Used Ferrari 456 review and buying guide (1993 to 2003): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ferrari 456 should you buy?

Buy a 456 with the six-speed manual gearbox, and only one whose paperwork accounts for every owner and every year. Cars stolen in other countries have been offered for sale, so if there are gaps in the history or the seller's story keeps shifting, don't let a glossy paint job talk you round.

Don't take the badge as proof of the gearbox. The car was sold as the 456GT and later as the updated 456M, and the letter on the boot doesn't tell you whether it's a manual, so look at the gear lever and its open gate before you go any further. Beyond that, the condition and history of the car in front of you matter more than which version it is.

Which Ferrari 456 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The six-speed manual is the one to have. Its traditional gated shift, with the lever clacking through an open gate, is starting to feel old-fashioned, but it's a big part of the 456's appeal and it's what you should insist on.

There's only one engine, and nothing in what's known about the car singles it out for a particular failure, though that's a thin picture rather than a clean one. The gearbox did get a recall in 2003, because the feed and return pipes for its oil cooler could leak and harm the gearbox, so look for seepage around those pipes and ask for proof they've been replaced. It's thirsty, too.

What should you check when viewing a used Ferrari 456?

Paperwork comes before the test drive. A 456 stolen abroad and passed off here is a real risk, so match the VIN on the car to the registration document and the service records, and ask how and when it came into the UK if it's an import. If any part of the story doesn't hold together, don't buy it.

Ask for proof that each recall's been carried out. A 1998 recall replaced fuel hoses whose barrel nuts could be overtightened and leak; a 1999 one fitted a new connector between the brake fluid reservoir and the master cylinder; a 2001 one swapped the handbrake ratchet on some cars; and a 2003 one replaced the fuel filler neck gaiter and its fittings.

With the car on a ramp, look for fuel weeping around the filler neck, the tank and the fuel hoses, since a leak there could let fuel reach the tyres and upset the handling. Check for damp around the brake fluid reservoir, and make sure the handbrake holds the car firmly on a slope.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What do Ferrari 456 owners like about them?

You're not tied to official Ferrari dealers to keep one on the road. Independent specialists know the 456 well and can look after it just as well as the main dealers, and there's a choice of them, which makes owning one a lot less daunting than the badge suggests.

There's fitted luggage made to go with it, so packing for a long trip doesn't mean stuffing soft bags into odd corners of the boot. It wins people over from behind the wheel, too: one owner of a 1995 456GT says a friend who drove his came away keen to buy one.