Blu Scuro Droptop: 1994 Ferrari 348 Spider

It’s easy to forget just how significant the Ferrari 348 Spider was for the company and enthusiasts at large. The arrival of a two-seater, mid-engined roadster from Ferrari hadn’t happened since the 365 Daytona Spider, and when you put it into those terms, the 348 is a special model on its own terms beyond just being a limited-production sports car from the 90s. Even better? The 348 remains one of the more attainable Ferraris you can buy, but for how much longer? This 1994 Spider has only 26K miles and is clad in beautiful Blu Scuro paint.

The 348 is also a significant car in Ferrari’s history for being the last V8-powered model developed under Enzo Ferrari. That alone should catapult the 348 into the history books, and certainly register as an important milestone in the company’s history. Truthfully, Ferrari began to change fairly dramatically after the end of 348 production, and I’m going to offer a fairly useless opinion in that regard: this was the last of the truly “simple” Ferraris. Yes, it required typical engine-out services and five-figure belt jobs, but mechanically, this was not a complex machine. The top mechanism was simple. It has a traditional manual gearbox. This is a Ferrari you can fix. 

Now, this is not a Ferrari problem that cars have become needlessly complex and over-managed by computers. Every manufacturer is experiencing this, but particularly those companies tasked with building the world’s next crop of supercars. Here’s the difference: when you find a 348 in the barn in 30 years, it can realistically be restored. When you find a modern-day McLaren supercar in similar condition, I question whether the venture will be worth it. The 348 Spider is powered by a rev-happy V8 that will kiss 8,000 RPM if you’re brave, spitting out a luscious and raspy 312 horsepower and 229 lb.-ft. of torque.

Inside, you’ll find a classic three-spoke steering wheel devoid of a bulbous airbag-packed horn pad, and Ferrari’s signature gated shifter. Road & Track at the time pointed out that you couldn’t even begin to use first gear until the gear oil had warmed up, and while such a disclaimer would have been verboten in a Japanese econobox, it was perfectly acceptable in a $130,000 Ferrari. The 348 is a phenomenal car that represents the sort of Ferrari we will not likely ever see again, and finding one of these before the price of entry becomes $150,000 should be a priority for anyone with the means. Find the 348 Spider here on eBay with bids to $60,000 and the reserve unmet.