Founded by Germans Bernd Michalak and his wife Jutta in 1979, Michalak Design produced a handful of one-off automobiles and pioneered a number of accessories for various brands, with perhaps its most notable accessory being their Ferrari 550 Barchetta soft top, offering greater ease of use and high-speed stability.

Arguably their most famous automotive design was this, the Conciso Concept. Built upon a donor Ferrari 328 GTS, this car utilized the 328 GTS chassis and running gear but clothed in bespoke aluminum coachwork. Following his adoration of sporty, driver-focused cars, the car’s name, ‘Conciso’ translates to ‘Concise’, which perfectly explains this car’s design ethos.

Utilizing a low-cut windshield, no doors, and a minimalist, driver focused interior, these changes brough about 30% weight savings over the original 328 GTS, approximately 800 lbs. Overall, the Conciso tips the scales at just 1,960 lbs, resulting in huge performance gains over the 328 GTS it is based upon. It is said that the Concisco can hit 62 mph from a standstill in five seconds, leading to a top speed of over 170 mph. Sliding over the doorsills, both driver and passenger are met with racing helmets integrated into compartments next to the seats, a design recalling that of the Lancia Stratos. Desiring to be in-keeping with unique Ferrari’s of the past, Michalak had the aluminum coachwork built to his designs in Italy by Bachelli & Villa.

The Conciso received international attention when displayed by Michalak at both the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and the 1994 Geneva Motor Show and was later awarded second place honors at the 1994 Eurosign Design Awards. Despite the widespread acclaim for the design, only one example was built.

Sold by Michalak to a collector based in North America, the Conciso remained with him until 1998 before passing into the hands of a Belgian collector. Well preserved with him, the car was so beloved that it was displayed in his living room. In 2014, the car was registered for road use in Belgium. In 2018, the car was imported to the United States and it has remained there ever since. Having spent most of its life on static display, it was mechanically refreshed upon its arrival in the U.S. to ensure it could be driven and enjoyed on the open road once more.

Shortly after its importation to the U.S. the Concisco was brought to Los Angeles and driven by Jay Leno in an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage alongside a previously owner. Most recently, the Concisco has been on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. At the time of cataloging, its odometer is showing just 11,408 km, just over 1,600 km of which has been accumulated since its arrival in the U.S. in 2018.

Truly one of the most fascinating Ferrari’s of its era, the Conciso bears all the hallmarks of collectability in today’s market. A one-off design carefully crafted to extract a truly fantastic driving experience underpinned by one of the most popular and reliable Ferraris ever built, this is a truly masterpiece of design that can be used and enjoyed as its designers intended.