1984 Ferrari Testarossa
Build Sheet
| Year | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Body | 2-door, 2-seat mid-engine berlinetta (coupe) with side strakes; Pininfarina design |
| Engine | 4.9 L (4,943 cc) Tipo F113 naturally aspirated flat-12 (180-degree V12), mid-mounted |
| Horsepower | 385 hp at 6,300 rpm (European spec); 380 hp US spec |
| 0–60 mph | approx. 5.2 seconds |
| Production | 7,177 Testarossas built 1984-1991 (before 512 TR/F512 M successors) |
| Original MSRP | approx. $94,000 (US, 1985 launch) |
| Current value | approx. $130,000-$160,000 for a good example (2025); driver-quality cars from ~$110,000 |
The Story
When Ferrari unveiled the Testarossa at the 1984 Paris Motor Show, it instantly became the poster on every teenager's wall. Pininfarina's wide, wedge-shaped body and the deep side strakes that fed air to the rear-mounted radiators made it the most flamboyant Ferrari yet — a car that practically defined 1980s excess.
The name, meaning red head, honored the painted cam covers of its 4.9-liter flat-12. Producing 385 horsepower, the mid-mounted twelve gave the Testarossa a top speed near 180 mph, briefly making it one of the fastest production cars in the world. A five-speed manual with Ferrari's classic open gate sent the power to the rear wheels.
Television sealed its fame. As the white car driven by Sonny Crockett in later seasons of Miami Vice, the Testarossa became shorthand for wealth, danger, and neon-lit glamour. Ferrari built 7,177 of them through 1991, an enormous run for the marque, before the refined 512 TR and F512 M carried the design into the 1990s.
For years the Testarossa was the affordable classic Ferrari, but those days are gone. Clean, well-documented examples now trade well into six figures as collectors rediscover the car's analog character and unmistakable silhouette. It remains the quintessential 1980s supercar.
Gallery
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