1991 Ferrari Testarossa

The car we are pleased to offer is Rosso Corsa red 1991 Ferrari Testarossa, chassis n. ZFFAA17B000088247 and with just 60544km on the odometer. Given its production year, this is the last iteration of the 1984 design since Ferrari released the car's restyled version, named 512TR, in 1992. The car currently features the taillights and rear grille of the model's latest evolution from the mid '90s, the rare 512M but its original taillights and grille are included with the sale.

Built in 1991, this Testarossa was first sold and registered in Italy in the same year before being exported to France in 1998. The current owner stored it in a private, climate-controlled museum.

This well-sculpted Testarossa's coachwork is well preserved. The Rosso Corsa paint appears to be the original one and the only tiny defects we were able to notice are the usual stone chips no car is immune from. We honestly think that the paint job itself doesn't need anything more than a good polish to be as beautiful as the day it left the factory. The front pop-up headlights are well preserved just like the lower driving lights and turn signals. The doors, the bonnet and the front trunk show consistent panel gaps and both open and close effortlessly. Especially the side strakes that cut through the huge air ducts are perfectly aligned with their rear counterparts. Seen from behind, this Testarossa is just as beautiful as it is when looked at from the front and everything looks exceptionally well preserved with the only thing that may leave one conflicted being the rear 512LM taillight and grille cluster. However, given how the original taillights and grille are included with the sale this can be deemed just a minor issue that can be solved in a couple of hours and some elbow grease.

Since this car spent most of its life in a climate-controlled environment, all the windshield and window gaskets and seals were almost left alone by father time and are still soft to the touch. The matte black front spoiler and side skirts, complement the car's fiery red quite elegantly, almost entirely defect-free. Equally beautiful are the 5 spoke, star-shaped alloy wheels which could pass as new if it weren't for some minor paint exfoliation and tiny signs of kerb rash or careless tyre fitting. The chrome wheel nuts are nicely preserved just like the tyres which have enough tread left but should probably be replaced because of their age.

Moving on to the predominantly black interior one can immediately appreciate the quality of the leather upholstery. The adjustable bucket seats, which still sport impeccable padding, only show some minor creases because of their age and the only actual defects consist of the usual abrasion sign on the driver's seat left bolster, a part that's often subject to wear when getting in and out of the car. The headrests, on the other hand, with the prancing horse embroidered inside of a rectangular recess, are almost new.

The three-spoke Momo steering wheel, with the horn button boldly painted yellow with a black prancing horse emblem, is in excellent condition and lets the driver admire the typically 80s dashboard design. The 4 main instruments, which consist of a big speedometer and rev meter on either side of the dash and two smaller oil pressure and water temperature gauges in the middle, all with black dials and orange numbers and needles, are exceptionally well preserved and easy to read either with or without their backlights. The same holds true for the other gauges, which sit in the centre console and consist of an oil temperature and fuel level gauge for the massive 115l fuel tank. The centre tunnel which hosts another set of switches and a\c related dials is in overall good condition save from some minor wear signs on both the switches and the leather. The cabin lights and the quirky air vent located on the headliner, which reminds us of those found on passenger aircrafts, are in good nick as well and offer a great contrast to the otherwise squared and boxy design of the interior.

The door cards and the thick, soft carpet show no real signs of wear but could benefit from some thorough cleaning to bring them back to their original lustre.

This Testarossa undercarriage seems to have never been subject to any relevant repairs and is extremely well preserved given the almost total absence of rust and the lack of any real peeling of the powder coat Ferrari applied to protect the steel tubular frame. Absent are also any signs of scratches and damages often caused by speed bumps or potholes on such a low car. The six coil-over dampers apparently don't leak and the whole suspension system is well preserved and almost entirely rust-free. The bushings, however, should probably be replaced since they look rather dry, a common problem of any old rubber-on-metal parts.

The engine bay, which houses the low but wide 180° V12 F113B engine and the rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, is clean and dry with all the various wiring looms and hoses in their proper place. The twin (one for each head) KE-Jetronic injection system doesn't seem to leak from its banjo fittings and the spark plug leads' insulation isn't cracked.

The front luggage compartment, with its carpet, doesn't seem to be hiding any nasty surprises either, save for a worn and rusted leather buckle.

This Testarossa, chassis n. ZFFAA17B000088247, was first registered in Italy on April 12th, 1991, and was then exported to France in 1998. From the moment it entered the current seller's private collection it sat in a climate-controlled environment which greatly contributed to its preservation.

Despite its relatively large production numbers, the Ferrari Testarossa is a car that helped define an era. The icon of the Miami Vice and Sega Out Run generation is not only the last Ferrari to feature a flat-12 engine or a departure from safe and well-established design philosophy, but also a true legend.

While this 1991 example is neither a "monodado" nor a "monospecchio", we firmly believe that it could satisfy a demanding customer and enthusiast that can afford the privilege of ownership of an on-demand 12-cylinder old-school Italian orchestra. Moreover, being the last iteration of the first series, this car took advantage of all the lessons learned by Ferrari during the previous model years and is, therefore, a brilliant compromise between the early model's design and all the little upgrades that would then lead to the 512TR and 512M models.

Of course, we'd like to remind any prospective buyers that it would be wise to proceed with a thorough inspection and all the required maintenance before actually driving the car given the time it spent on static display inside of the current collection.

Price estimate for this Ferrari Testarossa: € 80.000 - € 100.000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Dijon, France. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.