This example is the first built to North American specifications.
If you have between $1,000,000 and $1,300,000 to burn, you may want to head to the 2023 Pebble Beach auction, as a magnificent example of the Ferrari 599 SA Aperta is expected to fetch that much. One of the most valuable used cars in the world, this 2011 example is currently listed by Gooding & Company and is the first SA Aperta built to North American specifications.
Delivered and driven at the famous Fiorano circuit, it looks menacing in black paint over a black and red leather interior. Ferrari has managed to keep the naturally-aspirated V12 alive in new models like the Daytona SP3, and the drop-top SA Aperta – limited to 80 examples and built in honor of designers Sergio Pininfarina and Andrea Pininfarina – also has a V12 that does without electrification or forced induction.
In the SA Aperta, the 6.0-liter V12 delivers 661 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, the same high-output version of the V12 that was used in the 599 GTO. With a 0-62 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed in excess of 200 mph, the SA Aperta still holds up well despite being over a decade old. A removable soft-top roof can be quickly removed, albeit manually, to fully absorb oneself in the cacophony of that V12 as it surges to the red line.
This particular example features red trim on the dashboard, steering wheel, seats, and door panels, along with a striking yellow background for the central tachometer that reads all the way to 10,000 rpm. Lashings of carbon fiber are also found around the cabin, but we welcome the many physical knobs for the climate control settings and drive modes, whereas newer models like the Roma have switched to an abundance of touch-sensitive controls.
This black example is also accompanied by a Ferrari Classiche Red Book, Ferrari-branded luggage, and other documents that speak to its originality. Offered from original ownership, not much else is known about this 599 SA Aperta yet, but the auction house does state that a complete description of the sale will be available closer to the auction that takes place on August 18 and 19.
The 599 arrived at the tail-end of the Noughties, and this may be revered as the peak supercar era in years to come. It was a decade that also brought us the Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and the V10-engined Porsche Carrera GT. Besides the supercharged SLR, all these cars had naturally aspirated, large-displacement engines.
Under the skin and inside the cabin, technology continued to have an impact on the driving experience at this stage, but it wasn’t yet overly computerized, and you still had to have your wits about you when piloting any of these machines. They represent perhaps the perfect intersection of the analog and digital eras, and all arrived before electrification started regularly finding its way into this exotic corner of the market.
Next month, one more lucky person will have the opportunity to sample a car from this epic era, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the 599 SA Aperta potentially exceed its heady estimate.
Keyword: Ferrari 599 SA Aperta Could Sell For Seven Figures At Pebble Beach