Perfectly suited to the decade in which it was born, the brawny Testarossa was both ostentatious and resolutely unapologetic—a big, brash supercar whose 4.9-litre flat-12 and near 2-metre width were as much a statement for the people who bought it as for Ferrari itself. It would have a lasting impact not just on the public psyche, but also on future generations of Prancing Horse-badged sports cars.

For many, the combination of rakish wedge styling and naturally aspirated flat-12 was a marriage made in heaven, and the view from Maranello for many years was ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it’. As a result, subsequent iterations of the model featured only small changes largely limited to ergonomics and styling. It wasn’t until 1991 and the arrived of the 512 TR that a more significant departure was made.

The styling of the famous Testarossa still remained in both scope and scale, but the harsher lines of the Pininfarina design had been smoothed over for the new model. Softer and more modern, the bodywork was lightly revised with a number of changes that tied the 512 TR more closely to the newly launched 348. Greater changes had been made beneath the skin, where the flat-12 engine was mounted lower in a single-piece rear subframe, aiding both weight distribution and creating a lower centre of gravity. Combined with new suspension geometry, handling was greatly improved over the outgoing model.

Perhaps the biggest changes were made to the 512 TR’s beating heart, which received several significant improvements. While the 4,943 cc capacity stayed the same, an increased compression ratio, adjusted porting, redesigned inlet plenums and larger valves combined with reprofiled camshafts and Bosch Motronic M2.7 engine management increased total output to an impressive 428 horsepower.

Chassis 95137 is one of just 2,261 Ferrari 512 TRs built, and left Maranello in right-hand-drive UK specification. The car is attractively finished in Blue Sera Metallizzato over a Blu Scuro leather interior with five-spoke alloy wheels and, at the time of cataloguing, the odometer read 54,860 kilometres. According to factory data, the 512 TR retains its matching-numbers 4.9-litre flat-12 engine.

A beautifully specified example finished in a highly desirable colour, this well presented 512 TR would make a welcome addition to any collection of landmark supercars.