I haven’t been in too many accidents in my life, despite driving 40,000+ miles a year. I’ve been lucky, there is no question about it. I can’t imagine the feeling to have been in an accident with a car like this 1987 Ferrari Testarossa. This wrecked redhead (Testorossa = “redhead” in Italian) is part of a Copart auction and you can find more info about it here. It’s in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Thanks to Desmond G. for sending in this tip!
I have at least one car that I rarely drive because I’m afraid to have it anywhere near “those people”. You know the ones I mean, the uncaring car-is-an-appliance type of people who wouldn’t think twice about swinging their door into your door in a parking lot, because, you know, a car is just a way to bring you to the store and back home again. Who cares, you can just get another one. Those people. They’re out there, so beware. We don’t know the story on what happened with this Testarossa but whatever it was, I get the chills just looking at these photos.
Ok, that’s more like it. Those famous strakes running down the side pretty much define the 1980s to me. Who among the young, acid-wash jeans crowd didn’t dream about having a Testarossa? Ferrari Testarossa posters on their bedroom walls next to those of Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fawcett, what an era. The Testarossa was a replacement for what is a hot car today, the BB, or Berlinetta Boxer, a mid-engine car that replaced an even hotter car: the front-engine Daytona. I guess all Ferraris are hot today, even the formerly almost-unwanted 400i with an automatic transmission. The Testarossa flew in an entirely different league than most exotic cars of the era and it still stands out today.
The interior looks almost perfect which is a good sign for the former owner. Again, we don’t know anything about the accident or the former owner, but I’m just assuming that they survived whatever it was that pulverized the front end of this Ferrari. The gated 5-speed manual transmission was the only one available and this car has a mere 13,067 miles on it. For us car guys and gals, that’s a pretty tragic ending. I’m guessing that this car will be repaired as there are other Ferraris listed on the Copart site and some of them have bids of over $100,000.
The famous redhead is seen in the photo above, the painted red cam covers of the 4.9L Ferrari flat-12 which had about 390 hp. Vehicles sure have come a long way, speed-wise, as my Cayenne Turbo is quicker from 0-60 than this Testarossa is, or was. But, there is no question which one I’d rather have. At least if this wasn’t a project car. The seller lists an estimated retail value of $172,700 and they didn’t get that number from Hagerty which lists a #1 concours car as being worth $105,000. I would tend to be somewhere between those two numbers, $105,000 doesn’t get much these days for legendary exotics. Have any of you owned a Ferrari?
This car broke someone’s heart.. I hope it’s parked inside, looks like the passenger door is not able to close.
Whoa, I guess someone found out, it doesn’t stop near as well as it goes. Pretty major screwup, front end damage is almost always the drivers fault. And while these, like Italian super models are beautiful, too temperamental, happy one minute, throwing plates and dishes the next. No thanks.
Yup, I had an exotic Italian girlfriend twenty years ago , she was and still is a total train wreck but wow what a ride. Took me all these years to realize I was never in her league.
Front end damage us always the drivers fault. The question is, which driver! Stepson just totaled moms corolla last week – the whole drivers side corner – hood, fender, bumper, grill, etc crumpled up exactly as they were designed. He and his girlfriend walked away with very minor neck strains. Other car pulled out of driveway right in front of them, small amount of damage to the side door of their suburban. I was going to wring his neck until the cop told me he was totally not at fault…
Come on Howard, my father-in law is a nice guy once he calms down !!! Just order a fender and bumper off 3bay and straighten out the hood with a mallet. Maybe a little putty…good as new !
This Ferrari, after what has to be put into it, unfortunately still won’t be right. Price too expensive in my opinion and a salvage title after to boot. Front end hit is tough to swallow.
they should sell it to gas monkey garage. he would fix it
Agreed. Call in the clowns! At least Richard and his gang made a brilliant job of restoring their Ferrari. They even called in a Ferrari factory technician to check out that they had repaired the bent chassis to original specifications. This one would be an absolute doddle for them.
Yup, then Dennis bought it for 900K, only to be sold a year later at auction for 500K. Ouch. Just goes to show the BS that gets put on tv these days. I worked for a Ferrari dealer for a number of years and I can tell you one thing, once a wrecked Ferrari, always a wrecked Ferrari. Even if it’s restored by the factory, it’s a wrecked Ferrari.
Suddenly, I have an urgent need to binge watch Miami Vice…
At a body shop I used to paint at , one of the members of the silver bullet band had a black one of these with a red leather interior , maybe the most striking car I’ve ever seen.
Looks like somebody was doing their best imitation of a 1980s rockstar. Until everything came to an abrupt halt. Literally!
It looks like it will buff out.
Take insurance money paid out and get a hired rollback chauffeur to take one arround on cruises.
You could always do this: https://www.instagram.com/madmaxc7/
I knew a man in Portland that bought one. On the very first day he gave his mother a ride. A 17 year old came around the corner wide into a head-on and totalled the Testa Rosa. Then another guy up near Olympia Washington killed himself in a speed related accident on his first day of ownership, also in a new to him Testa Rosa. Gee, I guess I’m lucky, the first Ferrari I ever drove was a Testa Rosa, not one of these, but a classic front engined example from 1956. I survived!
