Ferrari Testarossa Price Guide

The Ferrari Testarossa is the defining supercar of the 1980s. Not because of its performance (though 390bhp and 290km/h were noteworthy in 1984) but because of its image. The side strakes, the wide body, the pop-up headlamps, and the poster on every bedroom wall: the Testarossa was the Ferrari of an era and remains instantly recognisable thirty years after its discontinuation.

Don Johnson drove one in Miami Vice. That was sufficient enough to propel the ‘redhead‘ into a different level of collectability.

The Car

The Testarossa used a 4,943cc flat-12 (twelve cylinders lying horizontally, six per side, in the classic boxer configuration) producing 390bhp at 6,300rpm. The body by Pininfarina used the horizontal side strakes (originally to admit cooling air to the rear-mounted radiators, which had been moved from the nose) that became the car’s defining visual signature. The wide rear track of 1,660mm required the substantial rear haunches that gave the car its distinctive proportions. A single driver’s door mirror replaced the traditional pair. Around 7,177 were produced from 1984 to 1991.

What Goes Wrong

The flat-12’s cam belts require engine removal to change, this presents a substantial service cost that must be budgeted before any purchase. The complex cooling system with its large rear radiators requires vigilant maintenance. Rust can develop in concealed body sections. The electrical systems are period Fiat-era Italian components. The single door mirror is a nuisance in real-world traffic.

Buying

Buy on service history above all else; a Testarossa with documented cam belt changes and cooling system maintenance is worth a significant premium over an unknown car. The white Testarossa is the 1980s icon; any other colour is more desirable to collectors today. The 512 TR that followed is the more capable car.