Popularized by appearances in Miami Vice, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Straight Outta Compton the distinctive Bianco livery turns the Testarossa, already a symbol of 1980s excess, into the poster car for a generation.
As an early production example, the car offered here features the ‘Monospecchio’ a-pillar mounted single rear view mirror, alongside the ‘Monodado’ single-bolt wheels. Finished in the tantalizingly rare color scheme of Bianco over a matching Bianco interior, it was delivered new to Salem Ali Abdul Al-Sabah of Kuwait, a member of the Kuwaiti Royal Family, through Al-Baraha Company W.L.L., the official Ferrari importers of Kuwait.
Factory records note that the Testarossa was delivered in December 1986. Three years later, the car was exported to Switzerland in June 1989. There, the car remained until being exported to the US in May 2001, showing just 25,080 miles at the time of importation according to the accompanying Carfax. Upon its arrival in the US, the Testarossa was sent to G&K Automotive in Santa Ana, California to be federalized for US road use, with completion of the federalization work in September that same year. To ease registration in the US, the car was registered under the 1989 model year. In addition, the Testarossa was also fitted with front and rear indicators and a third brake light. Registered with its new US owner in Connecticut, the car would remain there until January 2020 when it was purchased by a new owner in Pennsylvania.
Acquired by the current owner just a few years ago, the Testarossa has been well maintained in his ownership, primarily looked after by GTO Engineering in Los Angeles. The car received a minor service with replacement of the coolant hoses, oil change, and new brake fluid and front pads in January 2023. A few months later, a full engine out service with timing belt, rear main seal replacement, and a replacement of the differential carrier was undertaken in June 2023. Since the timing belt change, the car has been driven less than 600 miles. Today, the odometer shows just under 34,500 miles from new, which is believed to be the original mileage for the car following an odometer change from kilometers to miles during federalization. Additionally, it is important to note that the car is accompanied by its four original Monodado wheels, some original Testarossa marketing literature, a set of manuals, tool kit, jack, original key, Ferrari-branded car cover, and OEM Ferrari seat covers. Finally, enhancing the Testarossa 1980’s flair is a period-correct Nakamichi head unit with an A/D/S amplifier, making for the perfect acoustic partner to the exceptional soundtrack of the original and complete European-specification exhaust from the flat-twelve.
Within Testarossa production, it is the earliest production cars, fitted with both the Monospecchio rear view mirror and Monodado wheels, that are the most collectible, not only for their rarity but the character that they add to the car itself. Additionally, with color becoming increasingly more important in today’s market, white will always remain the color of choice for those looking to purchase a Testarossa, especially when coupled with a matching white interior, a color combination that was very seldom specified when new, despite its near-universal retro appeal today. As such, this Testarossa stands out as one of the most desirable examples available today.
