Classic Cars with History: Ferrari Testarossa F90 Speciale

It was 1988, and Ferrari was conquering the world and the imagination of its most diehard fans with the Ferrari Testarossa, one of the most memorable models of the cavallino of the 1980s. However, not even Ferrari itself managed to find out that the Testarossa F90 Speciale existed. That Don Enzo never learned of it is understandable, since he passed away in 1988; but what is strange is that no one else at Ferrari had any news of this car until 18 years later.

But before unveiling the mystery, let me tell you a few more things about this particular Italian sports car. The Testarossa F90 Speciale was designed by Enrico Fumia, head of research and development at Pininfarina. For some reason, Fumia did not want anyone at Ferrari to find out that this Testarossa was being planned, so the project was kept under the strictest secrecy. They had their reasons, as we will see.

To build the F90 Speciale, Fumia used the Testarossa’s chassis, on which he based the design of a completely new body, as well as a new cabin. The powertrain was the same as that of the Testarossa, and the only change was the placement of the radiators, which moved to the front of the vehicle. Ultimately, the model became a sort of “Testarossa with a targa top”, which could eventually be converted into a convertible, and Pininfarina’s designers acknowledge that it was the most difficult model they have ever been given to design.

Along with the sketches that brought the Testarossa F90 Speciale to life on the drawing board, a four-door model based on the same design and another variant with a front-mounted engine were also designed, which never saw the light of day.

Now, why did Ferrari find out about the existence of this car 18 years later? The reason is very simple. The Sultan of Brunei bought them all; all six F90 Speciales produced were acquired by the Sultan and his brother Jefri. Apart from one isolated appearance in Monaco over the years by one of them, these cars never left Brunei and now rest in one of the five hangars the Sultan dedicates to his collection, valued at… 300 million dollars.