I'll be honest, I never quite got the hype around the Testarossa. Maybe it's just a little before my time, but the long overhangs, small wheels and gappy arches have always turned me off it - even seeing several Testes in the metal didn't change my perception. Then one drove past me.
It was as I walked home alongside a deserted A-road that it blew by. The howl of the flat-12, the flash of Rosso Corsa, and the presence of the thing; so low and flat from the rear that it appeared to fill both lanes. Suddenly it all made sense. What had seemed like a mishmash of stereotypical 80's design elements when still, became synth-pop poetry once in motion.
Hyperbole aside, I get the Testarossa now, and with that in mind, here's today's Spotted. It's a left-hand drive 1988 car which, at £74,995, may seem pricey compared to a few years ago. Everything's pricey compared to a few years ago though, and today it's at the lower end of the Testarossa spectrum, especially for a car in such good condition and with decently low mileage.
Of course, despite the claimed "concourse condition" of this car, there are better examples out there. Sought after 'monospecchio'
single-mirror versions
, with lower numbers on the odometer and the steering wheel on the correct side of the car. Those are nearly double the money though, and despite their desirability they're surely not twice as worthy of your hard earned cash.
What this particular car will give you is a relatively affordable way into ownership of one of the most recognisable Ferrari models ever produced. It's an opportunity to experience a little of the Maranello magic, a chance to live out a few of your Miami Vice dreams, and the means with which to convert even the most ardent Testarossa denier into a believer with a dip of your right toe. What better way to celebrate Ferrari's 70th anniversary could there possibly be?
SPECIFICATION - FERRARI TESTAROSSA
Engine: 4,942cc, flat-12
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 390@6,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 361@4,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1988
Recorded mileage: 38,000 miles
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £74,995
See the original advert here