1995 Ferrari F50 #103496
SPECIFICATIONS
- Year1995
- MakeFerrari
- ModelF50
- Serial Number103496
We are pleased to offer 1995 Ferrari F50 s/n 103496, the 31st of only 349 F50s built, a three-owner Supercar and the only Ferrari F50 to have a long and successful race history in the Maranello Ferrari Challenge. F50 s/n 103496 was sold new on 01 Jan., 1996 by Specialist Cars in Bradford, England to Ian Hetherington. In early 1998 F50 s/n 103496 was race prepared by Specialist Cars for a warm-up in the second-half of the 1998 Series and a full assault on the 1999 and 2000 Maranello Ferrari Challenge, a FIA licensed and sanctioned International series comparable to today’s Ferrari 488 and 296 Challenge Series. Additionally F50 s/n 103496 has just completed a photo-documented, down-to-the-bare-tub $770,000.00 plus Platinum level restoration by Chris Dugan of Dugan Enterprises, Oceanside Ca.
On 05-06 June 1998 F50 s/n 103496 ran in the Maranello Ferrari Challenge at Spa Francorchamps, finishing 6th on 05 June and 7th on 06 June against race-prepared F40s and a race-prepared 512 TR. The Series then moved back to Silverstone in England on 14 June with F50 s/n 103496 finishing 6th and then again at Silverstone on 23 August where Ian Hetherington qualified on the pole but DNFed. On 06 Sept., 1998, the Series ran at Croft, with Ian Hetherington finished in 2nd and on 12 Sept. at Castle Combe where Ian Hetherington and F50 s/n 103496 finished 4th.
The 1999 Maranello Challenge season opened at Donington on 11 April, where Ian Hetherington and F50 s/n 103496 set the fastest lap in class and finished 2nd, before moving to Brands Hatch on 03 May where F50 s/n 103496 finished 1st. On 31 May the series moved to Castle Combe where F50 s/n 103496 finished 2nd. On 06 June the series moved to Thruxton where F50 s/n 103496 set the fastest lap and finished 1st. On 20 June the Series moved to Snetterton where F50 s/n 103496 finished 4th. The Series then crossed the North Sea to Zandvoort in Holland on 03-04 July where F50 s/n 103496 finished 3rd on 03 July and 3rd again on 04 July. On 08 Aug. the Series ran at Donington Park where F50 s/n 103496 finished 2nd. Later, on 22 Aug., the Series moved to Croft where our F50 was on the pole but DNS. The Series again crossed the North Sea to the Nurburgring in Germany on 04-05 Sept., where our feature F50 finished 2nd on 04 Sept. and took the pole, set fastest lap and finished 1st on 05 Sept. The Series ended the season on 25-26 Sept. at Silverstone where F50 s/n 103496 finished 8th on 25 Sept. and DNFed on 26 Sept. The 1999 Series ended with Ian Hetherington and F50 s/n 103496 finishing 2nd in the Series, losing to John Pogson’s race prepared F40 by a mere one point!
The 2000 Maranello Challenge season opened on 01 April at Castle Combe where F50 s/n 103496 finished 5th. The Series again crossed the North Sea to the Zolder circuit in Belgium on 30 April, with F50 s/n 103496 finishing 1st in the first round and then setting the fastest lap and again finishing in 1st at the second round. The Series returned to England, running at Donington Park on 06 May, where our feature F50 qualified on the pole, finishing 1st, followed by another round at Donington on 04 June with our feature F50 again qualified on the pole and again finished 1st. On 24 June the Series moved to Silverstone where our feature F50 qualified on the pole and finished in 2nd. On 09 July the Series moved to Brands Hatch where our feature F50 qualified on the pole, finished 2nd. Next up was at Thruxton on 23 July where our feature F50 qualified 4th but DNF. On 06 Aug., the Series next ran at Snetterton where our F50 again qualified on the pole, finishing in 2nd. Croft followed on 20 Aug., where our feature F50 fell back to 10th! The Series next moved to Oulton Park on 26 Aug., where our F50 finished 1st in the first round and 2nd on the second round. The Series again crossing the North Sea to France on 16-17 Sept. for two rounds at Le Mans where our feature F50 qualified on the pole, finishing 1st on 16 Sept. and again qualifying on the pole, finishing 2nd on 17 Sept. Thanks to entering all fourteen rounds and thanks to winning six 1sts and four 2nds, Ian Hetherington and F50 s/n 103496 won the 2000 Maranello Challenge Series.
