Crazy sums for Prancing Horses surprise no one – except, that is, when it comes to paying a small fortune for a California.

Manual Ferraris are clearly becoming increasingly sought after as they are quite rare.

Exclusivity always comes with a high price tag: manual 599s are fetching as much as $682k.

Put this into the equation, and suddenly it makes a bit more sense that this California, with the archetypal chrome gait and three pedals, bwas sold for 393,360 euros (about $438,000) at Artcurial’s Retromobile auction.

This is the last Ferrari ever offered with a manual transmission, and auctioneers claim that this example is only one of five cars ever built. A previous report was saying that only two were ever made but, no matter; it’s still as rare as hen’s teeth.

The only sticking point is the rest of the car. Despite its commercial success, the entry-level Fezza has received lots of flack for its looks and handling that, many say, is not up to Ferrari standards.

Is a California with a stick worth all that money or does the three-pedal nostalgia gone too far with this one?

Images: Artcurial

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