www.QV500.com - Ferrari Testarossa Part 2: Testarossa Spider |
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Only one Testarossa Spider was ever officially sanctioned by the Ferrari factory. Built on chassis 62897 and completed in 1986, it was specially commissioned by Ferrari as a gift for the late Gianni Agnelli, head of the sprawling Fiat empire. Pininfarina were contracted to transform 62897 into a fully operational roadster and no doubt Ferrari had one eye on putting a topless Testarossa into production. |
Exactly why 62897 remained a one-off remains something of a mystery, hundreds if not thousands more could have been sold through the official dealer network. Mechanically Agnelli's car was no different to any other Euro-spec Testarossa, a standard 390bhp five-litre Flat-12 engine being installed. Pininfarina reinforced the chassis to compensate for the loss of rigidity caused by removing the roof. The roof and hinged rear engine cover were completely discarded, the subtly cut-down windscreen featuring reinforced pillars. When lowered, the manually-operated canvas top stowed beneath a body-coloured cover that formed part of the striking new rear deck. This featured a myriad of engine-cooling vents arranged in three distinct columns and accentuated the Testarossa's incredibly wide hind quarters. To work with the new windscreen, custom door glass had to be manufactured, Pininfarina finishing 62897 in silver with a magnolia leather interior. Just above the matt black sills, a thin dark blue stripe was added and the Ferrari badge on the nose was reputedly hewn from solid silver. |
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Unsurprisingly, many customers wanted their own Testarossa Spider but Ferrari inexplicably declined. This meant after-market tuning firms like Straman, Lorenz and Pavesi did a roaring trade in quality Spider conversions. Pininfarina got in on the action too and executed more than a dozen conversions, the majority of which were for the Sultan of Brunei and completed in right-hand drive. |
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