Fascinating Look Back at the World’s First and Only Ferrari Rossa Concept from 2000

Unveiled in June 2000 at the Turin Motor Show, the Ferrari Rossa concept was Pininfarina’s way of marking their 70th anniversary—pretty fitting for a company that’s been shaping Ferrari’s look since the 1950s. Designed by Ken Okuyama (the guy who later penned the Enzo Ferrari), the Rossa is a two-seat speedster built on the bones of a Ferrari 550 Maranello. But don’t let that fool you—it’s a radical departure from the 550’s grand tourer vibe.

The Rossa’s look pulls heavily from the legendary 1957–1961 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, a race car with a Scaglietti body that dominated tracks back in the day. You see it in the wraparound windshield, the exposed engine cutout on the hood, and that sleek, minimal speedster shape—pure retro vibes with a modern twist. Under the hood, it keeps the 550’s 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, pumping out around 485 horsepower, paired with a manual gearbox. No official performance stats were released, but it’s safe to say it could hit close to the 550’s 186 mph (300 kph) top speed, maybe a touch slower due to its open-top aerodynamics.



This thing’s a concept through and through—not road-legal, built for the show circuit. It skips luxuries like a trunk, carpeting, or AC, and even ditches traditional mirrors for a rearview camera feeding an LCD screen. The interior’s bare-bones too—just bucket seats with four-point harnesses and a glossy red finish that flows from the body. After Turin, it popped up at other shows for Pininfarina’s anniversary tour, then lived at their museum until financial woes hit around 2007. That’s when it got sold off to a private collector—rumor has it, alongside gems like an F40.