by Thanos Pappas
- An 88-year-old owner is selling his collection after keeping it hidden for several decades.
- A dusty Ferrari 550, BMW M5, and Ford GT were revived to near-showroom condition.
- The wider collection includes rare muscle cars and low-mile classics from past decades.
Owning a vast car collection might sound like the ultimate dream, with endless variety, bragging rights, and a garage that feels like a private museum. The reality, though, is that many of those cars end up sitting untouched for years.
That’s the situation an 88-year-old enthusiast in Newport Beach, California, found himself in, prompting him to part with a few favorites, including three early-2000s icons that look as if they’ve just left the showroom.
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The trio consists of a 2000 Ferrari 550 Maranello, a 2002 BMW M5, and a 2006 Ford GT, all recently consigned to Canadian dealer Silver Arrow Cars. Before their revival, they were photographed under a blanket of dust, but the odometers tell the real story: these machines have barely been driven in decades. And these three are only a glimpse into a collection that also houses a wide mix of coveted classics.
The Ferrari With Barely Any Miles
First in the spotlight is the Ferrari 550 Maranello, finished in a refined Nart Blue with a tan leather cabin. Stored for a quarter of a century, it shows just 564 miles (908 km). A careful detailing brought back the Pininfarina curves to a proper shine, and the car is already bound for its next owner in New York.
With a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V12 producing 478 hp (357 kW / 485 PS), this grand tourer will hopefully get some attention under the hood before being awakened again.
A Time-Capsule BMW M5
Next is the 2002 E39 BMW M5, often regarded as one of the best sports sedans ever built. This example has covered only 4,249 miles (6,838 km) and has remained with its original owner the whole time.
Finished in Carbon Black with a black leather interior and wood trim, it carries a 4.9-liter V8 making 394 hp (294 kW / 400 PS), paired with a six-speed manual that drives the rear wheels. According to Silver Arrow Cars, the M5 has already been sold to a buyer in Colorado.
Ford’s Reborn Supercar
Completing the set is a 2006 Ford GT, the reborn Le Mans legend that put Ford back in the supercar conversation in the early ’00s. This one has never even been registered and shows only 720 miles (1,159 km). Its red paint with white stripes and black interior remains in pristine condition, as if it never left the showroom floor.
As for power, the mid-mounted supercharged 5.4-liter V8 delivers 550 hp (410 kW / 558 PS) through a Ricardo six-speed manual gearbox.
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Beyond these three highlights, photos from the garage reveal rows of cars parked on lifts and tucked into corners. The lineup spans everything from American muscle to quirky collectibles, with standouts like a low-mileage 1973 De Tomaso Pantera, multiple Corvette generations, several Bricklin SV-1s, a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, a Dodge Viper GTS, a Plymouth Prowler, and even a Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup.
Some of these vehicles will surely return to climate-controlled storage, but others may finally see the road again. While keeping classics in near-new condition preserves their value, the hope is that a few of these machines get to stretch their legs and remind their new owners why they were built in the first place.
