► Iconic white Testarossa for sale
► Miami Vice special comes to auction
► Comfortably over £150k expected
One of the white Ferrari Testarossas used in the TV series Miami Vice is heading to auction in August 2015. This is a car that ticks so many boxes, we’re not even sure where to start.
1980s poster car? Check. Star of a much-loved classic TV series? You bet. Driven by Don Johnson? Oh yes. Painted an awesomely ’80s (and very much back on trend) colour? For sure. A 4.9-litre flat 12, 390bhp and gated manual gearshift? Check, check, check.
You can be sure this thing will cause a sensation when you park it outside of the local Starbucks (random car movie cross reference ahoy).
Hold on a minute, wasn’t the Ferrari in Miami Vice a fake?
Ahh, you’re thinking of the black Daytona Spyder that was used in the first two series. The story goes that Ferrari North America turned down the production team’s request for the real thing, so two Corvette-based replicas were purchased – though the genuine article does feature in the original pilot.
Mecum Auctions, which is selling this car, suggest it was Enzo himself who offered Miami Vice a pair of factory Ferrari Testarossas for the third season. Ferrari was clamping down on replica builders at the time, and it’s said the producers were more than happy to accept the offer in exchange for destruction of the Corvettonas – one of which was blown up as part of an episode as a result.
The Testarossas were supplied black. Mecum claims the decision to paint them white was taken by director Michael Mann, in order to make them stand out more during scenes shot at night. There was a fake Testarossa, built specifically for stunt work. But rest assured the car for sale is one of the real ones. Ferrari North America and Ferrari Classiche have both verified its authenticity – and its low 16,124 miles.
How much is the Miami Vice Ferrari Testarossa likely to sell for?
The Mecum Auction in question takes place 13-15 August 2015, and is part of Monterey Car Week – the extravagant automotive carnival that leads up to the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which this year falls on Sunday 16 August.
The associated auctions always generate extraordinary prices. Previous owners have reportedly turned down million dollar offers for these Miami Vice cars, so while ordinary examples with similar mileage can be had for around £150k, we’d anticipate smashing a few more piggy banks in this instance…