Ferrari Testarossa design review: ‘Designed as a cash cow, landed as an icon for eternity’

Ferrari’s goal with the Testarossa was crystal clear: to cash in the 1980s.

The twelve-cylinder Ferrari with mid-engine went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Berlinetta Boxer. The Pininfarina-designed car was produced until 1991. The name Testarossa, ‘red head’ in Italian, is a tribute to the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa racing car and refers to the red-painted top of the engine.

The design team at Pininfarina consisted of Ian Cameron, Guido Campoli, Diego Ottina and Emanuele Nicosia and was led by design chief Leonardo Fioravanti, designer of many Ferraris of the time. The design came from Nicosia, but his guidance by the talented Fioravanti was important. As a trained aerodynamicist, Fioravanti applied his know-how to designing the Testarossa’s aerodynamic layout. The large side intakes, perhaps the most iconic ever fitted to a Ferrari, were not only a design statement but also functional: the air to cool the side radiators entered through them and then went up and out of the car via the ventilation holes in the hood and the open rear. Because of that solution – some thirty years before several modern super sports car manufacturers adopted the same methodology – the Testarossa did not need a rear spoiler, leaving the bodywork simple and clean and the radical, wide sculpture untouched and free of visual noise.

The horizontal elements in the openings, which ran from the doors to the rear fenders, were necessary for rules that did not allow large openings in cars. Although they are mainly there for regulations, they add a great amount of character to the design.
Another unique design idea was a single, high-mounted rearview mirror on the driver’s side. This so-called Monospecchio version is now the most sought after. Initially on American cars, the mirror was lowered to a normal position in 1987 and a passenger side mirror was added shortly afterwards. Such a luxury!

The razor-sharp edges and hard, flat surface of the Testarossa body were a marked departure from the curvaceous Berlinetta Boxer, one that caused quite a bit of controversy at the time. The radical departure from the graceful shapes of the 1970s and the move towards the extravaganza of the 1980s ensured that the Testarossa is forever etched in the global collective consciousness of car enthusiasts.

The Testarossa’s horizontal proportions are extreme, the volumes and graphics – which emphasize its width – further adding to the drama. The equally distinct and typical Ferrari five-spoke wheels of the time are in line with the brand heritage and complement the design perfectly: Fioravanti’s ideas fit seamlessly with the car manufacturer from Maranello. This then very fresh, modern take on the Ferrari DNA took the brand’s aesthetic into a new and relevant area: both visually unique and highly functional.

Ferrari’s goal for the Testarossa, to make a lot of money during the 1980s, was achieved: almost 10,000 Testarossas, 512 TRs and F512 Ms were produced. Ferrari has now significantly expanded its model portfolio, while at the same time leaving the Pininfarina talent behind and taking the design of its new cars entirely into its own hands.