When this 599 GTB rolled off the assembly line in Maranello in 2012, it marked the end of an era. This very car, chassis number 187007, is said to be the last manual gearbox-equipped 599 GTB completed by Ferrari, and thus, the final Ferrari to be fitted with a manual gearbox.

Since the introduction of the F1-equipped F355 in 1997, production had been steadily moving in favour of the automated manual gearboxes. Following the full 550 Maranello production run being exclusively fitted with the manual gearbox, only 246 manual gearbox-equipped 575M Maranellos were built alongside 43 manual-equipped 575 Superamericas, culminating in only 30 manual gearbox-equipped 599 GTBs leaving the factory. Ever-decreasing shift times and increasing ease of use alongside Ferrari’s hugely successful Formula One team meant that Ferrari’s customers wanted out with the old and in with the new. Such was the enthusiasm for these new gearboxes that when Ferrari quietly offered the new California with a manual gearbox, it is said that only three cars of the entire production run were fitted with a manual gearbox.

Despite the significance of the moment, no fanfare was made about the production of this car, as monumental as it was. Even though Ferrari was a company that always looked to its past for inspiration, when the curtain was closed on this chapter of its history, they didn’t look back. Accordingly, the VIP original owner of this particular car knew it was an important moment, both for himself and for Ferrari. It is said that this car was delivered alongside two other right-hand-drive 599 GTBs fitted with manual gearboxes, all sold new to three Hong Kong VIP clients who collected the cars at the factory and were hand-delivered by then-chairman of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo, with champagne on hand. Montezemolo signed the door sill of this particular car, in addition to it being enshrined with a plaque affixed to the rear parcel shelf reading “THE FINAL 599 GTB MANUAL”.

Finished in Canna di Fucile over a Cuoio leather interior, this 599 GTB’s specification exudes sporting sophistication, befitting of a car marking the end of an era. The interior is awash in carbon fibre options, including the carbon fibre dashboard, steering wheel, door panels, and door sills. To contrast the Cuoio interior, the carpets, steering wheel, interior A-pillars, upper dashboard, and Daytona inserts are trimmed in charcoal leather. Furthermore, the roof lining and parcel shelf are trimmed in quilted charcoal Alcantara. Adding to its allure is the presence of the HGTE package. Led by an extensively upgraded suspension, the package lowered ride height by almost half an inch through stiffer springs and a sturdier rear anti-roll bar, while also featuring a retuned exhaust, lightweight rims, and an upgraded gearbox which dropped shifting times to an astounding 85 milliseconds, helping to bridge the gap between the 599 GTB and its high performance siblings; the 599XX and 599 GTO.

Shortly after it was delivered to Hong Kong, the 599 GTB was shipped to the owner’s home in Japan where it was registered and kept for the ensuing years. Used and enjoyed alongside his other significant Ferraris, including one of the three manual-gearbox Californias, the car was driven during Ferrari’s Cavalcade International in November of 2016, which included more than seventy Ferraris participating, starting in Kyoto and sampling some of Japan’s greatest roads over the following three days. Earlier that year, the car was involved in a minor accident, which resulted in the replacement of the left front fender. This work was carried out by Nicole Competizione, the official Ferrari dealership in Yokohama, prior to the car being driven in the Cavalcade. Further to this, service invoices from Nicole Competizione in 2016, 2017, and 2019 are on file, in addition to its original manuals, including the original service book, as well as the Italian registration plates used for its factory delivery.

More recently, the 599 GTB has been imported to the United Kingdom where it is road-registered and ready to be driven and enjoyed. An annual service was carried out by H.R. Owen South London, in addition to fixing the sticky interior buttons and switches, in early October 2025, ensuring that the car is ready to be driven and enjoyed by its next caretaker. Presently the car is showing just under 6,600 km from new.

Just thirteen short years after this 599 GTB was completed, manual gearbox-equipped 599 GTBs have become the epitome of a 21st-century collectable in the constant search for analog thrills in today’s increasingly digital market. The rise in value of these cars ten years ago paved the way for today’s increasing desirability of manual gearbox-equipped competitors like the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, the Aston Martin DBS, and even the resurgence in manual gearboxes being fitted to new cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, S/T, the Pagani Utopia, and the Koenigsegg CC850. It is difficult to think of a significant Ferrari built thus far into the 21st century and thus, needless to say, it would stand proud in any collection worldwide.