From the moment it was introduced at a Paris night club in 1984, the Testarossa has always been a visually stunning expression of Ferrari. Its shocking proportions, particularly the width of the rear track, were driven by the decision to move the radiators from the front of the car to the sides to reduce cabin heat, necessitating what became the car’s visual calling card: the long strakes on the doors and rear fenders. Much of the car’s development was aimed at making the Testarossa more civilized than its Boxer predecessor, addressing contemporary complaints that the Boxer was too hot, too raw and insufficiently usable. By that measure, the Testarossa was a success: it offered exceptionally high performance but was also refined and comfortable. It was a blend that struck a chord with buyers in the consumption-crazed 1980s, and over 7,200 examples were built, making it one of Ferrari’s most successful cars of all time.
The Testarossa received minor updates throughout its relatively long production run, and then a major update for the 1992 model year when it became the 512 TR. Virtually every system of the car was substantially re-engineered, largely with the goal of addressing complaints that the original Testarossa had forgone a little too much of the visceral excitement that should define a Ferrari. The fuel injection was changed from Bosch CIS to Motronic, the valves enlarged, and the compression ratio increased. The exhaust system was also redesigned and the resulting engine gained approximately 50hp and a broader power curve while also becoming dramatically more responsive and sounding much better. The engine was also moved forward and down in the car, a significant enough change to improve the weight distribution by one percentage point at each axle. The suspension was also revised, the steering ratio quickened, and lower profile tires fitted to go with new 18 inch wheels, an increase of two inches. The brakes were also enlarged and fitted with cross drilled rotors. Relatively few changes were made during 512 TR production, of which one of the most substantial was the incorporation of the improved forged (rather than welded) differential housing that would be standard on the 512M.
This particular car is so equipped, as the change went into effect with transaxle number 1370 and this one has number 1412. The car is a US-specification example that was delivered new on the 9th of December 1993 by Cornes Motors in San Diego, California. It received its first service on the 13th of January 1994 and remained in California for the first five years of its life. In 1998, a long-term owner in New York bought it with 4,228 miles, and would retain it the rest of his life, until 2014, at which time it had covered about 15,000 miles. Its next owner was in Houston, Texas and retained it 11 years until 2025, adding about 8,000 miles. Shortly after his purchase, he had the car Classiche certified and routinely maintained the car, mostly with Ferrari of Houston. New tires were fitted in 2021 and the car received a high quality respray during his ownership as well.
In April 2025, the car received a major service including timing belts by Patrick Ottis Company. Included with the car is a file of service invoices, the original books, tools, and Classiche red book.
