Taking a gamble with a Ferrari 360 Spider

Ferrari 360 Spider values are on the rise, but they aren't as much as a 348 that's seven years older. I find a bad example to see what's up.

ferrari-348

I’m proud of you, you know that? 60% say the RC-F is what they’d have. Guess we’ll find out in next month’s review. This week, we go to Las Vegas. Sort of. You see, today is about gambling on a Ferrari 360 Spider.

Want one with with a history that’s super sketch?

The 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider vs the 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider

Ferrari 360 Spider
I don;t have a single shot of a 360, oddly. Photo: Ferrari

See the 360 listing here

See the 348 listing here

A good friend of mine has a Ferrari 348 convertible that I drove a few years back. It was so tight inside that I could barely get my knees past the wheel. It shook like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man after Thanksgiving dinner. And you have to take the engine out every five years, just ‘cuz.

But my God, it sounded like heaven.

Ferrari 360 Spider
This was the firsts Spider to showcase the engine with glass. Photo: Ferrari.

The 348 is old Ferrari, a theme they’d continue on the 355. But the 360 was perhaps the first time Ferrari took car-building seriously. You know, something that was somewhat reliable. Maybe?

Ferraris are better topless (come fight me, bro). Like everything else, Ferrari 360 Spider values have gone up over the past few years, and I get it. Might not be a “special” Ferrari, but for my age group in particular, this always felt like the one to get. Its looks have not aged well in my humble opinion, but back then it was an absolute stunner.

Ferrari 360 Spider
Inside, it’s a new world over the 348. Photo: Ferrari

On the surface, you’d easily pick the 360, until you find out they go for nearly…wait. The same price?

Or less?!

The 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider

Ferrari 360 Spider
The Ferrari 360 Spider. Photo: CarFax

I love taking risks, don’t you? I wonder if this car qualifies.

  • 26,775 miles
  • $69,950
  • Silver over black. Easily the worst exterior shade on these.
  • The absolutely terrible F1 transmission. Manual-equipped cars go for double.
  • 3.6-liter V-8 with 400 horsepower.
  • Dirty CarFax. Very dirty.
  • Stock
  • Multiple owners, some of which never drove the car a mile.

That CarFax reports an accident, but doesn’t offer any specific detail. Where was it? Was it fixed properly? I can only assume that’s how the discount comes into play – these normally go in the mid $80s.

$15k off a Ferrari is rare, and it looks okay (a PPI would be key). You’d be able to drive it without fear of depreciation. Worth the risk, or…

The 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider

348-spider
The 348. Photo: Bring a Trailer

They might look totally different, but these cars are only seven years apart. Every 348 was a five-speed, so there’s never any disappointment when the listing says “manual” but the salesman was just clueless.

  • 26,000 miles
  • Current bid: $57,000
  • Grigio Scuro over tan (rare color)
  • Five-speed manual
  • 3.4 liter V-8 with 296 horsepower
  • Five previous owners
  • Clean CarFax

I have not seen this color before, so that might drive the price up a bit. These can typically go from the mid-50s all the way up to 90k. 355s are even more (and probably a bit better-looking).

So what would you take? The potential mess of the 360, or the classic 348? Either way, you are going topless with an Italian V-8 singing.

Feels like a win to me.

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