Ian Hetherington and F50 s/n 103496 also ran in the Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge and the AMOC Intermarque Challenge in 1998 and 1999 where our feature F50 was usually the fastest Ferrari, although left behind by the Porsche 935s and a regular mix of Group “C” Prototype races cars which ran in these races.
Having won the Maranello Challenge Series, Ian Hetherington put F50 s/n 103496 up for sale and on 17 Oct., 2000 the now ex-Ian Hetherington F50 s/n 103496 was sold by Mike Sheehan, Ferraris-Online.com to Preston Henn, owner of the Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale, FL. F50 s/n 103496 was flown into the Miami airport on 09 Nov., awaiting both EPA and DOT import approval as a race car and hence exemption from both EPA and DOT regulations. One would think that having a car that actually raced in forty different and well documented races would qualify as a race car under both the EPA and DOT’s rather vague regulations but such was not to be. Click on Importing an F50: A Tragi-Comedy in Two Acts, Act one, the DOT for the multi-step brain damage spent dealing with the DOT. Then click on Importing an F50: A Tragi-Comedy in Two Acts, Act Two, the Department of NO at the EPA for the full year of brain damage dealing with the petty-but-powerful bureaucrats at the EPA (aka the Department of NO) who are apparently allowed to make up ever-escalating rules on the fly. In the end it F50 s/n 103496 was finally released from the clutches of the DOT on 09 Feb., 2001 and from the EPA on Nov., of 2001. F50 s/n 103496 was then delivered to its second owner, Preston Henn, repainted in Fly yellow (like most of Preston’s cars) and kept on static display at the Swap Shop from 2001 to Feb., 2019 when sold by Mike and Colleen Sheehan to the current owner.
Restoring an F50 is a challenging endeavor as few F50s were made and Ferrari is only required to supply spare parts for ten years, so parts are very few, far between and extremely expensive. In 2019 Chris Dugan of Dugan Enterprises began what became a $770,427.48 plus down-to-the-bare-tub restoration to Platinum standards. As just one example of the cost of F50 restoration parts, there are four “A” arm bushing in each of the four suspension corners so sixteen bushing. After many months of parts sourcing Chris Dugan was able to find original F50 “A” arm suspension bushings for $949.20 each. Similar (but not interchangeable) “A” arm bushings for an F355, 550, 360 and other Ferraris of the same time period can be purchased for a mere $74.95 each.
Today F50 s/n 103496 is fully restored to the very highest road-going platinum standards, was shown at The Quail, A Motorsports Gather in Monterey on 18 August and has a Ferrari Classiche Red Book in process. Needless to say we have literally thousands of photos from the Maranello Ferrari Challenge, at Preston Henn’s, during the restoration, and at The Quail where F50 s/n 103496 was shown in its original race livery. F50 s/n 103496 is price very correctly in today’s market at $4,795,000 USD. E-mail us for copies of the restoration invoices and a sample of over one-thousand race and restoration photos.
Scan up and click on VEHICLE HISTORY for the long but interesting race, importation and ownership history.
S/n 103496. F50. Euro Model. New to Ian Hetherington. Assembly # 31/349. New in Rosso Barchetta. Registered on British plates: N 50 GTB.
1996, 01 Jan., sold by Specialist Cars, Tordoff House, 158 Sticker Lane, Bradford, DB4 8QG to Ian Hetherington, Woodbrook House, Woodbrook Place, Aldley Edge, SK9 7DBm England
Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge, 1998:
1998, race prepared by Specialist Cars for Ian Hetherington to Maranello Ferrari Challenge specs.
1998, 5 June, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 4. Spa Francorchamps. 6th. Hetherington. Qualified 9th at 2.59.63. Fastest lap was 2.58.14. Finished 6th.
1998, 6 June, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 5. Spa Francorchamps. Round 5. 7th. Hetherington. Qualified 9th at 2.59.63. Fastest lap was 2.56.21. Finished 7th.
1998, 14 June, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 6. Silverstone. 6th. Hetherington. Qualified 10th at 1.11.22. Fastest lap was 1.05.36. Finished 6th.
1998, 23 August, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 10. Silverstone. Pole Position at 1.33.32. But… DNFed. Ian Hetherington. Fastest lap was 2.07.24. DNFed.
1998, 6 September, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 11. Croft. 2nd place. Ian Hetherington. Lap record at 1.30.81. Qualified 2nd at 1.47.68. Finished 2nd.
