1988 Ferrari Testarossa

The Pininfarina designed Testarossa was introduced at the Paris Auto Show in September 1984 as a replacement for the 512 BB. This was not the first Testa Rossa in Ferrari's history. In the late 1950's, the Testa Rossa name was used for one of its vehicles because of red cam covers. Testa Rossa means 'redhead'. This Testarossa was built for the US market and made its way into those showrooms in 1985. The vehicle was designed to comply with the US emissions, regulations, and safety restrictions.

The Testarossa made its debut in October of 1984 at the Paris Autoshow. It made a bold statement in every respect, with its dramatic Pininfarina styling replete with swooping strakes along its flanks channeling airflow into large radiators at the rear fenders. This configuration allowed space upfront for luggage, and there was special-made luggage that could fit behind the seats of the car. The body was formed from aluminum with the doors and roof made from steel. Based upon a race-bred and rigid tubular frame with fully independent suspension including front and rear anti-roll bars, the Testarossa's rear subframe was removable, easing regular maintenance and servicing. Stopping power was provided by four-wheel hydraulic ventilated disc brakes. Steering was by a precise rack-and-pinion setup. The transmission was a classic gated shift lever controlling the five-speed manual gearbox.

The engine was a modified version of the 512 BB, with four valves per cylinder, Marelli electronic ignition, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, and was capable of producing 390 bhp from the 4943 cc horizontally opposed 12 cylinders. The zero-to-sixty time was about 5.3 seconds and the top speed was above 180 mph. At the time of introduction, the Testarossa was the world's most powerful sports car. It would retain the title throughout its 11-year production run ending in 1995. The Testarossa's handling is equally brilliant, with skidpad performance tested at 0.90 G lateral acceleration.

The first Testarossa would not make it to the U.S. shores until mid-year in 1985, and despite the long waiting list and hefty sticker price, was an instant success with both the public and the press. It would become one of Ferrari's most popular and most successful models ever, and it was featured on the cover of Road & Track magazine no less than nine times in just five years.

The fame of the Testarossa achieved new heights when it played a starring role on the hit TV series 'Miami Vice.' Ferrari famously sued the production company for their use of a fake Ferrari Daytona in the show. A resolution involved Ferrari of North America providing two new Ferrari Testatrossas for use in the show beginning in season 3. Originally, the cars delivered were black with tan interiors, but the producers decided that dark colors were not suitable for filming at night and the decision was made to repaint the cars white.

In 1992 production of the Testarossa ceased after 7,177 units were sold making it one of the most popular Ferrari models ever. 1,072 examples were manufactured in 1988 and approximately 390 of those were U.S. versions.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014