Ferrari Testarossa
1984–1991 (512 TR ’91–94; F512 M ’94–96) · Ferrari Testarossa — Supercar, Flat-12, designed by Emanuele Nicosia.
The Story
Unveiled at the 1984 Paris show, the Testarossa became the defining supercar silhouette of the 1980s. Where its predecessor, the 512 BB ‘Berlinetta Boxer,’ hid a single front radiator and a hot cabin, the Testarossa moved twin radiators to the rear flanks and fed them through the now-iconic side strakes — the ‘cheese-grater’ intakes that run from the doors to the rear haunches and make the car dramatically wider at the back than the front. Beneath the Pininfarina bodywork sat a 4.9L Tipo F113 flat-12 (a 180° V12) producing ~390 PS (385 hp) and pushing the car to ~180 mph — figures that made it one of the fastest road cars of its era. Ferrari built 7,177 examples between 1984 and 1991.
The name was a deliberate revival: ‘Testarossa’ — ‘red head’ in Italian — pays homage to the 1957 World Sportscar Championship-winning 250 Testa Rossa, both cars wearing red-painted cam covers. Designed at Pininfarina by a team that included Emanuele Nicosia (with Ian Cameron, Guido Campoli and Diego Ottina, under design leadership associated with Leonardo Fioravanti), the Testarossa turned a regulatory and cooling problem into the most recognisable styling motif of the decade.
Then came television. After Ferrari forced the cancellation of the Corvette-based ‘Daytona’ replica used by Sonny Crockett in early Miami Vice, the factory donated two US-spec 1986 Testarossas to the production — both repainted white for better night-time visibility — cementing the car as the pop-culture Ferrari of the 1980s. It mattered then and matters now: it’s the poster on the bedroom wall that an entire generation of collectors grew up wanting.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Supercar class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Emanuele Nicosia
Credited with originating the 1984 Testarossa exterior under chief Leonardo Fioravanti. The side strakes are credited to the studio team (a side-intake safety-reg response), not one individual — attribution is contested.
Studio Motors POV
The Testarossa is the purest distillation of 1980s excess done right — a wedge of theatrical width, flat-12 muscle and those unmistakable strakes — and after years as the ‘uncool’ cheap Ferrari, it’s earned its place as a genuine blue-chip icon. If you want the decade in one car, this is it; buy the earliest, best-documented example you can.
The Engine
Ferrari Flat-12
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Testarossa
Worth Knowing About the Testarossa
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • The side strakes weren't only styling — they fed the rear-mounted twin radiators, and because safety rules outlawed large open intake holes, Pininfarina turned the required slats into the car's signature look.
- • The 'Testarossa' name is a 1957 revival: it means 'red head' and references the red-painted cam covers shared with the 250 Testa Rossa racer.
- • The most coveted cars are the earliest: the 'monospecchio' (single high-mounted driver's-side mirror) and 'monodado' (single-lug knock-off wheel) examples command the strongest premiums.
5 Fast Facts
- • ~7,177 original Testarossas built, 1984–1991 — one of the most-produced Ferraris of its generation.
- • 4.9L (4,943cc) Tipo F113 flat-12 (180° V12).
- • ~390 PS / 385 hp (European spec).
- • Top speed ~180 mph (~290 km/h); 0–100 km/h ~5.2–5.8 s.
- • Debuted at the 1984 Paris show; succeeded by the 512 TR (1991–94) and F512 M (1994–96).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Gerhard Berger (F1 driver, Scuderia Ferrari) — his Testarossa was delivered via dealer Denzel in Innsbruck in May 1989 and he references it in his memoirs (Magneto / Classic Driver).
Nigel Mansell (F1 World Champion) — a 1990 Testarossa delivered new to Mansell, his name on the door-jamb plaque, service stamps from Nigel Mansell Sports Cars Ltd (Classic Motorsports / Silodrome).
Michael Jordan — his 1992 car is a ‘512 Testarossa’/512 TR (the successor), not the original.
(Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mike Tyson, etc. appear only in aggregated lists with no primary documentation.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Early ‘monospecchio’ (single high mirror) and ‘monodado’ (single-lug wheel) cars are the most desirable and command premiums; the final-year cars also rate highly. Know the lineage: original Testarossa (1984–91) vs 512 TR (more power/refinement) vs F512 M (last and rarest, fixed headlights) — the F512 M typically sits at the top of the value range. Values roughly $100k–$250k+; good drivers cluster ~$140k–$180k, with the strongest money for low-mile, early monospecchio/monodado and Classiche-certified cars; late F512 M higher. Demand documented service history and the engine-out cam-belt service (a known major cost on the flat-12); Ferrari Classiche adds value and authenticity.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari Testarossa
- Class
- Supercar
- Production years
- 1984–1991 (512 TR ’91–94; F512 M ’94–96)
- Units built
- ~7,177 (512 TR ~2,261; F512 M 501)
- Variants
- 512 TR, 512 M
- Engine layout
- Mid
- Engine
- Flat-12
- Engine family
- Ferrari Flat-12
- Displacement
- 4943 cc (4.9 L)
- Power
- 385 hp
- Torque
- 361 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 5.2 s
- Top speed
- 180 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 256 hp/tonne · 8.6 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual transaxle
- Drivetrain
- RWD (longitudinal mid flat-12) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 3320 lb
Questions
Testarossa FAQ
What are the Ferrari Testarossa’s key specifications and where does the name come from?
The Testarossa uses a mid-mounted 4,943cc flat-12 producing 390 hp at 6,300 rpm, with the Testarossa name — Italian for red head — reviving the designation of the legendary 1950s 250 Testa Rossa race car, whose cam covers were painted red. The road Testarossa carries this tradition: its cam covers are also finished in red. Ferrari produced approximately 7,177 examples between 1984 and 1991, with the 512 TR (421 hp) and F512 M (440 hp) continuing the line through 1996.
Why did the Ferrari Testarossa become a cultural icon of the 1980s?
The Testarossa appeared in the television series Miami Vice from 1986, driven by Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) — originally as a white example that became inseparable from the show’s visual identity. Ferrari provided the cars to the production at no cost, and the association with Miami Vice’s pastel-and-neon aesthetic made the Testarossa one of the most recognised cars of the decade and a defining image of 1980s popular culture.
How does the Ferrari Testarossa compare to the 512 BB it replaced?
The Testarossa replaced the 512 BBi in 1984, keeping the 4.9L (4,943cc) flat-12 architecture but revising it with four valves per cylinder (F113 A) — power increased to 390 PS. The comparison is more about valve-train and refinement upgrades than displacement change; the F113 engine also introduced the iconic side strakes as a body/cooling signature.
What is a Ferrari Testarossa worth today?
Testarossa market: Classic.com shows F512 M CMB around $545K; Hagerty shows a good-condition 1993 512 TR around similar territory. The 512 TR and F512 M evolutions command significant premiums over standard Testarossa (~1984-1991). Monospecchio (single-mirror) early Testarossas are particularly collectible.
Can you source a Ferrari Testarossa through Studio Motors?
Yes. The Testarossa, 512 TR, and F512 M are among the most recognisable Ferraris ever built, combining the wide flat-12 body with one of the most distinctive silhouettes in automotive history.
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