Ferrari 550 (2001)

-Only 28,295 Miles From New
-1 of 448 Produced Worldwide
-V-12 Engine With Gated Manually Shifted 6-Speed Transmission
-Grigio Alloy Exterior With Black Leather Interior

For a sports car to be considered a grand tourer, it must have a few essential elements. These include a powerful engine mounted at the front, a comfortable interior and ride for long journeys, and for the power to be sent to the rear wheels. In the past, Ferrari has gotten the grand touring recipe just right with cars like the 250 Lusso, 275, and Daytona, which were all nothing short of automotive masterpieces. However, those cars all came about during the 1960's and early 70's, so was Ferrari still able to get it right come the new millennia?

The answer is yes, as the 550 serves as a perfect example of the Italian auto-manufacturers ability to preserve the qualities that made their earlier road cars so great while adapting them to the context of modern grand touring. The Ferrari 550 made its debut to the market in 2000 offered in a coupe, the Maranello, and a limited production roadster variant, the 550 Barchetta. Introduced at the 2000 Paris, a mere 448 of the Pininfarina designed roadsters were produced making them extremely rare.

The example on offer is a 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta, chassis number ZFFBV55A220128463, which has traveled 28,269 miles from new. This Ferrari is a very presentable, driver quality California car finished in Grigio Alloy. The Carfax report indicates this example has never been in any accidents and that there are no mileage discrepancies.

Cosmetically, the car shows quite well with no significant issues to be found. The paint is presentable, shines nicely, and has a consistent finish throughout. It is to be noted that this example has had the front bumper resprayed and an area on the driver side door touched up as well. Given the miles, one can assume that the bumper most likely incurred enough speckling and stone chips from routine road use that it warranted the refinishing. Regarding the door, it is believed that more than likely there was a clearance issue at some point and the owner at the time had an “oops” moment.

There are no real dents, serious chips, or flaws to be noted when looking over the car. On either side of the painted side skirts, when viewed at the right angle there are a few shallow dings but nothing significant. The 5-spoke wheels are technically incorrect for the car but they suit this 550 Barchetta nicely, and unless one would like to invest almost $20k in factory correct OEM wheels, they will do just fine.

Entering the interior shows nicely kept door jams with minimal wear for the miles. The seats are in great shape having incurred no serious marks of use. The bolsters are firm and free of creases. The dash shows very well with no sticky knobs, switches, or surfaces and no sign of pulling or cracking. Each of the door panels is in excellent condition as well, having only minimal scratching on the driver's side from operating the tricky emergency brake. There is a slight bit of wear to the area of the driver's side door handle and window switch regulator, most likely from normal usage. It should be noted there is some substantial wear to the emergency brake boot area, likely incurred when trying to fumble to apply the notoriously tricky hand brake.

The center console and gauge surround appear to be in good working order as well as showing fantastically. There is a slight scratch on the central gauge cluster, more than likely from someone attempting to zero the trip odometer. It is to be noted the original radio has been swapped for an aftermarket OEM unit. Otherwise, the interior represents a very well-kept example with nothing out of place and a great place to spend the day on the open road.

The operation of this 550 Barchetta is flawless. Everything works as expected and the car runs and drives beautifully. The car starts instantly, revs free and quickly, the clutch engages easily with proper take up and grab and the gear shifts are done without much effort. The brakes operate well with no vibration or squeaking, and the car handles as intended by Ferrari. There are no noticeable squeaks or rattles. The car feels very solid and dialed in and will make an excellent driver for the next owner.

Between the open top good looks, the viscerally thrilling click of the gated shifter, and the beautiful melody from the Italian tuned exhaust, this 550 Barchetta provides a plethora of excitement for the senses. Given the extremely limited production and rarity of the 550 Barchetta and the fact that it is one of the last open top, manual, front engine, V12 Ferraris produced, it possesses a lot of future market potential.

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