12 drop-top Ferraris you can buy this week

Get some Italian sun at Friday’s Silverstone sale

With summer quite unreliably here, why not take a trip to Silverstone and spend some of your savings on a lovely drop-top Ferrari?

Silverstone Auctions is holding its first dedicated Ferrari sale on Friday (18 May), with a total of 33 Prancing Horses up for grabs. Among them are a dozen lovely open-top models – just perfect for getting the wind in your hair as you hurtle down to Waitrose.

Better yet, many of these machines are relative bargains: while you won’t find any buy-one-get-one-free deals in the auction room, most of these wheels are at the more reasonable end of the Ferrari spectrum.

So, have a browse and take your pick ahead of Friday’s auction – after all, this good weather won’t last forever.

1985 Ferrari Mondial QV Cabriolet

Estimate: £28,000 – 33,000

First up is this handsome Mondial Quattrovalvole Cabriolet, finished in a fine coat of Rosso Corsa. Fittingly for a summer drive, it put in most of its 37,500 running miles in California, before being imported to the UK last year and comprehensively serviced.

Prices for Mondials in good condition have been relatively stable over recent years, and a £28,000 lower estimate for this attractive example is both fair and affordable.

1985 Ferrari Mondial QV Cabriolet (cont.)

Equipped with a 3-litre V8 (complete with four valves per cylinder), the Quattrovalvole version derived more power and, particularly in convertible trim, was bags of fun on the open road – not to mention comfortable.

Admittedly, Mondials are renowned for being needy on the maintenance front, and it’s certainly worth checking that the top is fully functioning – but this particular Mondial looks to be as good as they come.

1989 Ferrari 348 TS

Estimate: £55,000 – 65,000

Another Rosso Corsa number, this low-mileage, left-hand drive 348TS is an outstanding and accessible example of late-’80s Ferrari performance.

Deriving 300bhp from its 3.4-litre V8 engine, the 348 was no layabout, doing 0-60 in 5.6 seconds – while anti-lock brakes as standard made stopping a surer thing, too. Yes, it was less powerful (and less popular) than its Testarossa cousin, but that only means that prices today have stayed lower – and it’s still a heap of fun to drive.

1989 Ferrari 348 TS (cont.)

As with all Ferraris of that era, electrical issues can blight 348s – but this 1989 should be a sure bet, given its history of regular servicing and even a period in storage.

In fact, with just 3985 miles on the clock, in near-new condition and wearing its original Bridgestone tires, this is about as close to a new 348 as you can get, making its £60,000 estimate a veritable bargain for would-be Ferrari owners.

1981 Ferrari 308 GTS

Estimate: £40,000 – 45,000

When you’re shopping for a bargain Ferrari (especially a semi-convertible one), it’s reasonable numbers you want to look for – which is exactly what this 1981 example of the 308 GTS offers: 44,000km on the clock, four former owners and a £40,000 lower estimate.

Introduced in 1977, the targa-top-style GTS carried the same Ferrari 3-litre V8 as the rest of the early 308 range, as well as that evocative ‘80s body shape (styled by Pininfarina).

1981 Ferrari 308 GTS (cont.)

Prices today remain relatively low, thanks in part to high production numbers and the existence of the more popular QV model, which followed in 1983.

As a result, this well-maintained example – imported to the UK in 1989, later kept in dry storage for some 10 years and recently serviced – could be yours for a steal. Provided you’re comfortable driving on the left, that is.

1992 Ferrari 348 TS

Estimate: £60,000 – 70,000

From the 308 to its successor, this next one’s another 348 with a targa-style top – albeit a later, 1992 model.

How does it compare to the first one? Well, besides being a right-hand drive example, this semi-convertible has quite the remarkable story: since its original sale in 1992, it’s remained with the same owner to this day – and it’s covered just 5500 miles in those 26 years.

1992 Ferrari 348 TS (cont.)

Unsurprisingly for a low-mileage car that's had just one owner, the 348 TS goes to market in impeccable condition. We love its Rosso Corsa finish and magnolia interior, too.

It’s clearly been meticulously maintained, and will sell with its full complement of original handbooks and tools – often a sign that a car's been looked after. Sure, £65,000 is hardly pocket change, but it’s a very fair price for a very fair open-topped Ferrari.

1977 Ferrari 400 Convertible

Estimate: £45,000 – 50,000

The other Ferraris in this list are all genuine drop-top models, but this 400 GT is a little different: a beautiful Midnight Blue number from 1977, it’s made very rare indeed by its one-off conversion to a convertible.

Now, chop shop drop-tops will often set alarm bells ringing, but it’s believed this conversion was undertaken by AC Cars using Rolls Royce parts, making it quite the proper after-market modification.

1977 Ferrari 400 Convertible (cont.)

Besides the altered roof, chassis 20917 otherwise carries everything Ferrari’s late-’70s luxurious tourer ought to – including a 4.8-litre V12 engine, good for 340bhp.

Mileage is unverified, but there’s every chance the stated figure of 2500 is correct, given that this 400’s been consigned to dry storage for the best part of the last 20 years. All told, it looks like a brilliant example of bespoke done right.

1980 Ferrari 308 GTSi

Estimate: No reserve

Otherwise identical to the existing, Pininfarina-designed 308 GTS, the GTSi gained fuel injection in 1980 – which saw both emissions and performance drop, with the new model deriving 211bhp from the 3-litre V8 engine.

