Co-owner of a film and television vehicle rental business with his father, Charlie Graovac has always had a passion for cars. Although he was never a fan of shows or meets, he slightly modified some of his previous vehicles.
Although Charlie has never driven a Ferrari, it has long been his dream to buy himself one for his 30th birthday and then customize it to suit his style.
Initially, Charlie had his eye on a classic Maranello model and was specifically looking for a 348. However, he soon discovered that Ferraris from the ’80s often had typical problems that could prevent him from enjoying the car as much as he wanted. So Charlie set his sights on the F360, an early ’00s model that combines analogue and modern features.
But while on holiday abroad, Charlie was browsing the classifieds online and came across something even better – a low-mileage F430 F1 Berlinetta in Nero Daytona Black with a bespoke white leather interior. He decided then and there that this would be his first real Project car and carried out the purchase.
A few days later, Charlie’s wife Charlotte took delivery of the F430 from Car Audio & Security in London. A plan was hatched – the Ferrari would be modified and Charlie would see it for the first time when it was ready in time for his 30th birthday.
The build was originally going to be limited to air suspension and wheels, but quickly evolved into something much bigger when Charlie met Jimmy Pearman from Liberty Walk EU, who showed him what could be achieved with some LB-Works improvements.
Over eight months, the Ferrari underwent a dramatic transformation with Liberty Walk’s full LB-Works F430 Ver.2 body kit, which added front, side and rear diffusers and a ducktail spoiler in addition to the fenders. The finishing touches were Morimoto LED taillights before Colourkraft in Northamptonshire completed the job with a full paint correction and Petronas Green accents.
Rotiform wheels originally graced the car, but Charlie has replaced these with a set of custom 6AD Forged 2.55 wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan semi-slicks. To keep the Ferrari sitting just right, the suspension uses Prazi air struts controlled by Air Lift Performance 3H Management.
A beautiful looking custom exhaust system from Deutsch Tech lets the F430’s Ferrari F136 E 4.3-liter V8 engine really rev up. But when Charlie isn’t going full throttle, he can enjoy a full JL Audio sound system.
For a bit of fun, there is a comic by Jonny Fyvie on the inside of the trunk lid. The Simpsons and alludes to Ferrari’s legendary cease and desist orders and the “destruction” of a collector’s car.
Although Charlie has owned a Ferrari for nine months, he did not see his purchase until he saw it in all its Liberty Walk glory on his “Three Zero” Birthday – just as planned.
Having met Charlie and Charlotte at Risenation in Belgium earlier this year, I was amazed to hear that they regularly drive the Ferrari to events around Europe. This has definitely sparked a passion.
During our shoot, Charlie revealed plans for a winter version of the car and hinted that he’ll be racing in icy conditions early next year, so keep your eyes peeled; we might see more of this widebody Ferrari soon.
Collin Tiemens
Instagram: collinclicksphotos
