Buying a Ferrari 550

Filip- Welcome to FChat. Beige steering wheels and dash were factory options and beige was one of the standard interior colors for the 550. Ferrari has never made public the numbers of each option that were fitted to their cars of this vintage. Someone who keeps a private data base may be able to give you a rough estimate, but that would be about as good as you could do.

Here is a UK option list for the 550 showing all the Scaglietti options. Should be the same for your B VIN Euro model.


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Filip- Your money, your choice. Lower mileage is usually easier to resell.

 

What would be the price of a 550 with over 60k miles taken care of and 6 speed?
I'm not finding cars available and I wonder if it's way more expensive than a 456 6 speed (I guess so but no idea how much more)

 

Buy the one you like. Miles matter little. Put a ton on yourself and enjoy.
Your wife will enjoy the outcome as mine does.

I get a UUUGE boner every time I drive my 550.

(Disclaimer, I’ve been drinking tonight as I had an event to go to).

 

Leonardo- All the 550s have three pedals and 6 speeds. F1 was not available until the 575M and only the 456 and 456M were available with automatics.

 

oops didn't realize it, thanks for the answer

 

I didn't know that, I thought the F1 was an option, good to know it's not the case.
Thanks!

 

However in the 550's dashboard warning lights there is a warning light for F1 gearbox failure and relay "S" which is for" F1 Gearbox control ECU".

The warning light has no bulb and the "S" relay has no connection to the car's wiring harness.

 

Right !!!!

 

Dave- They did one or two prototype 550s with F1 similar to the set-up on the late F355s, but decided to wait for the 575M and its digital throttle before implementing F1 on the Maranello. Those one or two prototypes were likely returned to 3 pedals, brought up to production standards, and sold at a discount through a favored Italian dealer. Here is a really poor photo of an F1 550 prototype. Need to run down the original source of this image.


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Gosh!!! What I wouldn’t give for that car....

 

Jeff- All the preproduction 575Ms, 123761, 123764, and 123765 were treated that way. So I assume the 550 prototypes were too. Normally, they are indistinguishable from production models after going back through the assembly line, except for very early serial numbers. One of the three 575M prototypes did get a new engine and new assembly number.

Ferrari was not about to throw away a Maranello that could bring them hard cash.

 

Taz,the image above was from CAR magazine in either 1996 or 97.

 

Haroon- Thanks, that one I have not had access to since I left the UK the last time in 1991. 1997 is when the 355 F1 was introduced, so the timing would be about right.

 

Not sure if i still have it in my “collection” but i remember it like it was yesterday...!

 

Yes that image was from my CAR magazine collection on the 550, I remember posting it in a similar thread a few years back when Taz was similarly enlightening new posters on the 550. I will try and find the article when I am back in the UK. In 1995-6 the word being leaked to journalists by Maranello was that the 550 would get a F1 a couple of years into production, like the 355 did, but it never happened, instead waited til the 575. No idea why.

 

Darius- I think it was because of the electronic throttle due in the 575M. Made it a whole lot easier to implement. The relatively torqueless 355 was probably ok with limited rev matching due to lack of throttle authority, but it may have been much easier to feel in the 550's big, torquey V12.

 

I would say out of personal taste and perception that a unusual spec’ed 550 is more attractive than a «normal» one. The more odd and crazy it is, the better.... Good luck on your new car. And since you live in Europe, you can go fast on the Autobahn. A great experience when it sprints past 300 kph. and doesn’t stop until you see 325 or so.

 

I really like this interior. Go agead and buy