Whether running top speed or touring the boulevard, for 30 years the Testarossa Ferrari has been a greatly respected platform at the pinnacle of grand style, peerless presentation and heart-pounding performance.

American three-time Le Mans 24 Hour winner and 1961 World Champion, the late Phil Hill, won all of these aboard a Ferrari. Upon running a Ferrari Testarossa at the 7.5 mile Ohio Transportation Research Center he commented: “It sounds like a Ferrari, it feels like a Ferrari…at the very limit it doesn’t feel as aerodynamically stable as it might. But if you drive it at about 175-mph indicated, you feel like you’re at normal cruising speed. At top speed you feel you’re going terrifyingly fast, but if you slow down just a hair, it feels like you could drive like this all day long. The handling and brakes are extraordinary. And it’s a very comfortable car. The pedals are offset a bit, but you get used to that easy enough. And the interesting thing is, with this road car I was going faster than in most of the racecars I drove at Le Mans.”

Introduced the night before the opening of the 1984 Paris Motor Show at the famed Lido nightclub on the Champs-Élysées, Ferrari’s amazing Testarossa caught the world’s attention. Not only did the Testarossa find its way into the garages of over 7,000 enthusiasts; movie and television shows and advertising exposed the Testarossa to a stardom of its own.

Ferrari took their customers’ comments on the earlier Berlinetta Boxer models to heart when addressing the model and designed the Testarossa to be more user-friendly overall. Increasing the Testarossa’s width by nearly half a foot and its wheelbase by 2.5 inches, passengers enjoyed additional interior room while providing a more menacing stance. Engineers also provided customers with more luggage space and additionally made an effort to reduce cabin heat. The 4.9-liter flat-12 cylinder engine was redesigned with four valves per cylinder, and the Testarossa received a new clutch as well. Horsepower was increased to 380, which provided the car with a 0- to 60-mph time of just over five seconds and a top speed of approximately 180-mph.

This particular Testarossa, a highly desirable single-mirror example is an early production car that is reported as unbelievably nice and original in condition. The “Flying Mirror”/Monospeccio Testarossa wears the red Italian racing colors with an exquisite tan interior. With only two documented owners, the first owner had the car for 26 years.

This desirable Testarossa also has comforts onboard such as air conditioning, audio and power-operated functions. The Ferrari has recently had an engine out service, plus a three inch thick binder of service records going back to new. The original three-piece luggage set is included, as are stamped books and the tools. Further verification comes through Classiche Certification and multiple Platinum Ferrari Club of America awards as recently as the 2014 FCA International.

The Testarossa’s performance can still outpace most production cars today, and it remains highly exciting to drive.