In its heyday, the Ferrari Testarossa was a status symbol for the rich and successful. The supercar became one of the most iconic cars of the 1980s, epitomised by its hero-car status in films and television shows such as Miami Vice and video games including Out Run. Famous faces including Rod Stewart, Elton John, Michael Jordan, and Mike Tyson were all Testarossa drivers, leaving Ferrari fans around the world aspiring to own the mid-engined, wedge-shaped sports car.

The Testarossa transcended celebrity and found significant ownership in circles beyond actors, musicians, and sports personalities. The example offered here is documented to have been delivered new to Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline of Monaco. The Princess’s name is listed within the accompanying Ferrari Warranty Card, with the supplying dealer stamp belonging to Charles Pozzi of Levallois-Perret but being fulfilled by Monaco Motors. The car is thus recorded to have been completed by the Maranello factory on 9 January 1986 and duly delivered on 18 February.

It is not known for how long the Ferrari stayed in royal custody. The same Ferrari handbooks are stamped with dealer services performed in Cremona, Italy in April 1986, Monaco Motors in March 1987, Crepaldi Auto of Milan in September 1988, and Sportcar snc of Milan in September 1989 and again in May 1992. It is believed that the car was then imported to the Netherlands in 1993. A research report shows that in Dutch ownership, insurance claim-related repairs were required. In 2003, the Testarossa was acquired by its next Dutch owner and was periodically maintained by Forza Service, the Ferrari specialist based in Oss, with invoices on file dating from 2003 to 2019. The Ferrari changed owners in the Netherlands again in 2018 and 2019.

Now offered for sale with only 61,591 kilometres on its odometer at the time of cataloguing, the Ferrari is supplied with its books and manuals—importantly denoting its royal connection within—as well as a leather tool roll. One of just 40 examples of the Testarossa ‘Monospecchio’ finished in Nero (non-metallic, Nero Fer 1240), the exterior of the sleek supercar is complemented by a full black leather interior. The Ferrari retains its matching-numbers V-12 engine. Fittingly consigned to auction in Monaco, where this car was once delivered to royalty, bidders should take note of this attractive Testarossa ‘Monospecchio’.