www.QV500.com - Ferrari 550 Part 3: 550 Barchetta Pininfarina Speciale 'Rosso'

 
The year 2000 marked Pininfarina’s 70th Anniversary and to celebrate, the Turin carrozzeria built a stunning one-off 550. Often referred to as the 'Rosso' Concept, this most special of show cars was debuted in that June's Turin Salon and is widely considered to be one of the finest coachbuilt Ferrari's since the marque's inception. The Rosso's chassis and engine were taken directly from the 550 Maranello, Pininfarina wrapping the exotic componentry with an exceptional design that evoked memories of sports racing cars from the fifties and sixties.
   

Prominent features were the egg crate grille flanked by two gaping air intakes, the latter having been in much the same style as McLaren's F1, the Ferrari 360 and Porsche 996 Turbo. Heavily stylised headlights rode up the gently rounded front wings, the 485bhp V12 peeking out from underneath the hood like Testa Rossa racers of old. A Speedster-derived wraparound windscreen continued the retro-inspired competition theme and enhanced the Barchetta's ambience, as did streamlined headrests on the rear deck. The side profile revealed 456-esque brake cooling vents carved out from behind each front wheelarch while overly flashy chrome finish five spoke wheels were unique to this car. The taught, simple tail featured a teardrop lighting arrangement and perfectly wrapped up an inspired design.
 
Inside, bucket seats were trimmed in light grey leather, occupants being held in place by four-point harnesses. Matching grey was also used for the door inserts, instrument binnacle and dash while an exquisite competition-style gear shift, cowled instruments and a stylised steering wheel were other distinctive features. Combined with a bright red paint finish and lots of chrome detailing, the cockpit did seem a little garish, however, the appeal of Pininfarina's Barchetta Speciale cannot be diminished for it was and remains the finest Ferrari show car produced for many years.