Vehicle Description
Chassis No. ZFFZR52A010124157
From the 250 California to the 365 GTS/4 "Daytona" Spider, Ferrari
has a rich history of building glorious open tourers which trace
their roots back to the firm's early sports racers of the 1940s and
'50s. Many of these works of art were born from the long and
fruitful partnership between Ferrari and Carrozzeria Pininfarina,
the Torinese coachbuilder that, until 2012, was responsible for
sculpting a majority of the marque's landmark models dating back to
1952. In 2000, the Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina joined the
ranks of these exclusive, open-top, front-engine V12 tourers when
it was shown for the first time at that year's Paris Motor Show.
The Barchetta Pininfarina was intended to commemorate the
seventieth anniversary of its coachbuilder, hence Pininfarina in
its name, and was specifically designed to be reminiscent of its
legendary forebears. No small feat.
Pininfarina achieved this by taking the familiar shape of the 550
Maranello and removing the greenhouse, leaving only a traditional,
open-top barchetta-style windscreen nearly five inches shorter than
the that of the coupe. Up front, the 550's long, artful hood and
functional hood scoop remained unchanged, feeding air to the same
48-valve, 5.5-liter V12 producing 485 horsepower found in the
Maranello. Other identifying exterior features of the Barchetta
included its pronounced twin roll hoops behind the cockpit, an
aluminum fuel cap, and Cavallino Rampante fender shields situated
above its five-spoke, two-piece Speedline magnesium alloy wheels.
The similarities to the Maranello continued inside, albeit with
numerous exclusive touches hinting at the model's commemorative
nature. Carbon fiber race seats, optional in the coupe, were
standard in the Barchetta, while the dashboard was trimmed in a
unique black Lorica material. Exposed carbon fiber adorning the
instrument panel, center console, and shift knob, as well as a
plaque bearing the signature of Sergio Pininfarina and the car's
serial number rounded out the exclusive details in the cabin.
The plaque in this particular U.S.-market 2001 Ferrari Barchetta
Pininfarina identifies it as the 179th built in the 448-car limited
production run. Appropriately finished in the classic combination
of Rosso Corsa paintwork over Nero leather-trimmed "large" carbon
fiber bucket seats with optional red contrast stitching, the
original window sticker also lists roll bars trimmed in matching
Nero leather, a fire extinguisher, and a small spare wheel kit
among its optional extras. This example additionally benefits from
the all-important Fiorano Handling Package, a $3,109 option that
bestowed the Barchetta with stiffer springs, red-finished brake
calipers, a thicker rear anti-roll bar, and specially tuned
steering and suspension ECUs.
The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report shows that the car
was initially delivered to Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and
registered to its first owner in September 2001. Subsequent service
history indicates that the car was routinely serviced at its
delivery dealership before moving to the Northeast in the early
2010s, with registration history in Pennsylvania and New York. Its
dutiful maintenance continued at Ferrari Maserati of Long Island in
Plainview, New York, showing just over 3,000 miles in 2011 before
being relocated to Connecticut under new ownership. Over the
following decade, the Ferrari was driven very sparingly while
visiting Wide World of Cars of Spring Valley, New York, on multiple
occasions for preventative maintenance. Most recently, on 17 May
2024, the Barchetta was treated to a major-engine out service which
encompassed replacing the timing belt, drive belts, and fluids. At
the time of cataloging the car has traveled a single mile since the
service, and shows just 3,530 original miles.
Cosmetically, this Barchetta is offered in immaculate condition.
The Rosso Corsa paintwork is lustrous, complemented by its
supremely clean two-piece magnesium alloy wheels mounted with
Continental ExtremeContact tires. Inside, there is no evidence of
"sticky buttons" or dashboard shrinkage common in Ferraris of the
era, and the exclusive Alcantara-like Lorica material lining the
dashboard and transmission tunnel remains soft to the touch. All of
the car's original accessories are likewise present and in
excellent condition, including two keys and three key fobs, books
and radio codes in their leather folio, car cover, spare wheel and
tire, tire inflator, jack kit, tool kit, and manual soft top in its
storage bag. These items are also accompanied by the car's original
window sticker, as well as a coveted Ferrari Classiche "Red Book"
issued in October 2013 - the ultimate seal of approval on a highly
original example such as this.
This 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is not only a celebration of
Ferrari's superb open-top V12 tourers of the past, but also
represents one of the last open-top, front-engine V12 production
cars equipped with a six-speed manual transmission ever built by
the marque. Save for the 575 Superamerica, this spectacular
limited-edition Barchetta signified the last opportunity to
experience the clink of the steel gearshift lever striking the
aluminum shift gate while taking in the full bore of the howling
V12 exhaust note from the open cabin. This Classiche-certified
example, with its incredibly low original mileage, timeless color
combination, and enviable cosmetic and mechanical condition, is
likely the finest investment-grade example of the model currently
on offer anywhere in the world.
