Believe it or not, there’s more going on in the car world right now than just the 2015 SEMA Show. For instance, the listing for the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB that used to belong to Nicolas Cage just ended this morning. Its asking price was more than twice a 599’s original base price of $273,845. The owner of the 17,187-mile prancing horse was asking for a name-appropriate $599,120.
Sure, the Rossa Corsa coupe was Ferrari’s flagship two-seater at the time and therefore features a 612-horsepower 6.0-liter V12. Yes, it was once owned by a celebrity. It even received a $9,500 major servicing recently.
None of those appear to be the reason the price for this 599 was so high, though.
Perhaps it’s because this 599 has the pricey optional Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione package that makes the suspension stiffer, the ride height lower, and the tires stickier.
Perhaps…or perhaps the main reason is this:
By 2007, a Ferrari with a manual transmission was a rare breed. Four years later, the company shipped out its last two three-pedal cars. According to cncmotorsinc, the seller of this Italian oddity, “Ferrari production numbers for true manual gearbox 599’s believed to be limited to only 20 for the US.” In fact, it claims this 599 is the rarest car it’s ever had the privilege of owning/selling.
Although the listing ended, it doesn’t seem that there was a winning bidder. It’s possible this rare red road-ripper sold offline. If it doesn’t get relisted, then we’ll know to wave goodbye to it:
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