1998, 12 September, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Castle Combe. Round 12. 4th place. Ian Hetherington. Qualified 16th at 1.25.74. Fastest lap was 1.07.59. Finished 4th.
Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge, 1999:
1999, 11 April, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 1. Donington. 2nd. Ian Hetherington. Started at back of grid + 10 sec. penalty. Had fastest lap in class at 1.47.47. Beaten by 3 seconds, so he really won the race without the penalty. Finished 2nd.
1999, 2 May, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 2. Brands Hatch. 1st place Ian Hetherington. Qualified 2nd at 52.22. Finished 1st.
1999, 31 May, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 3. Castle Combe. 2nd Hetherington. Lost to Pogson in an F40. Qualified 7th at 1.16.61. Fastest lap was 1.13.43. Finished 2nd.
1999, 6 June, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 4. Thruxton. Pole position at 1.27.64. 1st place. Set lap record in class at 1.26.59. Finished 1st.
1999, 20 June, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 5. Snetterton. 4th overall, 2nd in class Hetherington. Qualified 9th at 1.30.28. Fastest lap 1.15.85. Finished 4th.
1999, 3/4 July, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 6 and 7. Zandvoort. Round 6: Qualified 4th at 1.57.38. 3rd Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.56.21. Round 7: Qualified 3rd at 1.56.75. 3rd Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.55.46. Finished 3rd.
1999, 30 July-1 August, Coy’s Historic Races, Silverstone. Ian Hetherington. Rosso Barchetta/black, N50 GTB.
1999, 7/8 August, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 8. Donington Park. Qualified 11th at 1.32.18. 2nd Hetherington. Lap record in class at 1.16.87. Finished 2nd.
1999, 21/22 August, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Croft. Round 9. Pole position at 1.29.55. DNS.
1999, 4/5 September, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Nurburgring. Round 10 and 11. Round 10: Qualified 2nd at 1.54.15. 2nd place. Hetherington. Fastest lap 1.51.94. Round 11: Pole position at 1.50.55. 1st place. Hetherington. Lap record in class at 1.50.20.
1999, 25/26 September, Goodyear Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Silverstone. Round 13 & 14. Round 13: Qualified 5th at 1.13.86. 8th overall 4th in class. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.13.92. Round 14: Qualified 5th at 1.13.86. DNF. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.02.69.
Hetherington was M Class Series Champion by 1 point. But…he was later declared 2nd after appeal by John Pogson.
Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge, 2000:
2000, 1 April, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 1. Castle Combe. Qualified 5th at 1.14.90. 2nd in class. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.25.53. 2nd.
2000, 29/30 April, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Zolder. Round 2 & 3. Zolder. Round 2: Qualified 2nd at 1.52.06. 1st place. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.51.51. Round 3: Zolder. Qualified 10th at 2.16.13. 1st place. Hetherington. Fastest lap in class at 1.51.78.
2000, 6 May, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 4. Donington. Pole position at 1.17.16. 1st place. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.19.59. Finished 1st.
2000, 4 June, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 5. Donington. Pole position at 1.17.35. 1st place. Hetherington. Fastest lap at 1.18.03. Finished 1st.
2000, 24 June, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 6. Silverstone. Pole position at 1.02.6. 2nd overall, 1st in class. Hetherington. Fastest lap in class at 1.03.47. Finished 2nd.
2000, 09 July, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 8. Brands Hatch. Pole position at 52.82. 2nd place. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 59.74.
2000, 23 July, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 9. Thruxton. Qualified 4th at 1.25.04. DNF. Fastest lap was 1.26.39.
2000, 6 August, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 10. Snetterton. Pole position at 1.16.93. 2nd place Hetherington. Fastest lap at 1.17.42.
2000, 19/20 August, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 11. Croft. Qualified 11th at 2.32.22. 10th overall, 5th in class. Hetherington. Fastest lap was 1.32.74.
2000, 26 August, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 12. Oulton Park. Qualified 4th at 2.04.59. Part 1: 1st place. Fast lap was 1.52.90. Part 2: 2nd overall, 1st in class. Fast lap was 1.57.23. Finished 1st.
2000, 16/17 September, Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge. Round 13 & 14. Le Mans. Round 13: Pole position at 1.56.09 1st place. Hetherington. Fastest lap at 1.57.23. Round 14: Pole position at 1.56.09. 3rd overall, 2nd in class. Hetherington. Lap record in class at 1.56.79.
