Ferrari honored its past in 2000 when it took to the Paris Motor Show floor with an eye-catching roadster: The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. In a nod to boulevardiers, the Barchetta’s cloth top was an emergency-only unit designed to protect the car’s interior should rain clouds begin to form; to illustrate this, Ferrari put a 70-mph maximum top speed warning on the top. Instead, the 550 Barchetta was designed to entice the company’s clients to enjoy a sunny day behind the wheel.

Compared to the 550 Maranello, the 550 Barchetta featured a more aggressively raked windshield with pillars that disappeared toward the top of the windshield to improve its aerodynamics. Its tail was reshaped to complete the look, and the long trunk lid gave way to a pair of rollover hoops behind each seat. Modular alloy wheels, an aluminum fuel-filler door, and racing seats were all standard equipment. The performance attitude of the car was further emphasized by its being available solely with a six-speed manual transmission.

Ferrari initially planned to build 444 examples of the 550 Barchetta, but four more were added to the initial production run to appease an increasingly important Japanese market superstitious about the number four.

Number 169 of the 448 built, of which only 127 were delivered new to the United States, this 550 Barchetta wears a striking Giallo Modena over a Charcoal interior; Giallo seat inserts and stitching provide eye-catching contrast. It was one of few desirably ordered with the Fiorano Handling Package, which emphasizes the model’s performance intent with package-specific springs and shock absorbers, a special program for the power steering, and a larger-diameter rear sway bar; Brembo brakes in red calipers, just visible behind the five-spoke wheels, are the package’s most outwardly visible indicator.

Having driven fewer than 10,000 miles from new, this 550 Barchetta presents in exceptionally maintained condition; invoices on file indicate a timing belt replacement by Boardwalk Ferrari of Plano, Texas in March 2018. Further, it received its Ferrari Classiche certification that same year, a testament to its correctness. While presently fitted with an aftermarket exhaust, the original system accompanies the sale.

Coveted from its introduction, the limited-production 550 Barchetta offers contemporary Pininfarina styling and Ferrari performance with classic open-air character; its six-speed gated manual only deepens the engagement between car and driver. Accompanied by manuals in a leather pouch, tools, and a Ferrari car cover, this carefully maintained low-mileage Giallo Modena example would make for a most thrilling acquisition.