The F Word: Ramsay sells supercar

01 June 2009

by Adrian Hearn / PA

Gordon Ramsay has told how he had to sell his Ferrari to help put his restaurant empire back on track.

The celebrity chef said the company expanded too quickly and blamed its problems on his own ambitions.

Ramsay and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson, with whom he runs Gordon Ramsay Holdings, sank £5 million of their own money into the company and used the cash to pay off debt and most of around £7 million in outstanding taxes.

Ramsay told the Sunday Times: "It's been very painful. It's taken several million pounds of my own money but I'm still standing."

He reportedly said of selling his sports car: "God, I loved that Ferrari."

Cars Gordon Ramsay has owned

It�s unknown which Ferrari the Kitchen Nightmares star sold, but he�s well-known for his fondness of the luxury Italian marque.

In the past Ramsay, 42, has owned a string of the supercars with a Ferrari F430, Ferrari 612 and Ferrari 599 among his most recent models. He bought himself the £170,000 599 to celebrate turning 40.

In 2003 he bought a Ferrari 575 Maranello which replaced a 550 he bought in 2001 after being awarded his third Michelin star.

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He�s also owned a Range Rover Sport, Mercedes ML, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Audi Q7 and a Porsche 911.

Ramsay has appeared on Top Gear twice as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car and is currently fifth in the standings, behind Jay Kay, Kevin McCloud, Simon Cowell and Jennifer Saunders.

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