Red Headed

The successor of the Ferrari 512 BBi

In 1978 Ferrari started to develop to successor of the 512 BBi, which had been a very successful and beloved car. One of the main goals was to make a car which could be sold in the USA, which was not the case with the 512 BBi, as it did not comply to all safety and emission regulations. One of the other goals was to solve the infamous heating problem of the Boxer models. Although the first plan was to merely restyle the car, both goals soon resulted in the decision to develop a completely new car which would be known as the famous Ferrari Testarossa.

The name "Testarossa" (= "Red Head") was selected to recall the series of successful sports cars of the 1950s, the 4-cylinder 500 Testa Rossa and 500 TRC and the well known 12-cylinder 250 Testa Rossa. The new Testarossa would be fitted with a 5-litre flat-12 engine, which would deliver 390 HP, enough for a top speed of 290 km/h.

Design

The development of the new Testarossa (then called Type F110 AB) was in the hands of four persons:

Dr. Ing. Angelo Bellei
Ing. Nicola Materazzi
Ing. Maurizio Rossi
Ing. Leonardo Fioravanti

Ferrari - Project Department
Ferrari - Engine Department
Ferrari - Experimental Department
Pininfarina - Head of the design team

After the most important parameters were known, they commissioned the Pininfarina Study and Research Center ("Pininfarina Studi e Ricerche") in Cambiano to make the designs. Head of the seven-strong design team was Leonardo Fioravanti, who had designed the P5, the P6 and the 365 GTB/4 "Daytona". As a chief, Fioravanti was also responsible for the designs of the 365 GT4 BB and the 365 GT4 2+2. Using his own name, Fioravanti released the "Fioravanti F100" in 1998.

Among the members of the design team were Ian Cameron, Guido Campoli, Emmanuele Nicosia and Diego Ottina. After more than three years of designing, it finally was Emmanuele Nicosia's design which became reality. Two of the designs which did not make it are shown below.

The rear was almost identical to the final design
© Supercars: Ferrari Testarossa by Mark Hughes

Prototypes and pre-production cars

The designs of the Pininfarina Study and Research Center resulted in several 1:1 polysterene models to test the aerodynamics in the windtunnel in Grugliasco. Those test models were called ‘BBN’ (Berlinetta Boxer New Models) and were built between 1979 and 1982. When the final shape was ready, they made one resin model to provide a durable full-scale model. This resin model still exists and was shown at the Ferrari Days Ticino in Switzerland on September 26th / 27th 1998.

One of the BNN models being tested in
the windtunnel of Pininfarina in Grugliasco
© GB Progetti #10

In 1981, Ferrari started to develop the engine for the Testarossa (type F113A), which would become a 4942 cc flat-12 with four valves per cylinder, derived from the 312 B engine. The new engine produced 390 HP (Euro) or 380 HP (US). Before the real production started, they tested about 20 engines.

The first prototype was built by the Ferrari factory in early 1982. It had no interior and was only meant to test the mechanical components. This car was followed by at least 30 other prototypes, all built by a Turin based firm called ITCA, which would also build the chassis and bodies for the normal production Testarossas.

Of the 30 prototypes, 12 were complete cars (in Euro LHD, Euro RHD and USA versions), while the rest were incomplete cars to test all the individual components. All prototypes were later used for crash testing for Type Approval and were later destroyed. Only three cars survived this horrible death and were later used by Ferrari’s Experimental Department for further testing.

The pre-production of the Testarossa started in January 1984 and normal production started in July. The earliest known Testarossa is s/n 53081, last known to be in The Netherlands. The two Testarossas shown at the Paris Salon were s/n 53283 and s/n 53285. All these (European) pre-production cars can be recognized by the special side blinkers. It might be possible that s/n 54051 is the first "real" production car and that this car has normal blinkers.

It is yet unknown if the prototypes also had serialnumbers. If so, then they would probably be in the 47xxx range. It might also be possible that the cars had no normal serialnumbers, but just a three-digit internal number. Numbers found in Progetti are mainly in the ranges 101 - 127 and 201 - 219. The exact meaning of those numbers is yet unknown.

Presentation

On September 24th 1984 a select group of Ferrari dealers were invited to the presentation of the Testarossa in Modena, on the site of the original Scuderia Ferrari facility. The next day, the dealers got a ride in two Testarossas (prototypes) on the track of Imola, with a factory testdriver behind the wheel.

On October 2nd 1984 Ferrari presented the Ferrari Testarossa in Paris, at the Lido Club on the Champs Elysees and one day later at the Paris Show at Porte de Versailles. There were two Testarossas on this show, one at the stand of Ferrari (s/n 53283, the one shown at Lido) and one at the stand of Pininfarina (s/n 53285). To proof that the Testarossa was very popular: 37 orders were taken at this show!

"The Testarossa was presented at the Lido with excellent use of the special effects that were made possible by the large space available. There was an enormous elevator, with a surface area of about 200-250 square meters, that looked like an American aircraft-carrier. The Testarossa was lowered from above in complete darkness, with a single spotlight shining on, and lighting like a fire, the car's red color and its lines. It was a great success; one of those occasions where the presentation itself becomes the events, and goes beyond the model of the car"

Dozens of things can be said about the Testarossa, but the quotes below might give a nice impression:

"A 300 kph living room. Formula One for the highway. Thouroughbred of the Ferrari stables. These are a few definitions which characterize the Testarossa, the top-of-the-line model at Maranello"

"Enzo Ferrari always said that history is made with a grain of truth and a lot of imagination, so it is entirely possible that the name "Testa Rossa" came from the color of a four-cylinder's header, painted red perhaps because the garage had run out of black paint"

"But there's more to a real Ferrari, and make no mistake, this red head is a real Ferrari. There are those years when Enzo Ferrari raced cars himself, worked with Alfa Romeo, and made them champions. Despite the comfort, into the Testarossa go all those years of tears, determination and victory. In short, it has a soul ....."