What is the experience of 550 Barchetta owners or lucky individuals who have driven one of these cars? 1) Does anyone actually drive them regularly or are they all sitting waiting to become "collectible". 2) Do drivers over 6'2" have any line of sight problems with the lowered windshield? 3) Does anyone have inside knowledge that would lead them to believe that they will offer a true spyder or convertible in the 575 replacement that will be the definitive front engine V12 since the daytona? 4) If you had $270K would anyone think of putting it toward this car vs. a more vintage car or a nice 550/575 and something else? I saw the pozzi blue one at BJ auction last week and thought it was beautiful...seems like an appealing combination of open air driving and the GT strengths of the 550. Finally, what prices have you heard them actually selling for? Anyone familiar with the cars at Los Gatos or San Francisco. I have a 550 but am finding a need for back seat for my 3, 4 yo boys and will probably buy a 456 very soon...then i wonder about making the 550 choice completly a toy for dry driving only...i don't care about temperature...i'd take that barchetta any day i could. If one were to put a lot of mile >15K or so in 5 yrs, would that seriously hurt resale? or do you all think they are heading south anyway? thanks for any thoughts
ccr2002, There is actually a guy down in Provo that drives his 550 Barchetta all the time during the spring/summer/fall. MJG
As for number four I would say never invest in a new Ferrari. If you love the car and have the money then go ahead, but from what I've heard if your looking of earning money and owning the car for less then 30 yrs don't consider it. But I've seen the example your talking about and if status is any question let me say you will be on top of the world! I didn't get to sit in it seeing how the last time I got to visit my local Ferrari dealership it was closed (yes, it takes that long to get there, lol). Good luck with your perchase.
I certainly would not expect to make any money...it's just nice to not lose one's shirt every now and then when buying and selling a car. Some classics i think are probably fairly stable?...275s, lussos, daytona spiders, 330 gtc...i wonder if the barchetta will be like these one day.
I had one, fresh from Ferrari, # 66/448, was the featured car in R&T, cover of Forza, etc. Loved the car, couldn't stand the fact that the top was a joke. If that doesn't matter to you, go for it. They are a choice GT cruiser, a bit hefty, but hey, you have a 550, so you know what i mean. The car had a better interior finish than my 550 coupe, and performed better too. (Not top speed, but the engine seemed to have more low down torque, and the gear box was smoother). As to value, forget it. These cars are still plummeting. I got creamed when i got rid of mine, partly because the blush was already off perceived value, and partly because, at the time, mine was possibly the highest mileage one on the planet. (i put 6,000 miles on it in two years, not a big deal, but look at the average mileage listed for these things in FML-most of them are queens). Bottom line-buy it cause you wanna drive it, not for any other reason. (And enjoy....)
Never "invest" in a car... any exceptions to constant depreciation are purely whimsical. Always assume depreciation. Always assume that the higher-priced the car and the newer the car, the faster it will depreciate. Sooo, if the question is, if you're going to spend $270K on a car, will a newer 550 Barchetta depreciate faster than an older car. By the rules above, assume yes. The exception will be if you end up overpaying for an old car that is at a whimsical high. So, which would I buy? Whichever one sounded like more fun to own and drive. There are definitely some older quarter-mill cars that are FAR MORE appealing to me than the 550 Barchetta... but then the opposite is also true. Not sure that was too helpful. My advice: You're about to tie up $270K and likely lose quite a bit in depreciation... pick the car that will maximize the fun and enjoyment you get for that cost... Do you like to track? do you like to concorso? do you like to take long drives and want higher reliability? do you like to work on your own cars? do you like the sound of carbs or injectors? of 8s or 12s? IOW, this is about YOU, not about investment or Fchatters preferences. My 2 lire.
$270 for a Barchetta is too high. My friend sold his Barchetta last year. It had 7K miles. He tried to sell it outright to numerous Ferrari dealers but no one wanted the car. He finally sold the car to a wholesale dealer for $225K.
A friend just bought a 550 Barchetta 2 weeks ago. He's already looking to get rid of it. Here's why: 1) He hates the lowered windshield line. 2) The seat belt hits him in a bad spot, which is uncomfortable. 3) He's already hit 3rd gear several times by accident, when he was meaning to hit 5th gear. 4) The car feels heavy and generally like the older platform that it is. On the plus side, he said women love the car. He had it in Palm Beach at Cavallino and apparently was asked for a ride several times from very attractive young ladies!
i have no experience with the car other than having seen it a few times, and initially lusting after it and doing a lot of internet shopping for decent tops. but now frankly i wouldn't bother, unless you loved it and even then i would wait for the prices to keep dropping - everybody i know that owns one is trying to sell it ! it is just too inconvenient with that stupid top. ferrari really missed the chance to make a fantastic convertible and thereby extend the reign of the 550-575 line- i bet if they had made a useable ragtop, they would not be having trouble moving the 575 at the moment. all this imho.
Just out of curiosity, what is the "issue" with the top on these cars? Is it a manual, is it just a poor fit up problem, or is it something else that gives owners heartburn? Thanks John
I think owners find : The car ugly with the top up. A pain in the ass to put the top on. And with the top on, the car cant excede 75 mph ... I dont care ..i love the car too much
I am 6'1" and had no problem fitting in one. As for the top. It takes an hour to fit the top and you cant go over 70mph with the top on. An option which makes the 550 Barchetta more appealing as a regular driver would be a hardtop. There are many aftermarket companies that manufacter them.
I would say that #3 is a problem that may follow him from car to car and is not Barchetta related. I was once in a 550 with someone who got 3rd instead of 5th and he almost killed me. I have no idea how he jammed it in there and I think the slight delay in the shift enabled him to get 3rd and release the clutch. Scared the crap out of me and the ASR system is A.O.K in my prayer book. We were on a raised highway and I imagined a Titanio Torpedo right over the side but I think I saved us by grabbing the sides of my seat hard enough to leave permanent marks. The Ferrari gods would not let me die as a passenger with someone who couldn't drive and for that I continue to pray at the alter of the gated shifter.
Buy one cheap then send the car to Milan for the Pavesi convertible top installation. By the way, the Pavesi convertible topic comes up once in a while, so I suggest new board members to do a search here and on the old site.
all of these reasons are very personal and subjective to that one person. i love the 550 barchetta, not only stylistically, but the meaning behind the design. it was made to be a truely open air car to resemble the 166MM barchetta; the car that made ferrari. its awsome because you're totally out in the elements and stuck there. similar to riding a motorcycle. make sure that you know one thing about the 550 barchetta.....its not the most practictal car nor the best performing, but what it really is (in my eyes), is ferrari demonstrating their connection to their rich history of automotive design. they could have easily made a spyder which im sure would have had amazing sales. but they didnt sell out with the 550 barchetta, they made it to stay connected to traditional ferrari design. i think it would be awsome though if they made a 575 spyder....i have to go watch some ferrari DVDs to get it out of my system. i will definately own a 550 barchetta someday
by the way...it is possible that ferrari made the top so difficult to use and impractical because they didnt want people driving around with the top on all the time. and considering that u cant go faster than 70 with it on, that just adds to the fact. it doesnt look great with the top on anyway...i remember seeing a red 550 barchetta on the A1 between milan and venice a few months after it debuted. oohh sooo sweet
