Ferrari is one of the most legendary car companies in the world. The Prancing Horse logo is practically universally known, as is the classic Ferrari Red color scheme. The Italian exotic carmaker has put out some of the greatest supercars in recent memory, and has always excelled in F1 racing (though they’ve been going through some troubles recently).
But like every car company, not every sports car they made was a revelation. There were some lemons—some Ferraris that definitely can’t be considered supercars. Whether it’s the overall design, the engine, or the critically panned reviews, these Ferraris got the worst of it.
The good news is, today you can buy these Ferraris pretty cheap. So, you can look cool driving around town in a Prancing Horse. The bad news, of course, is that these Ferraris aren’t all that great, and passersby probably won’t spend too long watching you drive by. Not as if you were driving, say, a 488 Pista.
Here are 12 Ferraris that are cheap because they’re bad. Prices are from CarGurus.com, ReezoCar.com, and BringATrailer.com.
12. 1983 Ferrari Mondial ($17,600)
via Wikipedia
The Ferrari Mondial might look pretty, with that classic 80s Ferrari body style, but it’s often considered the worst Ferrari ever built. It took almost 9 seconds to reach 0-60 mph with its sluggish 3.4-liter V8 that only got 214 hp, and it had a top speed of only 140 mph, which is terrible for a Ferrari. Yes, it looked cool and practical, and was upgraded in 1985, but by then the damage had already been done. Find one for under $20,000 today—the only Ferrari you’ll find that cheap.
11. 1981 Ferrari 400i ($44,000)
via Hemmings Motor News
The Ferrari 400i doesn’t look very “Ferrari” in its design, but it’s still a pretty gorgeous GT car. That being said, it definitely falls short in terms of performance, as it runs on 306-hp 4.8-liter V12 that was only good for 149 mph max. It was built between 1979 and 1985, and even though only 1,200 or so 400i cars were produced, you can find them for very cheap today, at less than $45,000.
10. 1990 Ferrari 348 TS ($46,000)
via Bring a Trailer
The Ferrari 348 TS and TB was a mid-engined V8 Ferrari built from scratch, using a 3.4-liter V8 engine that only got 296 hp. Its style was borrowed from the larger Testarossa, but it wasn’t a very inspiring car. It also wasn’t good in competition, as the Honda NSX came out around the same time and put it to shame. With a slow 0-60 mph time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 166 mph, the 348 TS and TB could have been better.
9. 1994 Ferrari F512 M Testarossa ($61,000)
via RM Sotheby's
The Ferrari Testarossa, or F 512 M, was a ridiculous, excessive car built in the 80s. Built in the style of a door wedge, it succeeded the pretty Berlinetta Boxer, and did everything wrong. Its flat-12 engine produced 385 hp that could reach 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Its top speed was 176 mph. It wasn’t the most powerful car, but the 512 TR produced in 1991 fixed many of its problems.
8. 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 ($60,000)
via Mecum Auctions
The Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 used the same DOHC 3.0-liter V8 engine that would eventually be used in the two-seater Pininfarina 308GTB. It was rated at only 240 hp, took 7 seconds to reach 0-60 mph, and had a top speed of only 155 mph. That’s virtually indistinguishable performance from a 2017 Honda Civic, even if the Ferrari is more than 40 years old. You can find prime examples for around $60,000 today.
7. 1976 Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 ($36,500)
via Retro Motoring Research
The Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 actually came after the Dino 308 above, in 1975, and even though it has that classic Ferrari design from the 70s, thanks to Bertone’s design work (the first Ferrari styled using Bertone rather than Pininfarina), it never really pulled its weight. Its low-displacement 2.0-liter V8 was the smallest production V8 in history, and gave the car a weak top speed of 137 mph. You can find them for under $40,000 today.
6. 1987 Ferrari 412 ($73,000)
via Wikipedia
The Ferrari 412 followed the lineage of the 365 GT4 2+2 from 1973-76, then the 400 GT from 1976-79, and the 400 GTi from 1979-1985. Built from 1985-89, the 412 was the final incarnation of this series, with a top speed of 155 mph from its 340-hp V12. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear has called it “awful in every way,” and it was listed at #18 in BBC’s “Crap Cars” book. Some people still consider the Paninfarina-built car a classic, however.
5. 1984 Ferrari 208 GTB ($53,000)
via Auto 5P
Not to be confused with the Dino 208 GT4, the 208 GTB/GTS was introduced in 1980 as a two-liter version of the 308. Mostly sold on the domestic Italian market, this Pininfarina-designed sports car is often regarded as the slowest Ferrari ever made, but it’s proven faster than the Dino 208 GT4 Bertone in a 1980 test by Motor Trend. Still, its 153-hp V8 engine only gave it a top speed of 150 mph. You can find them for a little over $50,000 today.
4. 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 ($75,500)
via Barrett-Jackson Auction
The Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 was the predecessor to the 400 and 412 mentioned above. It was, ironically, the longest-living Ferrari, built from 1972 to 1989 in all its forms. But it wasn’t a good one. The four-seater had a 4.4-liter Colombo V12 powering it, and was rated at 340 hp. It could reach 60 mph from standstill in 6.4 seconds and had a top speed of 155 mph. Almost 3,000 were produced in its 18-year run, and today you can find them for reasonably cheap.
3. 2004 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti ($60,500)
via Top Speed
Frank Stephenson oversaw much of the development of the 612 Scaglietti, which was decidedly clumsy and unresolved, with an all-aluminum bodywork. Stephenson was responsible for overseeing the first MINI hatchback, the Maserati GranTurismo, and many current McLaren cars. The 612 at least offered good performance from its 5.7-liter V12 with 533 hp and a top speed of 196 mph, but people won’t spend long looking at your car as it zooms by.
2. 2010 Ferrari California GT ($70,000)
via Sexy Sports Cars
The much-maligned “entry-level” Ferrari of the 21st century, the California, was an attempt to appeal to a different, younger demographic than typical Ferrari buyers. It was the first front-engined V8 model, with a boring body style and design, and it was meant to replicate the 250 GT California from 1957, but failed. The 4.3-liter V8 got 460 hp (553 hp in the bigger-engined 2018 model), and a top speed of 193 mph. It was definitely fast, but people didn’t feel it was much of a Ferrari.
1. 2003 Ferrari 575M Maranello ($66,000)
via CNC Motors Inc.
The Ferrari 575 was a two-seater grand tourer that was launched in 2002 and manufactured until 2006. It looked more like a Porsche than a Ferrari, thanks to the styling changes from Pininfarina, who based the car on a 550 Maranello. It had a Magneti Marelli F1 gearbox, a Ferrari 5.7-liter V12 good for 508 hp, and a top speed of 202 mph. It was definitely fast enough, but many people didn’t like the body style, which is probably why it’s so cheap today (less than $70,000).
References: caranddriver.com, retro.motoringresearch.com, drivetribe.com, reezocar.com, cargurus.com
