What do you picture in your mind when you hear or read the name Ferrari? Ever since I was young, the most outrageous Maranello machine was the Testarossa. It was on TV, in magazines, on posters in some of my school buddies’ rooms. So when I think Ferrari, I tend to visualize this. Though not in this colour, of course.
That’s not to say that I have any love for the Testarossa. Objectively, the design is not a great aesthetic feat, with that huge front overhang, those ludicrous (and highly influential) side air intakes and that venetian-blind rear end. But it did sell like crazy and many folks seemed to think it was the eighth wonder of the ‘80s, so in the collective consciousness (and my personal one) it went, warts and all.
I will confess that the rear is pretty good, especially from this Out Run point of view. Boy did I waste a fortune in quarters playing that game back in the day. Yes, that’s my Testarossa frame of reference – though I was certainly aware of it, I didn’t watch Miami Vice back then.
But back to the actual rear end design. It took a lot of guts for Pininfarina to ditch the imperative circular taillights in favour of this radical rectangular rear. Iconoclasm is not necessarily a bad thing. To my eyes, this is the best part of the whole design by a mile.
But man is the rest clunky. It doesn’t even have the Countach, the 911 or the Pantera’s excuse of having been bastardized over an extremely long production run. They did refresh it with the 1992-96 512TR (which will also have its day on CC, just you be warned), but that was a rather minor facelift. Only the front end was really affected, as well. From its launch back in late 1984, the Testarossa was deemed perfect by both its maker and the folks who could afford one.
Whoever could afford this particular one also had an unconventional taste in colours – assuming this is how it was ordered back then. That’s what attracted me to this particular car: the overwhelming majority of Testarossas were red, though some did come out in white, black, grey or yellow. I’m not sure I would have bothered writing this post had it been red. That would have been a little on the nose. And that nose is too damn big. So this one sort of blue me (and the nose) away.
Beyond the model’s looks and this one’s odd colour, the Testarossa was certainly worthy of the Ferrari name. The all-alloy 4.9 litre 48-valve so-called “boxer” 12-cyl. (actually a flattened, 180-degree V12) was a technical tour de force, for sure. With 380hp to play with (for North America and Japan, which was 10hp less than non-catalytic Euro-spec models), this big blue battleship can really move. Which is more than can be said for the Mondial.
The angular theme is carried on to the interior, as was to be expected. Somehow though, it all looks pretty good, yet quintessentially ‘80s.
The famous Ferrari shifter gate is almost buried in there, and the placement of the knobs and buttons on next to the gear lever looks a bit random – but then, where else could they have gone? A car like this needs toys and a few creature comforts, after all.
With over 7000 units made from 1984 to 1991, the Testarossa was one of Ferrari’s greatest hits, certainly for their larger cars. Add the 512TR that followed it, and over 10,000 “flat” twelves were prowling the roads by the late ‘90s. Everybody in show-biz, sports and high finance – if they didn’t put all their money up their nose – splurged on The Greatest Sports Car in the World, as the Ferrari was decreed near-unanimously by the trade press at the time.
Both because and in spite of its very real dynamic qualities, the Testarossa thus became the ultimate glitterati-mobile of the flashiest decade of the postwar era. I guess that Ferraris were always sort of meant to be that, but their relative rarity, along with the Scuderia side of the company, kept the mystique alive up to that point. The fact that they made so many of these (again, all things being relative) kind of dented the marque’s image for some, as if this 12-cyl. Italian supercar had become a sort of Benz SL with a glandular issue. This was further compounded by an epidemic of fiberglass air intakes, which were grafted to the flanks of all manner of vehicles in the ‘80s and ‘90s, as well as the many full-body kit “Fiero Testarossas” of various quality that plagued the world.
All of this was completely outside Ferrari’s control, of course, and it feels unfair to blame them or PF for the Testarossa’s success. Should they have played it like the F40 by limiting production (and driving up prices) in service of some armchair tifosi’s notion of brand identity? No. They were right to strike while the iron (or GRP) was hot and make as many of these as they could. That’s how carmakers stay afloat, isn’t it? But equally, it doesn’t mean I have to like it. Many better Ferraris models exist. They’re just harder to come by.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: Ferrari Testarossa – The Thrill Is Gone, For Now, by PN
On The Go Outtake: 1989 Ferrari Testarossa – If Ferrari Were British This Would Be The Ferrari Ginger, by Jim Klein
This car is one of most talk-about dream cars in 1980s, many car lovers had poster of this vehicle in. Just curious that anyone knows what is the vehicle in light blue on the 2nd photo, and the white vehicle in the 4th photo. They look like super cars.
Lamborghini and Bentley, nothing interesting
As a child of the ’80s, I certainly had a poster of this vehicle in my room at one point. I also recall building the Testor’s model kit of the same…painted in red, of course.
Despite the childhood reminiscences, I share the author’s sentiment in not having any love for the Testarossa. It’s styling has not aged well. Nor has the color on this particular example…
When first I saw one of these, in white, I thought it either a car made from a kit, or a large, self-propelled air-conditioning unit on a hurry to be fitted to a roof somewhere. So many vents, so little rhyme.
