Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina

Why it matters

Revealed at the 2000 Paris Motor Show, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina celebrated the coachbuilder's 70th anniversary and Ferrari's long tradition of open front-engined V12 sports cars. Pininfarina lowered the windscreen by approximately 100 mm, reshaped its surround and replaced the coupé roof with two individual body-colored roll hoops lined in leather and impact-absorbing material. A lightweight manually operated fabric cover was supplied only for emergency use, making this a true barchetta intended primarily for open-air driving. The numbered cockpit plaque carried Sergio Pininfarina's signature, while carbon-fiber-backed sports seats and unique wheels distinguished the interior and exterior. Mechanically, the Barchetta retained the 550 Maranello's 5,474 cc, 65-degree V12, producing 485 hp at 7,000 rpm and driving the rear wheels through a six-speed gated manual transaxle. Its 186-mph top speed and 4.4-second 0–100 km/h performance made it one of the world's fastest open cars. Ferrari built only 448 examples, each individually numbered. By combining uncompromising open-air design with the 550's refined V12 chassis, it became one of the most distinctive limited-production Ferraris of the modern era.