Hetherington won the Category S Series Championship.
Porsche vs Ferrari and AMOC Intermarque Challenge, 1998
1998, 05 Sept., Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge, Croft., 4th overall, 1st Ferrari.
1998, 06 Sept., AMOC Intermarque Challenge, Croft., 7th overall, 1st Ferrari.
1998, 11 Oct., Donington Short, AMOC Intermarque Challenge, 7th, lap 1:18.26, 2nd Ferrari
Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge, 1999:
1999, 03 May, Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge,Brands Hatch, DNFed.
1999, 20 June, Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge, Brands Hatch, DNFed.
1999, 21 Aug., Porsche vs Ferrari Challenge,Croft, 6th overall, 2nd Ferrari.
2000, 27 Sept., offered by Andrew Turner, owner of Mortimer, Houghton and Turner, an authorized Ferrari dealer in Bath, to Mike Sheehan, Ferraris-Online for sale.
2000, 17 Oct., sold by Mike Sheehan, Ferraris-Online.com to Preston Henn, the Swap Shop, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
2000, 01 Nov., detailed race history and race photos sent to both the EPA and DOT for pre-approval for import as a race car.
2000, 02 Nov., the DOT requested proof Preston Henn was a race driver, copies of Preston’s IMSA racing license was sent to the DOT.
2000, 02 Nov., former DOT Lawyer Lance Beyer hired on retainer to deal with the idiots at both the DOT and the EPA.
2000, 03 Nov., the DOT demanded a statement from Maranello Concessionaires that F50 s/n 103496 had raced in the Maranello Challenge and that it’s value is now as a race car and not a street car.
2000, 08 Nov., Shipped from Gatwick airport to Miami .
2000, 09 Nov., F50 s/n 103496 arrives at Miami customs awaiting both EPA and DOT import approval.
2000, 15 Nov., the DOT contacted and asked Ferrari North America if they had ever built an F50 race car. Ferrari North America said no.
2000, 16 Nov., the DOT was supplied with copies of the presentation of the first F50 GT s/n MAT 001 which had been given both EPA and DOT approval for import. The DOT was also given a copy of the cover of Cavallino Magazine #100 plus a copy of the cover Ferrari Market Letter and Forza Magazine # 6 featuring F50 GT s/n MAT 001 now in the US.
2000, 16 Nov., the DOT accepted that Ferrari North America was wrong about the F50 GT but now wanted a letter from Specialised Cars, who had race prepared F50 s/n 103496 listing the work done which was supplied on 17 Nov., 2000.
2000, 19 Nov., the DOT next demanded a “stronger” letter from Specialised Cars, who had race prepared F50 s/n 103496 with more details on the work done which was supplied on 20 Nov., 2000.
2000, 05 Dec., the DOT demanded a letter from the race series organizers that Specialised cars was qualified to do the race preparation work.
2000, 06 Dec., the DOT also demanded a letter from Maranello concessionaires that Specialised cars was qualified to do the race preparation work.
2000, 08 Dec., Jonathan Swift, director of the Maranello Challenge Series supplied a letter to the DOT outlining Specialised Cars qualifications.
2000, 08 Dec., John Newman, General Manager of Ferrari UK supplied a letter to the DOT outlining Specialised Cars qualifications.
2000, 09 Dec., F50 s/n 103496 had to be moved to Bonded Storage or it would be seized by customs as it had not yet been cleared.
2000, 18 Dec., Mike Sheehan requested copied of the EPA and DOT import paperwork from Art Zafiropoulo, the owner of F50 FT s/n MAT 001, to add extra ammunition to our case for importation to the DOT. Copies were sent to the DOT.
2001, 02 Jan., in an effort to justify their miserable existence, bureaucratic mindset and bi-monthly paychecks, the idiots at the DOT now decided they needed “current” photos of F50 s/n 103496 detailing the work done for race preparation.
2001, 08 Jan., Al Roberts from Shelton Ferrari was allowed into a dark and dusty warehouse to photos the race prep features of F50 s/n 103496.
2001, 09 Jan., Lance Beyer, the ex-DOT lawyer was able to narrow the DOT’s concern to “intent” meaning “what was the main intention of the manufacturer when the car was built”. We only needed to prove that when F50 s/n 103496 was “re-manufactured” by Specialist Cars the costs to transform F50 s/n 103496 and the greater cost to make F50 s/n 103496 back into a street car.
