The Ferrari F550 Barchetta has always been a bit of an oddball, forgotten Ferrari of recent years. The proportions kind of turned me off a bit, with the roll hoops looking a bit out of place and the long rear deck looking, well, a bit too long. Nevertheless, this was based off one of my favorite Ferraris of all time, the F550 Maranello, so I still have a bit of soft spot for these cars. They are compromised, however, as the roof included with the car could only be used up to 70 mph. This Barchetta for sale in California has been modified by the current seller, having the roll hoops taken off and the original racing seats removed for stock F550 Maranello seats. It gives this car a bit more of a tamer, street look.
2001 Ferrari F550 Barchetta
Up for auction is an absolutely stunning 2001 Ferrari Barchetta in Rosso Fiorano with Black Interior and only 8,130 miles. Serial Number 124043. Production Number 065/448. This 550 Barchetta was sold new at Ferrari of Dallas in August 30, 2001. The second owner was from California and in the entertainment industry. He sold it because he did not have time to drive it. Major service was completed in June 2012 at The Auto Gallery, an authorized Ferrari dealership (replacement of timing belts, etc.).
I have always loved the 550 Barchetta. I consider it the ideal modern Ferrari – impeccably made, equipped with modern electronic conveniences, very easy to drive and great for long distances. I would take this over a Daytona Spyder any day. Evidently, I made several modifications to this Barchetta due to personal preferences. I have always hated the big racing seats and the roll bars which visually detract from the smooth and flowing lines of the car. I would look at the roll bars and think the car was waiting to be picked up by a crane. So I took the roll bars out by simply removing 4 bolts and capped off the holes using the same materials which were dyed to match. The seats were replaced with 2 black Ferrari 550 coupe seats which bolted right into the factory holes from the racing seats. Now when you look at the Barchetta your eyes follow the lines of the car from any angle. Nothing was cut in this car so it can go back to stock in 1 hour (the stock seats and roll bars are included in this sale). I also added a Tubi Exhaust to give it that great Ferrari sound.
I know you’ll have questions so please feel free to call me: Rick – 805 218 0606. Please call rather than text. It takes me too long to reply by text or by email.
This is an interesting car because few people have the nerve to modify a Ferrari for fear of devaluing it. I like the fact that the seller removed the roll hoops, but personally, I would have kept the original seats. These open roofed F550s command a bit more money than their hardtop siblings. With low mileage and the desirable 6-speed manual gearbox, this car should bring somewhere around the $150,000 mark, as the range for these cars can range from around $125,000 and edge up close to $200,000. Personally, I'd rather have the beautiful hardtop, but these Barchettas might follow in the legendary Daytona Spyder and see prices reach into the stratosphere in the near future.
-Paul
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