Estimate:
$120,000 - $140,000

• An angular masterpiece from Pininfarina, a mechanical symphony from Ferrari—together, an icon of the 1980s
• 380 hp, 4.9-liter, 48-valve, naturally aspirated flat-12 engine; five-speed manual transaxle
• Rosso Corsa over tan and brown interior
• Major engine-out service and additional work performed in 2015
• Currently displaying fewer than 31,700 miles
• Offered with Schedoni luggage set, owner’s manuals, service booklet, press booklet, tool roll, jack kit, and warranty card

A wide, fire-red wedge appears in the rearview mirror, barely tall enough to meet your windowsill. In mere seconds, the twelve-cylinder cacophony flies past; a quickly dissipating view of a distinctive rear fascia is the only evidence of your fleeting encounter with the Ferrari Testarossa.

The Testarossa is without question an icon of the Eighties; what is remarkable is that it its impact on unassuming drivers, young car-crazy dreamers, and high-performance aficionados has not lessened since the model’s introduction in 1984. Its looks certainly help: The low-slung, Pininfarina body is effectively a raked wedge designed to punch through the air at high speeds, not unlike fighter jets of the same period. Yet the Testarossa was not only a step forward in terms of styling; it also improved on the performance and all-around livability of the outgoing 512 Berlinetta Boxer.

By a stroke of artistic genius, the design managed to be sinister and elegant, both forward-thinking and contemporary. The long side-strakes that ran along the doors into the quarter panels served a functional purpose, channeling massive amounts of air toward radiators that kept the car’s potent 4.9-liter naturally aspirated flat-twelve engine cool. The engine produced 40 more hp than that of the Testarossa’s predecessor, the 512 BBi, helping the 3,700-pound coupe accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 5.8 seconds and reach a reported top speed of 180 mph.

This Testarossa is finished in the traditional color combination of Rosso Corsa over a tan leather interior with brown trim. The matching tan headliner brilliantly compliment the chrome shifter assembly and high-contrast gauge design. The data tag indicates that this chassis was completed in January 1987. It was sold new through Ferrari of Houston and promptly shipped to California, home state of its fist owner. A Hollywood Sport Cars of Hollywood, California stamp is featured in the service book, presumably the dealership that looked after the car for the first owner.

Minor changes for the 1987 model year included the introduction of passive restraint seatbelts as well as relocation of the odometer from the center console to the speedometer. As a pre-1988 example, this car also features the attractive “monodado” center-lug 16-inch wheels, compared to the five-lug wheels on later cars. A period Chips Radar system control unit and Nakamichi TD-700 mobile tuner/cassette desk are integrated into the Ferrari’s center console.

To this day, the Testarossa remains one of the most recognizable and beloved Ferrari models ever produced. It is a fixture of 1980s automotive styling and performance, as this example wonderfully demonstrates. This chassis currently shows fewer than 31,700 miles and presents in handsome condition throughout. Service and maintenance invoices from Fast Cars Limited of Redondo Beach, California detail an extensive engine-out service, mechanical overhaul, and minor corrective paintwork to the front fascia completed in 2015, just 500 miles ago. The car is accompanied by Schedoni leather luggage set, owner’s manuals, service booklet, press booklet, tool roll, jack kit, and warranty card.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0520.