When I was finally ready to own my first Ferrari, the market was already beyond my possibilities as far as the models I had been looking at were concerned. So I widened my research, and realized that the 550/575 family offered what most resembled my ideal Ferrari, outside of the models made between the early 60s and 70s I had dreamed about for years. Powerful front 12 cylinder engine, rear wheel drive, long nose and short back. And they were affordable! After studying the production’s history, I concluded that the 575M stick shift, manual six-speed  was the model that best embodied the essence of this vehicle. Unfortunately I wasn’t the only observer on the market, and prices started skyrocketing. I bought this car as a first of a future number of steps, and it was only a couple of years later, when I finally found my manual transmission 575M, that I really started to appreciate my 550 Maranello. Although much less refined than her successor in terms of details and comfort, the 550 delivered a raw, true Italian sports car experience. This one is one heck of a fun car to drive, both on the track and on the road and don’t take my word for it, but go try yourself. I noticed that latest examples made tend to come with more optional accessories, like the modular wheels I found on mine: happy hunting!