Presented by Mecum Auctions – 2001 marked the 70th anniversary of Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina and 50 years of its close partnership with Ferrari. To celebrate these historic milestones, the two Italian automotive titans collaborated on the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, a car specifically designed to recall such legendary Ferraris as the 166 MM, the 250 GT California and the 365 GTS/4 Daytona. Only 448 were produced, each one bearing a numbered plaque designed and signed by Sergio Pininfarina.
Based on the 550 Maranello, the Barchetta was designed in the mold of the classic front-engined V-12 Ferrari sports roadster. To that end, the Maranello’s aluminum roof gave way to a traditional-style cut-down windscreen that is almost 5 inches lower than the coupe’s. Twin upholstered roll hoops provide stylish passenger protection without intruding on the car’s sleek silhouette. There is no folding convertible top; just a manually fitted add-on soft top for emergency use. The Barchetta retains the 550’s all-alloy 65-degree V-12, a 5.5L 4-cam masterpiece rated at 485 HP at 7,600 RPM, and its manually shifted 6-speed transmission. That car’s ventilated 4-wheel disc brakes, Bosch ABS and limited-slip differential are also kept.
No. 4 of the 448 produced, the 550 Barchetta offered here from the Steve Todhunter Collection was delivered new to Ferrari of Long Island in New York with the optional Fiorano handling package, which includes Brembo brake pads in red-painted brake calipers, special front and rear springs and shocks, a larger-diameter rear sway bar, modified power steering ECU and special alignment specifications. Its Rosso Corsa paint and modular alloy wheels are complemented nicely with the sharp beige Connolly leather interior that emphasizes the Barchetta’s sporting nature with large but firmly bolstered racing buckets, the famous gated shifter, suede-like Lorica fabric on the instrument bezel to eliminate glare, and automatic climate control. A fire extinguisher in a sleeve of Connolly leather clearly demonstrates the attention to detail. Showing just 1,507 miles after a major service by Scottsdale Ferrari in June 2019, No. 4 in this exclusive series is offered complete with documentation and accessories.
This vehicle will be auctioned off at Mecum Auctions’ Glendale 2021 event (March 18-20).
