550 Barchetta Plaque

Carbon- Affirmative, there were 448 Barchettas built, of which 42 were RHD for the UK. I did not realize they numbered them separately for the RHD versions. Wonder if that means the ROW Barchettas were 1-406?

 

RHD Barchetta's are numbered within the total 448. Eg 197/448

http://www.dicklovett.co.uk/photos/Z/ZFF/ZR5/2C0/001/241/ZFFZR52C000124175/ZFFZR52C000124175-013_1024x768.jpg

ROW= rest of world.

 

All Barchettas were sold with two different plaques.
The one in the photo is on the RH end of the dash for RHD, centre console on the LHD. This one tells the car sequence number /448 so there can be no additional numbers. All cars are listed by production sequence under the one numbering system. All prototypes (9) have chassis numbers but no sequence numbers. Total production 457 including prototypes and pre production cars (448 sequenced and 9 prototypes).
The second plaque commemorates the 2000 F1 Manufacturers Championship and has the cars chassis number engraved on it (LHS of dash on RHD cars).
The cars have the usual 550 under bonnet Assembly No and depending on country, a compliance plate.
I understand all 448 Barchettas were pre sold without advertising - just to preferred customers from the dealers so the production run was known before production began. There were no dealer demos and no "press" cars. Each car also came with a personally signed letter to the original owner from the MD of Ferrari and a set of helmets to the size specified by the original owner.
I gather the 575 SA all have the same plaque, 1 of (558?). They did not have a specific sequence number.
If anyone has better knowledge or info please chip in. The above is the info I have and what is on my car.

 

Carbon- The number 42 refers specifically to those imported into the UK as C spec cars and does not include all RHD Barchettas to other nations, like any D spec cars for Australia. Many of your 15 Australia numbers are likely imported from the UK and you can check the VIN to see. At one point Maranello Concessionaires had dominion over just about all the RHD cars for the Commonweath, but that stopped at some time unknown to me. Around 2004, Maranello Concessionaires was purchased by Penske's parent company and split into separate sales, service and parts entities. Our most reliable source of production numbers for Ferraris slowly died after that.

On the Superamerica, at least early production or preproduction models had "Limited Production 559" on the plaque, visible in the sales brochure.

 

Carbon- Sounds like there were at least 57 RHD Barchettas, probably more.

 

Carbon- Only number I have seen is 448 and the 42 for C Spec cars, which I assume were part of the 448.

 

Carbon/ Taz,
From the info I have, and it is not perfect, there were 44 RHD UK, 12 RHD Aust and 6 RHD of unknown location originally. I am sure some have migrated, likely in all directions as exchange rates yo-yo. I am not keeping a list of them but have seen various files.
I have subsequently found that 3 of the unknowns went to Australia (ties in with Carbon's 15). Another was misquoted and is actually LHD so really 2 RHD non UK/ Aust. Goodness knows how many other inaccuracies. 42 is often quoted as the number of RHD that entered the UK. Maranello Concessionaires were also not above selling cars into different locations. I have a "D" spec car (Aust) that was sold new in the UK ("C" spec location), now back in the land of sunshine, so the numbers can be misleading.
The number 448 is sacrosanct as the cars are individually numbered and I don't know of any being sawn in half then cloned, any rechassised with the old chassis rebodied and called original, or any duplicates. Please post if there are any.
Which ever way you cut it there are not many of them and I would be interested in the factory produced number of RHD.
Happy New Year everyone.

 

I do not believe the helmets were available to USA clients.

 

Carbon,
I have 162/448 and don't worry, the steering wheel is on the RIGHT side!

 

Does anyone know if vin numbers on the Barchetta go up in sequence with the 'plaque' number?
What I'm getting at is the VIN chassis number on, say, Barchetta number 100/448, 10 higher than Barchetta 90/448, or were the VIN numbers randomly assigned when the car went into build?

For reference, my Barchetta is 079/448 and the VIN number ends in 124057..

 

Very good question.

 

Carbon I can perhaps shed some light on the RHD ones which are not in Aus or the UK. Originally there were 3 brought into South Africa, one of which being 448/448, I know this particular example very well and there is quite a lot of documentation due its unique number.

Since then it is my understanding that two additional cars were imported, one from the UK and another from Asia.

 

My guess would be the numbers would be randomly assigned but would be interesting to know for sure.

 

Jacques- Logically, the sequence numbers would be assigned when she hit the assembly line, just like assembly numbers. The VINs are actually order numbers assigned when blocks of cars were ordered. Assembly numbers are assigned when the cars hit the assembly line. That ensures no updates to the model are missed when she is assembled.

 

Many thanks for this. The reason I asked the question was I wasn't sure if Ferrari were still building 550 'Coupes' when the Barchettas were in build.

I actually visited Ferrari in 2001 and was given a tour around where the Barchettas were being built up. I remember it was on a separate line, away from all other cars. Quite a sight!

 

Carbon- 127944 was a yellow 360 from what I have gathered.