I strip away the old debris, that hides a shining car
A brilliant red barchetta, from a better, vanished time
I fire up the willing engine, responding with a roar
Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime…
Excerpt from Red Barchetta by Rush

If you grew up in the Seventies, chances are that you grooved to Rush at some point or another. If you were a car nerd, the sound of Geddy Lee wailing about the magical Red Barchetta left you fantasizing about finding a crimson racer beneath the hay in a barn somewhere.

The car above is the real deal. Not only is it one of only 25 166 Barchetta’s made but indeed one of the first prototype cars. This car is fitted with a 2 liter Formula 2 engine that has a gear driven camshaft rather than the usual chain drive. So what makes this car so special, other than the fact that it is one a few remaining cars of it’s type? Well, as anyone who has read any Ferrari history knows will tell you, Enzo Ferrari was not a nostalgic man when it came to his machines. The cars were merely tools to win the race. When they were beyond repair or became obsolete, often they were simply scrapped. Either that, or they were cannibalized to keep other cars running.

The 166 Barchetta was fitted with several different engines, windscreens, fenders and other racing type mods throughout the models’ short lifespan. That this car (and the others that remain) is more by pure luck than anything else. It would be great to hear it’s full history. It was likely sold to a driver or customer at some point and so managed to escape the scrap heap.

This special car was mechanically restored by Ferrari expert Marcel Massini who wisely chose to leave the body in as found condition. This machine shows each battle scar and every talented hammer blow that formed it’s shape and returned that shape to original after each incident. The car graced the September/October 2006 cover of Ferraristi magazine Cavallino and was shown to some lucky public at the 2007 Cavallino Classic.

The guys at Ultimatecarpage.com were there and took a stunning gallery full of great shots.

Thanks to Autoblog for the tip.