Most of the electrical system responded when Autoalex connected a battery to the Ferrari 456, which had spent more than a decade in a garage. The windows and electrically adjustable seats worked; lights came on, and much of the interior equipment powered up despite rodent contamination. The starter turned the V12’s crankshaft without signs of seizure, but the engine did not start. The test showed it could turn over, not that it was running or roadworthy.
Autoalex, a British YouTuber, bought the 1997 car for £10,000, about €11,500. The Ferrari 456 was a high-speed 2+2 grand tourer, rather than a lightweight sports car, and cost close to £170,000 when new. The purchase price was roughly 5.9% of that original figure, before restoration costs. Dust covered the bodywork, while rodents had made nests inside and left dirt throughout the cabin. A deep clean improved the interior’s appearance; the body was generally well preserved.
The 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 produced about 450 hp when new, and the car has a four-speed automatic gearbox. The engine had previously been rebuilt after a leak, but the repair was left incomplete. Several hoses were missing, while the intake remained partly dismantled with wiring looms disconnected. Scott, a Ferrari specialist who hosts the Ratarossa channel, helped assess the car. With components still disconnected, the starter test could not establish that the engine was ready to run.
The mechanical work extends beyond the engine. The rear hydraulic suspension was leaking, and the shock absorbers were worn; corrosion had also affected lines underneath the car. The braking system needs major repairs as well. Those faults mean the £10,000 purchase price is only part of the cost of returning the Ferrari to the road. No final restoration budget has been given.
CarBuzz describes the automatic 456 GTA as a 436-hp V12 grand tourer and has reported a separate example with about 11,000 miles selling for roughly $65,000. That was a different car, not a direct valuation of Autoalex’s neglected project. The contrast with a proposed manual Bugatti is clear: this project concerns an existing car with unfinished repairs. Autoalex’s first checks offer grounds for hope, but the starter test does not establish that the Ferrari runs.
