The Red Head: Inside the Ferrari Testarossa
Pininfarina's cheese grater strakes, a flat-12 engine with red cam covers, and one asymmetric mirror — the 1980s supercar that defined an era.
Why It's Called the Red Head
Testa Rossa means "red head" in Italian — a reference to the vivid red-painted cam covers on the car's 4.9-litre flat-12 engine. The same name was used on Ferrari's legendary 1950s racing cars. The engine itself is a 180-degree horizontally opposed twelve-cylinder unit, mounted longitudinally behind the driver and producing 390 hp. In 1984, that made it the most powerful production car Ferrari had ever built.
The Cheese Grater That Became an Icon
The Testarossa's most recognizable feature — the horizontal side strakes running the length of the doors — was born from regulation, not styling. In several markets, safety laws required large openings to be covered. Pininfarina's solution was to turn functional radiator intakes into a design statement. The strakes, which feed twin side-mounted radiators, became so iconic they define 1980s supercar design to this day.
An Aluminum Body and One Mirror
Except for the steel roof and doors, the Testarossa's bodywork was crafted entirely from lightweight aluminum. Early production cars (1984–1986) featured an unusual single mirror mounted high on the driver's A-pillar — Ferrari's engineers believed the wide rear fenders blocked the view from a conventional position. After customer complaints, a second mirror was added to later models. The single-mirror cars are now collector's items.
The Gated Shifter Experience
The Testarossa offered exactly one transmission option: a 5-speed manual with an open-gate shifter. The metallic click of the gear lever moving through the exposed gate became one of the defining sounds of 1980s motoring. No automatic, no paddle shifts — just the driver, the gate, and 12 cylinders.
Evolution and Legacy
The Testarossa evolved into the 512 TR in 1992 and the F512 M ("Modificata") in 1994 before the model line ended. Throughout its run it appeared in Miami Vice, on the bedroom walls of a generation, and in countless video games. It remains the definitive symbol of 1980s excess done with Italian precision — a car that made engineering look like art.