Saturday 12 November 2016

For Sale : Ferrari 412 (just sold before this publication) - first owner details

The following advert was brought to my attention:

http://www.rardleymotors.com/docs2/cars/show.php?id=566&p=30&page=1&srt=model_year DESC

It's especially interesting as this is another one that reveals much more detail regarding the first owner and additional history. See also these two related blogs regarding first owners:

http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2016/10/auction-ferrari-412-sir-michael-fay.html

http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2016/10/me-and-my-car-ferrari-412.html

In this case it doesn't specify the purchase motive of the owner though:

Ordered by Mike Salmon, managing director of Melbourne Garages Ltd in Jersey, Channel Islands ,on the 15th July 1988.Order number 8318 was placed with the Ferrari factory on the 27th July 1988 for a five speed manual 412 GT with blue chiaro with crema hide VM 3997 including the headlining, with dashboard, centre console, rear shelf in dark blue VM 3282.The car was completed seven months later in February 1989,and delivered to the UK concessionaires ,Maranello by truck. In turn Maranello invoiced Melbourne Garages Ltd on the 10th March 1989.The car was first registered J4897 on the 31st March 1989 to a 36 year old investor banker ,Mr Nicholas Wilcockson. The then (1st January 1989) list price was £80,194.30 plus delivery charges, number plates and road tax .A move to London necessitated the car being registered on the mainland ,F992 RYH on the 12th March 1990,and garaged in London. From 1995 Mr Wilcockson was spending more time in America, so it was kept at a friends house, Mr Andrew Hobbs, in Sussex ,finally deciding to sell the car in 2003.

The second and last owner from Buckinghamshire ,bought the car from a specialist garage in Sussex on the 2nd March 2003 with 15,696 miles, for £24,995,took the car home and used it infrequently .It has not been taxed since.


Servicing/work has been carried out as follows:

600-1,000 mile service 25-05-89 Ch. Pozzi
6,250 mile service 12-08-91 Maranello Conc. 5,720 miles
Exhaust work 26-05-95 Maxwell Greene 9,821 miles
Battery 30-12-96 Motor Care 10,606 miles
12,500 mile service 13-01-99 Maranello Sales 11,265 miles*
Skim brake discs 15-03-99 Intaporsh 11,538 miles
Handbrake 19-04-99 Maranello Sales 11,562 miles
Check over 27-01-93 Addspeed 13,059 miles
Annual service 23-04-03 Verdi 13,639 miles
Full service -16 Rardley 16,833 miles
* mileage reading is from the MOT as Maranello didn't put it on the invoice.
MOT’s

04-10-16 16,873 miles
23-03-04 16,721 miles
26-02-03 13,105 miles
07-01-02 12,676 miles
02-01-01 12,329 miles
29-12-99 12,092 miles
02-12-98 11,265 miles
08-08-98 11,057 miles
24-12-96 10,605 miles
21-03-94 8,594 miles
15-03-93 7,359 miles


First interesting aspect is that it does mention the actual order date and delivery date. I'm not sure if it's representative for all orders but apparently it took about 7 months.

Another interesting aspect is that todays asking price of 79.500 GBP almost equals the actual Original purchase price in 1989 of 80.000 GBP. So if he had kept the car untill now it would mean he only had to pay for the maintenance and insureance for the duration. Although I expect this finance aspect would be the least of his worries.

Furthermore it strikes me how little miles were driven by the first owner. Did he only used it for Leisure driving in his scarce spare time or for an occasional business trip?  I'm missing the logic for purchasing such car if you rarely drive it. Then again, these fortunate people simply could afford it and likely it's not their only vehicle for transport. It look like his first trip was abroad to Paris, as it's first service maintenance was performed at Charles Pozzi.

Also he appears to be a succesful businessman who fit's the 365/400/412 profile and too he was fairly young. Interesting fact that the average age of a UK 412 buyer in 1989 was younger than the other Ferrari models. Nicholas Wilcockson, at 36, was about average age.

And last but not least, and as far as I can verify using the internet, it appears he is the same guy who married miss World 1977: Mary Stävin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Stävin
Yes, you can have it all. Reminds me about this other owner who married the Martini girl:

http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2015/10/bring-trailer-1974-ferrari-365gt4-22-5.html



Well, I managed to get in contact with the first owner and I asked him about the motive for purchasing this car and for what purpose it was used. I almost got an instant respond from him:

Hi Erwin, thank you for your enquiry. The 412 is a beautifully designed grand tourer and one of my favourite Ferraris. I bought it brand new in 1989 ( I think ) from my local Ferrari dealer (Michael Salmon who has since died) in Jersey, Channel Islands where I am from I also owned a Testarrossa and a 321 at the time but the 412 was always my favourite. It was purely for pleasure. I bought it for for its looks , fabulous chiarro blue colour and tan interior and engineering . It was also very collectible as it was one of the very last right hand drive manual to have been manufactured in this model. Only about 23 were made .I eventually brought it to London, paying import taxes and had to change the number plate from a jersey plate to a uk plate I can't remember exactly when I sold it to a dealer in the U.K.but it must have been in the mid/late 1990s as I moved to Los Angeles from London in 1995. I don't think there were much more than 10,000 miles on the odometer I hope this helps you in understanding the car. Regards, Nick

When I shared the Original advert link with him it got to my attention it was sold today (11-11-2016). It doesn't surprise me as this one is a very nice specimen and as the first owner mentioned as well; highly collectible.

I was informed he was contacted a few months before by Mike Wheeler, which happens to be the current seller at Rardley motors. In any case, this 412 first owner appears to be a very approachable and friendly person. And clearly a keen lover of this particular model. Knowing his wife as well I can only compliment him on his good taste. Since he owned various other cars (as expected) it explains also the low mileage.

Looking forward to get in contact with the next first owner of a 365/400/412

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