One to Buy: ex-Brunei Royal Family 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
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Owing to the complexities of painting advanced composite panels, Ferrari elected to offer the 288 GTO exclusively in Rosso Corsa which was a shame as the Pininfarina-styled machine would have looked spectacular in practically any shade.
Nevertheless, even with just a single colour scheme afforded to its clients, Ferrari had no trouble shifting the 200 units required to homologate the GTO for Group B. In fact, demand eventually proved sufficient that 272 examples were ultimately completed.
Although Ferrari steadfastly refused to waiver from their one colour policy for the 288, a few years after production had ended, Pininfarina did create some alternative combinations for a VIP customer as part of a wide ranging series of commissions that included special bodied customs on some of the ultimate luxury and sports cars of the day.
That client was of course the Brunei Royal Family who ordered a vast quantity of machinery, many of which received bespoke modifications while others were genuine one-off models never seen anywhere else.
In the decades that have passed since the Brunei Royals purchasing was at its peak, only a small number of blue chip cars have emerged from the collection, one of which is 288 GTO chassis 55671 which is currently residing at the DK Engineering showroom in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.
Originally supplied to Ferrari main dealer Ron Stratton as his personal car, several years later 55671 was purchased for the Brunei Royal collection and sent to Pininfarina for a colour change, refurb and conversion to right-hand drive. Pininfarina carried out similar work on another three 288s for the family during this 1993-1994 period: chassis 56641, 56655 and 57727.
More recently, chassis 55671 has been the subject of a major restoration which has effectively returned the car to as-new condition. The car is being sold with a little under 3000km showing on the odometer.
