Spa, when it was number 18). The following year, it took part in the Le Mans Endurance Series: the 1000 Km races at Spa, Monza, Silverstone and the Nürburgring, the race at Istanbul and, of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as mentioned above. It raced as number 68 (except at Le Mans, as number 69) and Hans Hugenholtz was one of the drivers on several occasions.

It currently has engine no. 01 installed: this was completely overhauled in September 2015 by Lionel Petit, the chief mechanic for JMB Racing, which was responsible for the car at the time. The V12 was fitted with new pistons, liners, valves and bearings and was run in. The car's appearance has been restored to its specification for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005, painted black with the number 69. It is ready to take to the track, after the usual checks and preparation.
It should be noted that it is eligible for Peter Auto's Endurance Racing Legends series, which is open to cars that competed in the BPR and FIA GT championships or the Le Mans Series. In 2023, the Endurance Racing Legends will be present at Le Mans Classic for a support race.

We should add that the car will be sold with numerous spare parts (a full list is available to potential buyers).

This rare Ferrari 575 GTC has the advantage of being a competition car which was officially sold by the factory and which took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as racing during two seasons. The 575 GTC may be compared to the Group 4 Daytona in its day and is a worthy successor to it. As well as being a machine from Maranello boasting exceptional performance, it represents a fantastic investment opportunity for collectors. In short, it will be a great buy for an amateur racing driver with a passion for Ferrari and its history in motorsport who is looking for a competitive car with which to relive its past.

Full catalogue and more photos https://www.artcurial.com/en/sale-4315-retromobile-2023-artcurial-motorcars