Is now the right time to buy a Ferrari Testarossa?
A Ferrari 512 BB is now traded at well over a quarter of a million, and the earlier 12-cylinder models, unless they are four-seaters, are even more expensive. The Ferrari Testarossa, however, has only just kept pace with the upward price surge. This is not least due to the large number of vehicles produced, which amounted to almost 10,000 units (Testarossa, 512 TR and F512M together). Most of them are likely to have survived.
But perhaps the Testarossa's heyday is yet to come. Some of the people who grew up with the computer game "Outrun" or loved the Miami Vice series are only just getting to the age when they start buying old cars. And the Testarossa is a supertypical representative of the eighties. Its design influenced legions of tuning cars. The Testarossa is actually downright cult and a pleasure to drive. Even its extra width is no longer so threatening in times when even staid SUVs need two meters of road.
And technically? How big are the risks? Less than one might fear. The cars were actually pretty well built. Of course, rust is an issue in the oldest examples, for example in the fender cut-outs. But most cars were treated gently and rarely driven in damp conditions. The technology is considered to be very durable if it has always been kept in good shape with the necessary maintenance work; a complete service history is worth hard cash. This does not mean that you can keep a Testarossa running for a pittance. Bills in the five-digit range are possible if extensive work is required, and you should be able to spend a considerable four-digit amount per year, recommends the buying guide printed in the current issue of Classic & Sport Car.
And how expensive are the cars? A condition 2 car from earlier model years is currently valued at EUR 121,000 by Classic Data . After a sharp rise a few years ago, prices have stabilized again.
Very early examples with the high-mounted single rear-view mirror on the left and descendants such as the F512M are trading at significantly higher prices, as shown by the estimated prices of some vehicles that will be auctioned in Monterey at the end of August at the Bonhamsand RM/Sotheby's auctions ( the pictures in this blog show the three cars from 1988/1989).
| Company | Lot | Vehicle | Year | $ Est from | $ Est to | € Est from | € Est to | CHF Est from | CHF Est to | NoR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonhams | 67 | Testarossa | 1988 | 80000 | 110000 | 68966 | 94828 | 80000 | 110000 | Yes |
| RM/Sotheby's | 109 | Testarossa | 1988 | 130000 | 160000 | 112069 | 137931 | 130000 | 160000 | Yes |
| RM/Sotheby's | 235 | Testarossa | 1989 | 130000 | 160000 | 112069 | 137931 | 130000 | 160000 | Yes |
| Bonhams | 16 | 512 TR | 1993 | 175000 | 225000 | 150862 | 193966 | 175000 | 225000 | yes |
| Bonhams | 65 | F512 M | 1995 | 275000 | 350000 | 237069 | 301724 | 275000 | 350000 | Yes |
| RM/Sotheby's | 209 | F512 M | 1995 | 325000 | 375000 | 280172 | 323276 | 325000 | 375000 |
The wide mid-engine cars are unlikely to become really cheap in the future either, they are too special and too "cult" for that. They are also pleasant to drive and have hardly any weaknesses worth mentioning. You probably won't make any money with them if you factor in all the costs, but that shouldn't be the reason to buy a Testarossa. The car is a design statement and one of the longest-built sports cars from Maranello in modern times. It has therefore earned its place in the Olympus of classic sports cars.
