Unveiling its newest supercar at a nightclub was a bold move for Ferrari, but it could not have been more fitting on the evening before the 1984 Paris Motor Show. At the Lido nightclub on the Champs-Élysées, a select group of media and clients were afforded the chance to get a sneak peek of the new model just prior to its unveiling. The Lido was known for its flamboyance and overt style, and the choice in venue was instantly understood by all that first laid eyes on the new Testarossa.

Crisp angles defined the design language, yet the long side-strakes that ran along the doors into the quarter panels served a purpose, channeling air toward the potent 5.0-liter flat 12-cylinder engine. By a stroke of artistic genius, the design managed to be sinister and elegant, both forward-thinking and contemporary.

This Testarossa is finished in the traditional color combination of Rosso Corsa over a tan leather interior. According to the data tag, the car was completed in December 1986 for the 1987 model year. That year just over 1,000 examples were produced, of which only 315 were slated for U.S. delivery. As a pre-1988 example, this car also features the attractive single center-lug wheels, compared to the five-lug wheels on later cars. Minor changes for 1987 included the introduction of the passive restraint seat belts as well as moving the odometer from the center console to the speedometer. Today the odometer is showing fewer than 28,400 miles, and the car presents in excellent condition throughout. Included are the owner’s manuals in their Schedoni leather folio, jack kit, and binder of service documentation.

To this day, the Testarossa remains one of the most recognizable and beloved Ferrari models ever produced. It is a fixture of 1980s automotive styling and performance, as this example wonderfully demonstrates.