Heading the early consignments for the Villa Erba sale in May is a remarkable single-owner collection of five immaculate Ferrari Testarossa and 512 derivatives, all presented in black paint over black leather interiors. If black supercars are your thing, the Black On Black Collection is your ultimate Ferrari five-car garage!
After an enforced three-year hiatus, RM Sotheby’s is delighted to be returning to the stunning shores of Lake Como for its biannual Villa Erba sale, to be held on 20 May in partnership with the revered Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The sale has always been considered one of the most beautiful in the auction calendar, and the 2023 sale promises to provide an exceptional opportunity for the world’s collectors to buy and sell some remarkable motor cars.
The Black On Black Collection is led by the 1996 Ferrari F512 M. The final iteration of the Testarossa, the F512 M was introduced in 1994 and was powered by the legendary flat-12 Testarossa engine, offering a power increase to 434 horsepower. This example was delivered new to Germany and is one of only 501 examples of its type built (Estimate: €230,000 – €300,000).
Also within the collection is a 1992 Ferrari 512 TR, which featured significantly updated Pininfarina styling when it replaced the original Testarossa silhouette. With 422 horsepower, the dry-sumped V-12 was able to hit 195 mph flat-out. This fine example is estimated to sell between €180,000 – €250,000.
Stephan Knobloch, Car Specialist, says: “We are delighted to have consigned this remarkable collection of Ferraris. As a marque which is synonymous with the colour red, black Ferraris are not only fewer in number but it is also a colour which gives Ferrari cars a highly purposeful look. For me, a black Testarossa is the ultimate specification, and these five cars present a very rare opportunity.”
The Testarossa was, and remains, a true 1980s icon thanks to its distinctive side strakes and imposing width, but there are subtle styling nuances which help to create additional visual drama. The 1987 Ferrari Testarossa ‘Monodado’ is one such example, featuring the ‘Monodado’-specification 16-inch wheels that boast a motorsport style ‘single-nut’ design that was only offered on selected variants of the Testarossa (Estimate: €120,000 – €180,000).
For many, the most collectable of all Testarossas is the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa ‘Monospecchio’, meaning ‘single mirror’, a feature found on the earlier models. These cars, fitted with the single, high-mounted mirror, were designed as such due to an interpretation of European regulations at the time, and have come to symbolise the purest of all the Testarossa models. The example on offer is estimated to sell between €120,000 – €180,000.
The collection is rounded out with a 1989 Ferrari Testarossa, which was delivered new to Italy via Concessionaria Autoterminal SpA. Resplendent in its full black livery, this example boasts the open-gate gearbox mated to the ionic mid-engined, 4.9-litre flat-12 powerplant (Estimate: €100,000 – €150,000).
