The very first Ferrari was an open-air car, and every Spider to
wear the Prancing Horse since has carried that same spirit: pure
sportiness and the unfiltered thrill of driving beneath an open
sky. The F355 Spider is a vivid expression of that heritage. Its
Pininfarina lines are as purposeful as they are beautiful, refined
over some 1,800 hours of wind-tunnel testing. This two-seat
convertible also made history of its own as the first Ferrari with
an electrically operated semi-automatic soft top, letting the
driver trade a closed cockpit for open-air exhilaration in moments.
At its heart lies a 3.5-liter V8 delivering 375 horsepower, paired
with a six-speed manual transmission, while Ferrari's F1
paddle-shift transmission was the major innovation of the era,
fitted to numerous examples from 1997.
Manufactured in November 1995, this Rosso Corsa example with
Connolly Pelle Beige was specified with the highly desirable gated
manual transmission, a single-disc CD player, and an alarm system.
A US specification example, it was sold new through official
Ferrari dealer Wide World of Cars in Spring Valley, New York, and
first registered in June 1996.
Accompanied by a comprehensive history file documenting its service
history, which even includes the original purchase invoice, the car
was regularly serviced by its original dealer through 1999, by
which time it had covered 16,470 miles. Its second owner, in New
Jersey, had it serviced by Classic Coach Repair in Elizabeth,
including substantial work in 2002 involving the head gaskets,
timing belts, clutch, and valve stem seals. Thereafter, the car
continued to receive regular care, primarily from Ferrari
Philadelphia. The F355 subsequently made its way out west, where it
was serviced by Ferrari Service of Costa Mesa, California, and
Earth Motorcars based in Texas.
Most recently, in July 2026, the car benefited from approximately
$16,000 in major service work performed by Ferrari specialists
Blackhorse Motorsports in Newbury Park, California. This major
engine-out service included replacement of the timing belts,
tensioners, and idler bearings, replacement of the engine oil and
filter, flushing and refilling of all fluids; and installation of a
full set of spark plugs. The air-conditioning system and
water-temperature gauge and sender were also replaced, and new hood
support struts were fitted.
Further work was carried out in August by FMS SoCal in Van Nuys,
including restoration of the hydraulic soft-top system and
replacement of the right-side fan relay. The flywheel was repacked,
the instrument-cluster rheostat was repaired, the parking-brake
cover was recovered, and the trunk-release handle and cable were
removed and replaced. The car also received four new tires.
Showing just 38,258 miles on the odometer at cataloging, with a
thoroughly documented history including a clean CARFAX report, and
benefiting from substantial work recently completed, this
attractive F355 Spider presents an appealing opportunity to
experience the open-air Ferrari driving experience with the
characterful combination of a V8 engine and-perhaps above all
else-a sporting gated manual transmission.
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