2001, 25 Jan., the DOT was supplied with yet another letter by Specialist Cars, this one even more detailed, outlining the costs to transform F50 s/n 103496 into a race car and the greater cost to make F50 s/n 103496 back into a street car.
2001, 01 Feb., the DOT demanded that Al Roberts of Shelton Ferrari go back to the government bonded warehouse and get better photos showing the ride height by holding a ruler up to the bottom of the car and to take clear photos of the fuel filler, plus a letter from Tom Shelton of Shelton Ferrari repeating what was already stated by Specialist Cars in England re: costs.
2001, 02 Feb., since the DOT had approved F50 s/n 103496 as a race car one would assume the EPA would also approved F50 s/n 103496 as a race car. Not a chance.
2001, 06 Feb., Specialised Cars, who had race prepared F50 s/n 103496 provided a letter to the EPA with more details on the race preparation work done.
2001, 08 Feb., Tom Shelton of Shelton Ferrari provided a detailed cost analysis of the race prep work to the DOT.
2001, 22 Feb., after a mere three months the overpaid yet incompetent morons at the DOT issued a release to import F50 s/n 103496.
2001, 18 March, the EPA demanded to know why F50 s/n 103496 sat so high off the ground.
2001, 19 March, Andrew Turner of Mortimer, Houghton and Turner supplied a letter to the EPA explaining that the car was raised as high as possible on its adjustable suspension and was fitted with larger rain tires for shipping purposes. The EPA did not accept this explanation.
2001, 28 March, Lance Beyer, our ex-DOT attorney, insisted that the EPA give us a definitive ruling on how low was low enough. John Guy, who claimed to be an engineer with the DOT, devised the “Coke-can test” meaning that if a coke can would not roll under the car it must be a race car.
2001, 30 March, US customs allowed the F50 to be taken to Shelton Ferrari to be lowered from its transportation setting and fitted with race wheels and tires. This lowered the car by three inches. Digital photos of the F50 were dutifully supplied.
2001, 23 April, the EPA stated that digital photos can be altered so they needed “hard” photos of the F50 passing the Coke Can test and a statement from Shelton Ferrari affirming the car to be in race condition, the tires were at racing pressure and no extra weight had been added to the car.
2001, 24 April, glossy 5×7 photos of the appropriate photos were FedEx-ed to the EPA.
2001, 15 May, having passed the Coke can test, Len Lazarus of the EPA next decided in their infinite wisdom that they needed photos substantiating that the dash and interior were “racy looking”.
2001, 16 May, Andrew Turner of Mortimer, Houghton and Turner supplied photos of the “racy” dashboard to the EPA.
2001, 29 May, the EPA accepted the photos of the “racy” dashboard but next decided that “real” race cars had roll cages and not roll hoops. Attorney Lance Beyer pointed out that the EPA had already approved entry of the F50 GT s/n MAT 001 owned by Art Zafiropoulo.
2001, 02 June, the EPA denied they had ever allowed to importation of an F50 GT. Lance Beyer pointed out that we had already sent exhaustive paperwork on the F50 GT to the DOT, the EPA replied that “the file was too thick” to go through. We edited and resent the US Customs and DOT importation paperwork and the EPA finally agreed the F50 had indeed been legally imported.
2001, 07 June, the EPA finally agreed that if F50 s/n 103496 was fitted with a roll cage to match the F50 GT, they would allow entry.
2001, 15 June, we forwarded digital photos of the roll cage in F50 GT s/n MAT 001.
2001, 18 June, Len “the Lizard” Lazarus at the EPA reviewed the EPAs importation file on F50 GT s/n MAT 001 and agreed the EPA would allow entry if we built an identical roll cage for F50 s/n 103496.
2001, July, Gunnar Racing built and installed a full roll cage to match the cage in F50 GT s/n MAT 001.
2000, 16 Nov., in a display of timely bureaucratic efficiency the EPA finally issued an EPA exemption.
2017, 30 April, sadly Preston Henn died.
2019, 12 Feb., F50 s/n 103496 was sold by Mike and Colleen Sheehan, Ferraris-Online, to the current owner.
2020-2023, a down-to-the-bare-tub-and-back again restoration by Chris Dugan, Dugan Enterprises, Oceanside, CA was completed.
2023, 18 April, F50 s/n 103496 was shown at The Quail, A Motorsports Gather in Monterey.
2023, May, Ferrari Classiche Red Book in process.
