While RM Sotheby’s holds a myriad of elite automotive auctions each year, the auction house’s most exclusive event is almost certainly its Villa Erba sale. Held every two years since 2011, RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba sale takes place on the shores of Lake Como, Italy and is held in partnership with the legendary Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. With RM having two years to put each Villa Erba sale together, the auction house always manages to bring something special to the table in Lake Como every other year — with the next iteration of the sale being no exception. For the 2023 sale, RM is offering up five pristine mid ‘80s to mid ‘90s black-on-black Ferrari Testarossa examples.
Designed by Pininfarina, the Ferrari Testarossa was a flat-12-powered mid-engined supercar that first entered production in 1984. Successor to the Berlinetta Boxer, the model’s regular production ran through 1991, though two special edition variants — the 512 TR and F512 M — were later produced from 1992 until 1996. All wearing immaculate black-over-black bodywork with their iconic intake-connected side slats, the collection of Testarossa specimens being sold off includes a 1986 Testarossa “Monospecchio,” a 1987 Testarossa “Monodado,” and a 1989 Testarossa.
The most noteworthy Ferrari examples on offer are undoubtedly the late production high-performance models with a 1992 512 TR and a later 1996 512M. Offering a 4.8-second 0-60mph time and a top speed of 195mph, the 512 TR (short for Testarossa) was powered by a 422-hp rear-mounted Tipo F113 D flat-12 engine and was limited to only 2,261 units globally. Limited to only 500 examples worldwide — only 75 of which were earmarked of American shores — the F512 M stood as the final version of the Testarossa and featured a 4.9-liter Tipo F113 G mid-mounted flat-12 engine that produced 434hp and 370ft-lbs of torque.
Slated to see all five Ferrari Testarossa examples take their turns going under the hammer, the RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba Sale will kick off on the shores of Lake Como on May 20th, 2023.