That factor makes earlier carburettor and later QV examples more popular today, and means you can pick up a good condition GTSi for something like £50,000 – and still have a very good time with it.

1980 Ferrari 308 GTSi (cont.)

This particular GTSi could be even more of a steal, though: the last owner sadly passed away last year, and his estate is now going to auction with no reserve.

With 49,000 miles on the clock, this car would probably benefit from a thorough service; it might also be worth budgeting for some cosmetic restoration work. But it's said to drive well, and the absence of a reserve price means you might well pick it up for a bargain. All told, this GTSi could be a great first Ferrari.

2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina

Estimate: £325,000 – 375,000

OK, we’ll admit that this 550 isn’t exactly a bargain – but you can’t have all your Ferraris at half the price.

Built to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari and Pininfarina in collaboration, the 550 Barchetta was a stunning realisation of Italian drop-top design when it launched in 2000, with 5.5-litre V12 power completing a package conceived to dominate on the road – carbon racing seats and all.

2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina (cont.)

One of just 42 right-hand drive Barchettas supplied to the UK (of 448 Barchettas built in total), this immaculate example has covered a mere 3000 miles since it was finished in 2001.

View it as a job lot – what with the bundled ‘Barchetta’ helmets, Ferrari torch and tool kit – and, if not a bargain, it certainly looks like a solid investment option given the trend of climbing 500 Barchetta prices.

1996 Ferrari F355 Spider

Estimate: £90,000 – 110,000

Well-proportioned and appropriately powerful, the F355 launched in 1994 as an embodiment of forward-looking Ferrari design, with a subtle but attractive aerodynamic profile and a host of engineering advancements – ranging from electronically adjustable shock absorbers to a revised synchromesh gearbox. Oh, and a 3.5-litre V8 engine good for 375bhp.

Fast and handsome in any form, it looked better still in drop-top guise – especially kitted out in black on red, as with this 1996 example.

1996 Ferrari F355 Spider (cont.)

One of a mere 454 right-hand drive Spiders imported to the UK, this F355 sits at the top end of the price spectrum, but for good reason: besides the colour scheme, it carries a desirable manual gearbox and benefits from a history of thorough servicing – not to mention a low mileage of just over 25,000.

Sure, F355s are known to be less-than-friendly on the wallet when it comes to servicing (particularly the pesky electric hydraulic pump), but an example this tidy is less likely to go wrong.

1983 Ferrari 308 GTS QV

Estimate: £75,000 – 85,000

Rarest and best of the 308 bunch, the Quattrovalvole or ‘QV’ iteration punched power back up to 240bhp when it launched in 1983, with four valves per cylinder head doing the business.

Only 233 of the evocative QV were built in right-hand drive guise – and this 1983 example looks like one of the best among them.

1983 Ferrari 308 GTS QV (cont.)

With just 31,800 miles on the clock and a long service history, it still offers plenty of bang for the buck at £80,000  – and is arguably more arresting than many later, more costly Ferraris, what with its Pininfarina lines and thrumming V8.

In fact, this well-kept example has received several awards for its condition, attesting to a gentle life with four former owners.

1987 Ferrari 328 GTS

Estimate: No reserve

The successor to the 308, Ferrari’s 328 took the body of its forerunner, made some subtle tweaks and added a 3.2-litre capacity V8 to round out the upgrade.

The result? More evolution than revolution, but the 328 still derived 270bhp and could top 160mph – making it quite the speedy drop-top. And there’s good news for prospective owners: the 328 is regarded as a particularly maintenance-friendly option among its contemporaries, not least because it can be repaired without removing the engine.

1987 Ferrari 328 GTS (cont.)

Recently serviced and reported to be in excellent running condition, with a mileage of 37,000, this 328 goes to market with the potential to be a steal.

Another machine to be offered from an estate, it’s going to auction at Silverstone with no reserve. While similar-spec 328s regularly fetch between £75,000 and £100K, there’s every chance this navy number will go for less.

1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi

Estimate: No reserve

One last 308, this GTSi is another open-top Ferrari that’s heading to Silverstone with no reserve. But, unlike the others in this list, this one could change hands for much less than your average fuel-injected 308.

Why? Well as those sizeable bumpers make clear, this is an American model, in LHD. What's more, it has 74,000 miles on the clock, and the consignment report suggests it’s ‘no Garage Queen’. Translation? It’s likely been hammered around the roads of the USA.

1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi (cont.)

Don't let that put you off, though, because this could be the ideal restoration lot. Sure, the mileage is fairly high and the car would probably benefit from a full cosmetic overhaul, but budget those considerations into your bidding and you could still take home an open-top Ferrari for a decent price.

Our estimate? Anything less than £40,000 would be a bargain.

1996 Ferrari 355 Spyder

Estimate: £80,000 – 90,000

Last up is another F355 Spider, this one finished in Giallo Modena (read: Bright Yellow).

Much like the other F355 at Silverstone, it carries that arresting aerodynamic shell and the power of a 3.5-litre V8, together with an F1-derived underbelly. Similarly, it’s also equipped with a manual gearbox – making it an all-round package of fun on tap.

1996 Ferrari 355 Spyder (cont.)

A comprehensive service history and astoundingly low mileage of just 12,200 makes this Prancing Horse quite the desirable drop-top.

OK, so that £80,000 lower estimate means it's hardly a throwaway purchase, but, with F355 prices slowly climbing, that’s a good value for a model in fine condition. The fact that it'll be the brightest thing outside come summer is merely a bonus.