The peculiarity of that single rear-view mirror mounted on the driver’s side and the disappointment of customers who, objecting to instability, caused it to have two in the third year of its production; its flat twelve-cylinder engine – whether or not to call it a boxer, even though we know that technically it is not a boxer but a 180-degree V–; the manufacturer’s “no” to the Spider version and the exception of the only example developed for Gianni Agnelli; the charm and majesty of its profile… The Ferrari Testarossa, its stage of development and its early years, is generous in condiments and curiosities.
In retrospect: its undeniable, stainless and transgenerational legacy for the most modern automotive history; the peak of its saga with the F512 M; how vital it was during the immediate decade, an era that marked a technological breakthrough – I can name various experimental Pininfarina projects imagined and materialized taking our beloved Berlinetta as a starting point and inspiration: concepts like the F90 (I stand up), the Mythos, the FX of the mid-90s, its role as a cultural icon – the video game Out Run, quite a test –… Thus until reaching the day of its launch, the appointed time, its premiere and the premiere before the premiere .
40 years after the memorable preview before the Paris Motor Show
The event, the Paris Motor Show. On October 3, 1984, the Ferrari Testarossa made its official debut and did so twice: one copy at the manufacturer’s stand in Maranello and another at Pininfarina’s. It was at the opening of the 71st edition, an edition that we remember for other welcomes: it was the event that greeted other street models such as the Audi Coupé, the SEAT Ibiza and the Volkswagen Passat Variant Syncro, a GT family car. An official debut, but not the first. It was the night before when the Italian sports car was seen for the first time, in what was a match not suitable for the general public.
From Modena to the Champs-Élysées. From the local dealerships that knew him before anyone else, to the Lido. There, in the emblematic cabaret, the Testarossa did everything but go unnoticed. An exclusive preview for press people, special guests and logical personalities like Sergio Pininfarina. Before dying, a trusted man of Don Enzo and a historical reference for the Scuderia portrayed the moment: “He was lowered from above in complete darkness, with a single spotlight on and illuminating the red color of the car and its lines like a fire,” described Franco Gozzi. Witness to the memorable revelation, this is how he defined it: “One of those occasions where the presentation itself becomes an event, and goes beyond the car.”
That night on the Champs-Elysées, the Ferrari Testarossa was the star. Next to it, displayed as a separate masterpiece, the flat V12, the other great star. Just for that night the burlesque dancers were not the ones who stole the show.
