Supercars usually come as a closed coupe and as an open roadster, but rarely get a sliding or panoramic roof. There are many reasons for this, but Ferrari came up with a way to provide the 360 Modena with an open roof.
One finds it indispensable, the other hates it: the open roof. The traditional sliding / tilting roof has now given way almost everywhere to large panoramic glass roofs, which in an increasing number of cases cannot even be opened.
We see these roofs in hatchbacks, sedans, station wagons and SUVs, but never in a supercar. That is not very illogical. To begin with, a sliding roof is in no way associated with sportsmanship. Cars are getting heavier and the extra weight at the very top is not good news for the “hard-core” sports car enthusiast either. In addition, a sliding glass plate often simply does not fit under or above the short roof of a sports car, so that opening would already be a difficult story.
Fortunately, those who want to drive open can go to a Spider, Spyder or Roadster version for most sports enthusiasts. They increasingly combine the outdoor experience with a hard folding roof that adds a manageable amount of weight and thus offer the best of both worlds for many.
Targa
These smart folding roofs did not exist a few decades ago, so there was room for an intermediate shape. For example, many manufacturers turned to the Targa body, where a loose, removable roof panel above the seats ensured that a closed coupe could still be driven open. Corvettes have been getting this almost standard since the third generation (although there was a dense coupé version of the C5), and Ferrari has also frequently applied this construction. For example, the 348 and F355 were available in no less than three body styles: a Coupé, a Spider and a Targa.
The 360 Modena was a complete design revolution in 1999 compared to the F355 and was much more modern in every way. The lascivious-lined car is difficult to imagine with a somewhat old-fashioned targa roof, and Ferrari apparently saw it that way. The 360 appeared as a closed “Modena” and an opened Spider, and that was it.
Hole
Or so it seemed. Those who studied the extensive options list of the 360 Modena in detail, came across a removable roof panel. Unlike the Targas, the roofline remained intact. Instead, a rather odd-shaped hole was cut into the 360 roof. Ferrari approached the aforementioned weight and space issues in the simplest way imaginable, simply fitting the half-open 360 with a sheet of sheet metal that could be taken out if desired and stored in a leather case behind the front seats. Even work, but so the 360 offers the desired coupé lines, while enjoying the sun is also possible.
It is not surprising that this special invention was not followed anywhere, because the option was not very popular. What’s Hot: A total of 25 copies of the 360 Modena open-top roof are said to have been built. One of them was originally delivered in the Netherlands and was offered for sale in 2018, but anyone who wants one now has to move abroad. We borrowed the photos above from our eastern neighbors, where Prestige GmbH in Freiburg knows how to value a red copy well. We thank you for a photo of the outside Naples Motorsports in Naples, Florida, which has now sold the black, manual transmission.