The Ferrari Testarossa has been an icon of Ferrari. With a name deriving from the famed 250 and 500 Testarossa sport prototypes of the 1950ies, this famous Ferrari is best remembered for its distinctive side air vents, which were both functional and incredibly stylish and remained the most distinctive feature of this famous motorcar.
Equipped with a 4 valve 5 liter 180° v12 engine delivering 390 hp, the Testarossa was the Prancing Horse flagship Grand Tourer and the first V12 Ferrari in 10 years which could also be sold in the United States of America. When it was presented at the 1984 Geneva Auto Show, it shook the world and became a strong sales success for Ferrari: until 1991, 7177 examples were produced, and with the famous appeareance in Miami Vice, it was one of the most recognizable icons of the 1980ies.
The Testarossa was based on a steel tubes chassis with cross section and supportive structures for the bodywork and the engine. The exterior was made of aluminium panels with the doors and roof made of steel. Perhaps the most prominent feature of the examples built until 1987 was the use of a single side mirror, which was mounted quite high in the A pillar on the driver's side. Another distinctive feature of cars produced until 1989 was the old fashoned single wheel locking nut, also known as "monodado".
The Testarossa is an icon and the best possible example of a highly desirable Ferrari youngtimer.