Iconic Redhead Turns Heads

Testa Rossa in Italian is literally “red head,” often abbreviated by Ferrari as “TR.” The first such Ferrari model was introduced as the 500TR in 1954. Appropriately it had red valve covers on its 1,985 cc overhead-cam four-cylinder engine. Subsequent Testa Rossa models included the three-liter 250 TR of 1957-8, with a sohc V-12, and a new generation, designated Testarossa, with a flat-twelve in 1984. As used by Ferrari, the term had no technical basis, invoking an intellectual flair instead.

This Car’s Past

This stunning Ferrari 512TR Berlinetta was built to North American specification and delivered new in Canada in July 1995. As such, it does not have the undesirable and troublesome motorized seat belts. It is extremely clean and has been exceptionally well cared for by its three owners from new. All servicing has been completed at recommended intervals.

History of the Model

Enzo Ferrari was slow to embrace mid-engine road cars. Although his engineers had been experimenting with prototypes since the early 1960s, it was not until late in the decade that production models reached the public. The first of these were V-6 Dinos, followed by the 208, 308 and 328 V-8 models into the mid-1970s. The 365 GT4/BB (for Berlinetta Boxer), introduced in 1973, changed the formula by adopting a midship flat-twelve. This was followed by the 512BB in 1976 and the fuel-injected 512BBi in 1981. Replaced by the Testarossa in 1984, the concept was further developed with a wider body and radiator intake ducts in the doors. A four-valve engine increased power by 50 bhp. The 512TR, a re-engineered Testarossa, debuted in 1991. It featured a revised interior, with the center console split from the dashboard. The spoilers and engine cover were better integrated to the body, and the engine and gearbox mounting was changed to modify the center of gravity. This greatly improved the handling. The 512TR remained in production through 1994, with 2,261 produced.

Service History

Showing fewer than 30,000 km (18,650 miles), this car has a full service history and clean Carfax and Autocheck reports. Recent work has included major belts installed by a Ferrari dealer, replacement of fluids and a new clutch in August 2015. The service records accompany the car, as do tools, books, a flashlight, a tire-inflator kit, two keys, a wallet key and two red car covers. One of the covers is satin, the other cotton. Other important features include a full Tubi Style exhaust system, anti-lock brakes, an in-dash Pioneer CD stereo system, power windows and seats.

Market Trend

Very few 1994 512TRs ever come up for sale. Of the 24 produced for North America, 22 are left as of 2015, according to the Ferrari Registry, and only two publicly traded hands in 2015. The upgraded differential and anti-lock brakes only available on the 1994 512TR, combined with the rarest production of Ferrari models in the past 30 years, place this car among the most desirable Ferraris to own today.

Summary

Road & Track loved the Testarossa, placing one on their covers nine times in five years. Elton John, French actor Alain Delon, video game mogul John Carmack, rapper Dr. Dre, Austrian Formula One racing driver Gerhard Berger, and actor Don Johnson all had Testarossas, the latter given a brand-new silver 1989 Testarossa by Enzo Ferrari, himself a fan of Miami Vice. The rarity of this car will place its new owner among a very small and elite constituency.