Fading legends: 599 SA Aperta

My first post, and i'm getting stuck in. 

Too often it is the case in the automotive world, that absolute gems are forgotten about all too quickly, and or are simply ignored. I may or may not be getting too misty eyed and romantic about this but bare with me for a moment...

 Passing through the Staines/ Egham area a couple of days ago I happened across Ferraris "Maranello" dealership installation in the area and so naturally I pulled in for a peak at who or what was floating around. Out front were a plethora of 458's, 430's, an FF and a couple of used Gallardo LP's. Nothing thus far out of the ordinary. Things usually only get interesting in these places when you investigate what is on display behind the glass. It is at this point that I lament our arrival at around 20 minutes past the industry standard five o'clock closing time for dealerships as sitting inside was an utterly gorgeous and nail bitingly rare Ferrari 599 SA Aperta. The GTO engined pop out roof fifty example special that Ferrari used to sign off its late great flagship into the history books.

 Sitting here in a creamy white with a black and red wraparound bonnet stripe, black wheels and a beautifully garish bright red and white interior, it looked slightly out of place. Especially sitting next to its jackhammer of a successor, the critically acclaimed F12 Berlinetta. The F12 even in its interesting dark woodland green, grey stripe and similarly accented "GTO" wheels seemed to my mind, be utterly outclassed by what I consider to be a living legend and one of what is a rare sight nowadays, a car produced by Ferrari in recent times that is actually pretty.

Haven't warmed to F12.. yet.
This interesting green example helped things along.

 Gorgeous Aperta had me on my knees at the window.

 I personally gauge a Ferrari's beauty by whether I would take it in the generic Rosso Corsa red color. None of the recent crop really wear the color well.. bar one. The F50, 355, 360 and at a pinch 430 Spider are, in my humblest and can I stress most subjective opinion the prettier cars of Ferraris recent history. Those and the SA Aperta. I don't know whether its the rarity or just the groundbreaking effect that a few details can have, but the Aperta just seems so mystifyingly elegant. A TRUE beautiful Ferrari, if I may amend my previous statement, can be said to look  jaw dropping in any and all colors. 

 The Aperta, IMO, fits that most rigorous of criteria. All sounding nauseatingly over romantic and delirious but there is a point behind this. The Aperta is nothing short of one of Ferraris greatest cars. Not because it is the best, but for the sake of its existence. Their latest products have been slated for being too technical and "nerdy". Some might call this purposeful given that dynamically speaking, they are almost without par. But it is for this reason,"existing for existence sake", that the Aperta I think, carries so much mystique. 

Its beauty and exclusivity as well as the dedication it takes each prospective owner, in conjunction with Ferrari, to design and craft each example. The 550 Barchetta and 575 Superamerica had this kind of transcendent appeal over the production mill coupe's upon which they were based. But with exclusivity comes the price of not having time on its side. Cars like this as soon as they are announced, are gone again. Sold out via the back channels of the ultra exclusive and mega rich and replaced just as quickly. So it came to pass that the Aperta received as much publicity as the F12 did in its first three weeks of prototype testing. A special special car that went as quickly as it came. I strongly feel that, even though they're "gone", these sorts of cars deserve much more than to be eclipsed by their makers latest showroom earners. Please feel free to comment and contribute. 

What cars would you say have a role unto themselves, with no duty to perform but just to be :).