It is one of the world’s most desirable cars, available only to Ferrari’s ‘most loyal and passionate’ customers.
So millionaire England footballer Frank Lampard must have seemed the perfect choice as a celebrity owner of the new £252,000 F12berlinetta.
But the Italian firm was less than delighted when the car turned up on a second-hand dealership’s website within days of its delivery – with a £78,000 mark-up.
Lampard’s agent, Steve Kutner, says he bought the car himself at the end of last month, and that the footballer’s name appeared on the paperwork in error.
However, he denies trying to make money off a quick turnaround, and claims he sold it on to someone else, who then sold it to a dealer.
The F12, which accelerates to 62mph in 3.1 seconds and has been hailed as the fastest Ferrari ever, was named supercar of the year by the BBC’s Top Gear programme.
Just 800 will be sold this year, of which 10 per cent will come to the UK.
Mysteriously, within days of the first right-hand drive model being sold in Britain by London dealer HR Owen.
It was advertised for sale as the star second-hand buy on the website of Tom Hartley, a Derbyshire-based car-dealer with a reputation for helping the super-rich jump waiting lists for the world’s most desirable vehicles. The asking price was £330,000.
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The F12 in question was ordered in Lampard’s name using the footballer’s London address in Chelsea, which he shares with his TV host fiancee, Christine Bleakley.
Lampard’s name and address were on the original invoice, delivery and registration documents. The Mail has also established that Mr Kutner arranged payment and delivery through his football management company.
Sleek: The Ferrari F12berlinetta pictured on the second-hand dealership's website, was bought by Frank Lampard's agent in the footballers name
However, Mr Kutner, who was formerly married to Sky News presenter Kay Burley, told the Mail he had placed the order for the F12 in his own name, paid for it, and driven it away from the dealership, insisting: ‘Frank knew nothing about it and has not driven it.
'We order lots of our cars through HR Owen. They made a mistake. I ordered the car in my name.’
Another fan: Lampard's agent Steve Kutner claims he was the original buyer of the F12berlinetta
He said that after driving the Ferrari for about 100 miles over seven days he decided he did not like it, and sold it on to a third party.
He said they, not he, sold the car to Tom Hartley. HR Owen declined to comment.
A Ferrari spokesman said: ‘Our official dealers have identified the most loyal and passionate clients who would normally expect to receive the first cars which arrive in the market.
'Our dealers know their client base on a personal one-on-one basis, as befits a luxury premium brand like Ferrari.’
Ferrari said it could not discuss its relationship with individual customers, but stressed that it was ‘impossible that a dealer would make an error attributing ownership of a £250,000 car to a third party by mistake’.
Mr Kutner, however, insisted that a mistake had been made.
The Tom Hartley dealership refused to say who sold the F12, and how much it cost.
But when pressed, boss Tom Hartley Junior admitted: ‘The first owner of the car was Frank Lampard.’
Lampard is a long-standing Ferrari fan.
He has been seen driving many models, including the £175,000 458 Italia, the £180,000 599 GTB Fiorano, and the £202,000 Scuderia Spider 16M.
Lampard’s solicitors did not respond to requests for comment.
Sneak peak: An interior photograph of the F12berlinetta from the dealership's website
Frank-ly clueless: The engine of the Ferrari which Frank Lampard's agent claims the footballer knows nothing about - despite the fact that it was ordered int he footballer's name
Up for grabs: The car is up for sale by second-hand dealership Tom Hartley, who are selling it for £330,000
WILL IT FIT IN MY GARAGE? FERRARI F12BERLINETTA
Style: 2-door, two-seater coupe
Length: 15ft 2 inches
Width: 6ft 4 inches
Height: 4ft 2 inches
Seats: 2
Top speed: 212 mph
Acceleration:
0-62mph:3.1 seconds
0-124mph: 8.5 seconds
Engine: 6.3 litre ( 6262cc) V12 naturally aspirated.
Engine positioned ‘mid front’ – that is in front of the driver but behind the front axle, for better balance.
Power: 740 horse-power – more than seven Ford Fiestas.
Weight: 1.525 tonnes
CO2 emissions: 350g/km
Fuel consumption: Average 18.8mpg (thanks to stop-start system which cuts engine at idle.)
Gears: 7-speed automatic dual clutch with F1-style paddles on steering wheel for manual override.
Extras fitted to car: carbon-fibre racing seats, special stitching, carbon fibre steering wheel with LEDs, yellow instrument dial, satellite navigation, reversing camera, high power hi-fi system, alcantara headlining trim, ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ shields.
Technology:
Lightweight super-strong space-frame chassis and body-shell uses 12 different alloys and new bonding techniques to make it ‘stiffer.’
Advanced aerodynamics to reduce drag resistance, including an ‘aero bridge’ that channels air away from upper part of car to its flanks.
Special ‘active brake cooling’ which opens air vents when brakes get too hot, but closes them to keep aerodynamic integrity when they are cool.