Time has made its adjustments. Not to the car, of course, but to me. Today, it has good angles (over those hips), and the rear is indeed its best face (so to speak). The ’70’s-steel-goblet color on this one helps no end: nothing like a new hue for a new view.
But the beaky nose does can’t be ignored, arriving as it must too early before the driver, and it descends the whole to the category of what-could-have-been-better. Or shorter.
We shall never really know, but perhaps that nose was too large in order to accommodate the coke that the buyers of that time would shortly thereafter push up their own?
The criticism of its nose is curious, as essentially all mid-engine sports cars have long noses for very obvious and important practical reasons. The TR’s predecessor, the BB512 is widely praised for its beautiful lines, but its nose looks even longer in relation to the rest of the body massing.
Look at just about any mid-engine sports car in profile; they almost invariably have long front overhangs, to meet crash and bumper regulations as well as to provide adequate room for a trunk (such as it was), fuel tank, etc. Yes, the Miura didn’t, but then it was compromised in practical essentials and could never have met bumper and crash regulations.
Ah, but personally, I never much liked the BB either, and on consideration, the ill-proportion is a big part of that.
A quick look at profile pics of Countach, Diabolo, Espirit, modern mid-engined stuff, none really have the conk the Testarossa had.
I think the T is further unhelped by the blandness (or blockiness?) of the actual nose cone shape.
The Miura has very tail-heavy mass distribution. There’s a good reason for a set-back front axle and why inline engines are preferred on mid-engined designs.
Pf’s ‘error’ (if I may call it that) is the straight front bumper which visually lengthens the wings/fenders.
Cf the NSX (other cars are available) which has the corners knocked off and the effect is far less noticeable. But the long overhang was a feature of ’60s & ’70s racecars, so because…
A friend has a TR, originally Miami Vice white, but poorly repainted Boring red at some time. It really wouldn’t take a lot to put it back on the road, other than time and money…
Anyway, we both agree that it would look best in dark metallic blue (funny how that suits so many Ferraris!), which kind of sort of brings it back on topic.
The trick I learned in my Country Club days is ALWAYS take the driveway at an angle. You don’t get a tip when you scrape something that costs closer to the price of your house than that of your car.
Exotics like this were rare, but that thinking also worked on, say, a Lexus SC.
These are the fugliest Ferrari’s ever built. Makes any Volkswagen kit car look cool.
I think I’d have to get down on my hands and knees and crawl into this thing.
“self propelled air conditioning unit” I choked on my sip of tea on that one. Classic!
When I think Ferrari, this comes to mind. I guess my age is showing,
No, the ’60s models were – and still are – truly stunning.
Kind of ended after the 328 with me – I sort of switched brand loyalties.
Actually I didn’t realize there was Bentley, the white sport car I mentioned is the one seen in the 4th photo, I believe that white sport car was in front a SUV and behind a motorcycle. Any idea? I looks like BMW i8
Earlier this year I saw a Testarossa at a local car show, and I found it interesting how much attention it got from kids – just like it would have 30+ years ago. It’s a design that in many ways has just never aged, so whatever one’s opinions are of the car’s design, it seems that Ferrari came pretty close to immortality with the Testarossa.
I visited the set of a film Dolly Parton was making in 1984 & she had a vivid red Testarossa parked outside her trailer dressing room
So I’m out for the evening walk in my old neighborhood about 12 years back and I hear the most hellacious and rorty engine sound ever in that little subdivision. White Testarossa comes down the street. About 2 weeks later I see the garage it’s parked in – and while the houses were better on that block they weren’t Ferrari-level better. The guy got it at auction and was still debating the amount of work needed to get it right. I’d occasionally see it and him, but he’d moved away before I ever learned its ultimate fate. He definitely didn’t let me DRIVE it but I did get to sit in it. The laid-back driving position from a Corvette with about 40% the visibility. After that, was pretty sure I’d never want to actually have it in traffic – but wouldn’t have minded a trip around the block.
The Testarossa is a great design evolution from the 70s wedge into the 80s. Those signature side streaks are beautifully integrated and set it apart from any car before and after. Most important to me is that it doesn’t have a rear wing and keeps the profile very low and wide. A true Italian icon of the 80s in my opinion.
A few years back, there was a guy in the industrial park where I work that would daily drive one of these.
He was out talking to a few guys about it, and said, “I bought it to drive it, not have it sit in the garage.”
It was dreary and drizzly that day. This didn’t bother him….
I hate it when I get the size wrong… let’s try the pic again…
If I had the means to daily drive a Testarossa I would love to do it. Here in the Midwest US our brutal winters would require I also have a Hummer H1 BEV conversion.
Hey a guy can dream right😄
The engine is on top of the transmission. That doomed it’s racing career. front overhang F430 43.3″ Miura 38.7. Alas, I cannot find the Tessarossas overhang!
Cheese grader on wheels, but still impressive.