Great story, Chinga! I work part time at a high end body shop; we do lot of work for the local Honda dealer. When the 2 seat honda sports car (S2000?) came out I saw one and said wow. Within a month 3 had 3 of ’em in for front end damage. I drove a 16 challenger , SRT, 475 ponies I do believe. That’s the smaller engined one and lawdy miss Clawdy that Mopar is a monster. had 6 speeds and 3 pedals. Showed much respect and had a ball. Moral: you want to know exactly what you are doing when u climb into one of these missiles. Happy Motoring!
Cheers
GPC
Great idea ccrvtt! Not sure exactly what you’re suggesting, but it looks like fun!
I like the Copart description of ‘minor dents and scratches’.
Yep I’m sure the guy who owned it when it crashed got paid for it. Someone else bought it thinking he could make a killing. This redhead is hurt bad- front end and all down the right side. the parts would cost a fortune if you could get them; then getting a true expert to fix it? When an ins co totals a car, they know exactly what they are doing, taking everything into consideration right down to what the eye cant see.
As Far as the TV shows–everyone talks about what they are seeing as facts. These shows are entertainment. They will tell you what they want. Its not as easy as they make it look. And how do you know they actually did the work?? That includes @$$monkey, the mopar guy, who refers to his daughter as the fruit of his loins?? and all the rest. If it was easy everybody would be doing it.
Sorry OT but the Humble opinion of this ol grey hair.
Cheers
GPC
It says in the Copart ad that it is owned by State Farm Insurance.
They paid the claim, immediately cancelled the owners insurance policies, and threw it on Copart hoping to make some of their loss back.
Nothing out of the ordinary here.
And how do you know that it happened that way? Another scenario – a State Farm insured trundling along in his Kia Rio fails to stop at a sign, rolls through the intersection colliding with the Ferrari. State Farm, doing the right thing, pays off the Ferrari owner, takes possession of the salvage, and in being responsible to all policy holders attempts to recoup as much as possible by selling what’s left of the Ferrari. Nobody gets cancelled unless drugs, alcohol or a felony was involved. This is the real world at work.
And how do you know that your scenario is accurate? You don’t, anything is possible.
And in the real world, policies DO get cancelled when claims are made.
40 years in the industry leads me to think I might have more experience. One simple claim doesn’t get anyone cancelled. There’s gotta be more to it. Even if a company wanted to, it’s such a regulated enterprise it still won’t “just happen.” Now this may ignite a flurry of comments such as “Oh yeah, here’s what happened to my neighbor/friend/brother in law” but you only know what they’ve told you. There’s always something serious behind a cancellation. End of story. Period. You can believe big bad witch stories if you want, but that doesn’t change the real world.
Replying to brakeservo –
I know exactly what you mean. Years ago, I had an at fault accident (won’t get into details) and shortly thereafter my policy was cancelled. The actuaries deemed they would never make enough money off me.
The back story is that in the previous 4 or 5 years there had been two other claims put thru. First I was involved in a very minor fender bender, which became a pileup when the car behind me slammed into me doing 55 mph, and then that car was slammed into by yet another car, all of which was caused by a car two ahead of me deciding to come to a complete stop in the left lane, then left the scene of the accident. Couple years after that, my daughter was at the ex’s house, went out for a bike ride, went thru a stop sign, and was struck by a pickup truck. 2 weeks in the hospital followed by months of recovery and physical therapy. All of which went thru first the other guys PIP coverage, then it transferred to MY PIP coverage, because I had a higher amount! That’s where the unrecoverable dollar amount came from, even tho I was in no way to blame. My ex paid out zero, because her policy had the lower amount.
So yeah, I agree with you that there is a backstory not presented here…
“The gated 5-speed manual transmission was the only one available and this car.”A big YES to that. How about mfrs of high end sports cars REFUSING to offer automatic? The quintessential uncoolness. If you can’t shift then go with a big ole SUV that doesn’t guess if you can drive. I even look into a JK to see if the driver is cool or just trying to look cool on the outside. And another thing. Those paddle shifters. For the girly man. The “redhead” up above also shows how cool a stick in the floor is. The only way to go.
I can visualize a scenario where the driver, in trying to avoid a head-on, misses the other vehicle, but contacts the roadside guy-wires, spinning, perhaps, as the damage does not seem to be the result of a colision with somethiing big & heavy. Methinks we are, too often, too quick to judge the driver. Mangled as it may be, could there be a possibility that the scenario is somewhat close to reality, and that the damage is all cosmetic?
The pictures break my heart, but, ccrvtt , a huge sincere “Thank you” for vastly improving my day!
Hmmmmmmm, where’s my bankbook?
Good commentary about the insurance cancellation. I am certainly not defending the insurance companies- they all suck. But they are in business to make money, lots of yours and mine included. They don’t like to pay out. You can be a great customer, but get behind one payment and they want to drop you like a hot potato. They hate claims. I’ll get off the soapbox now, but the thing that really galls me is the fact that the ins co decides who is at fault, in NY state anyway. Its the fox guarding the henhouse. Sorry this is OT.
Cheers
GPC
ouch!
Well, I guess I can say goodbye to my insurance adjustor application, and now I have learned to always look at the originating site pics. Completely missed the passenger door, and THE ROOF? Ouch for sure. I’m going to blame it on lack of sleep.