A piece of history at Charles Pozzi

Did you know that without Charles Pozzi, the Ferrari Challenge might never have seen the light of day?

The story begins in the late 1980s. After the death of Enzo Ferrari in 1988, demand for the 348 models exploded, with delivery times reaching three years. Daniel Marin, Charles Pozzi's partner, came up with a visionary idea to capitalise on this craze: in partnership with Ferrari, he proposed creating a competition dedicated to passionate customers, with the 348 Challenge, equipped with roll bars, as its flagship model. In 1993, the Ferrari Challenge was born.

It was an immediate success. In 1995, the legendary F355 Challenge took over. A version of the F355 created specifically for the championship, it was cut out for racing while remaining faithful to Ferrari's DNA, and opened a new chapter for the championship. Built in just 109 examples, the F355 Challenge is powered by the same engine as the production version, the brand's first engine with 5 valves per cylinder, from which the model also takes its name (355 for the 3.5-litre capacity of this V8). The F355 Challenge had a number of special features designed for use in competition, including a special exhaust system, short steering, lowered ride height, reinforced chassis and clutch, roll cage, fire extinguisher, circuit breaker, special magnesium wheels and oversized brakes.

It was replaced by the 360 Challenge in 2000, marking the end of a period of road-going Challenge models.

A piece of history at Charles Pozzi

We are honoured to present an exceptional 1995 Ferrari F355 Challenge from 1995 in its original road-legal livery, with 32,721 km on the clock.

This iconic car was driven by French racer Lucien Guitteny, who made history by winning the 1995 and 1996 seasons of the Ferrari Challenge West Europe. The car was then modified to compete in the French FFSA GT Championship from 1997 to 1999, before taking part in a number of competitions in the 2000s. It passed into new hands in 2010 for hill-climb races during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and was notably driven by Jean-Pierre Jarrier during a round at Saint Gouëno. This F355 Challenge is in ‘competition’ configuration, with a roll bar, two Sparco bucket seats and a carbon spoiler. The engine was changed in 2011 for a similar one, which has been prepared and overhauled. The shock absorbers were overhauled at DA Competition. Following its purchase by a new owner after being exhibited at Rétromobile in 2017, it has benefited from a beautiful restoration of its bodywork by the renowned Milano Racing garage, which has preserved the stigmata of the car's racing past.

This 355 Challenge boasts one of the best track records in the world for the model. Lucien Guitteny confirmed the following results with the car, at a rate of 7 meetings a year, with 2 races per meeting.

This car is a real treasure for Ferrari lovers and motorsport enthusiasts, capable of taking to the road as easily as the track, and available now at our Le Mans site.