Elton John's Classic Ferrari Testarossa Just Sold for $420,000
Elton John’s classic 1987 Ferrari Testarossa sold at auction this week for a cool $420,000. It had been a gift from MCA Records to celebrate John’s 40th birthday. The Tiny Dancer singer was just one of several owners tied to the 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, reports Shannons, who hosted the auction in Australia.
The auction house put the automobile’s fun allure into words quite well in their listing: “Ferrari’s flagship for the 80s, the Testarossa became the must-have poster car for every teenage boy growing up in the decade when greed became good.”
The Testarossa replaced the aging Boxer, first witnessed by the public at the 1984 Paris Salon. The style of the ride was a head-turner, stirring a bit of debate within the industry and among fans. The car went on to become a commercial success nonetheless.
Shannons
Shannons
Shannons
The five-speed manual is a vision of delight from any angle. The 4943cc Flat-12 Engine sits in the Rosso Corsa coupe with refined style. At the same time, the interior light tan leather catches the eye. Cast alloy wheels and disc brakes round out the vehicle’s slick setup.
Technical types will take interest in the four-valve cylinder heads, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system (which was the style at the time), and Magneti Marelli Microplex ignition. The ride was said to offer 390 horsepower at 5,300 rpm. This model’s mileage sits pretty at 10,733.
The car will come with a set of documents to demonstrate its past ownership. On the roster will be John himself. He was the car’s second owner, and he held onto it for more than 10 years before letting it go in 2001 at a Christie’s auction.
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Hagerty believed the vehicle to be worth $211,000 in pristine condition, while Jalopnik, on the other hand, estimated something in the ballpark of $216,000 to $250,000 despite a little “minor wear and tear consistent for its age.” Both undervalued this fine piece of automotive history, with the Ferrari selling for twice what both companies expected.
