76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
pologies – we’re a bit
l at e t o t h i s V1 2 ge m. I n
around 2009-10, prices
for the 456 fell back to
about £40,000 tops, while some cars
in poor condition dropped to as low
a s £2 5 , 0 0 0. T he n f r om a r ou nd 2 014
t he y b e ga n t o r a l l y, on l y t o f a l l ba c k
slightly a couple of years ago.
It all means that today you’ll
s t r u gg le t o f i nd a go o d r i g ht-h a nd-
drive 456, or the later 456M, for less
t h a n £ 4 0, 0 0 0 w h i le , i f y ou w a nt
t o sle e p s ou nd l y i n y ou r b e d , y ou’ l l
need to spend between £58,000 and
£65,000 for a proper one with a low
mileage and a good service history.
That last bit – a good service
history – is crucial. Too many 456s
have gaps in their histories, a legacy
of those rock-bottom prices when
many people with shallow pockets
but eyes bright with the dream of
Ferrari ownership snapped up the
cars. Once reality kicked in, the first
thing to go was servicing, with the
r e s u lt t h at lot s of c a r s h av e pat c hy
histories with few signs of the
necessarily regular 6000-mile fettleand 24,000-mile cambelt change.
Many have since found good
homes and had their service histories
patched up. In any case, the model is,
despite the litany of checks we advise
(see right), a tough and reliable old
thing. Indeed, it was Ferrari chief
Luca di Montezemolo’s intention that
it should be. He figured that building
a reliable and practical supercar to be
d r i v e n r at he r t h a n lo c k e d aw ay, a s i s
the fate of most Ferraris, would be his
brand’s best advertisement.
The car was launched in 1992 as
the 456GT and wasn’t replaced until
- In between times – 1998 – it
w a s f a c e l i f t e d w he n it b e c a me t he
456M, for Modificata. Whether GT
or M, the 5.5-litre front-mounted
V12 produces the same 436bhp,
driving the rear wheels through
a six-speed manual gearbox thatwent from being a dog-leg gate to
a more usable H-pattern in around
- Alternatively, from 1996
there was a four-speed torque-
converter automatic. Naturally, the
former attracts a premium, but the
automatic is reliable and a good fit
i f y ou ju s t w a nt t o c r u i s e e f for t le s sl y
from country to country.
Not that the 456 can’t lift its skirts.
In fact, for a time it was the fastest
four-seater car in the world, with a
top speed of 188mph. Four-seater?
Well, two-plus-two, really, but there’s
just enough space for a couple of
adults in the back.
Switchable suspension, in
combination with a self-levelling rear
set-up, is standard and, in Normal
mo de at le a s t , v e r y c om for t a ble , but
it all needs checking, as we explain.
It ’s l i n k e d t o t he br a k e s a nd pr oble m s
there can cause the suspension todefault to hard.
With the facelift, the 456M became
a little quieter and more refined.
Production ended with the 456M
GT Scaglietti, also known as the
S c hu m a c he r E d it ion. You’ l l pay a
fortune for one of those, but with
luck you should find a perfectly good
standard 456GT or 456M for around
£50,000. Hurry before prices move.
The Ferrari 456 was designed to be used, but many have suffered at the hands of
cash-strapped owners. John Evans casts a careful eye over an appreciating classic
A SUPERCAR FOR ALL OCCASIONS
HOW TO BUY A
FERRARI 456
A