The Ferrari Testarossa was a 23-year-long mistake — ISSIMI Spotlight feat. Jason Cammisa — Ep. 06

Some things don't go the way they're planned. We often call them "mistakes." But some of the best things have come from unplanned events, miscalculations, or aberrations: the Ferrari Testarossa, the Post-It note, and even Jason Cammisa. We asked his mom. Jason was a mistake.

Doesn't make him less of a Jason. And the Testarossa, despite its huge commercial success, was part of a lineage of Ferraris which was, in retrospect, compromised at its mission.

Ferrari, perhaps caving to the en-vogue mid-engine fad of the late 1960s and early 1970s, ushered his 12-cylinder GT cars away from their successful front-engine layout. For the 365 GT/4 BB, Ferrari splayed the Daytona's V-12 to 180 degrees and mounted it the middle of a body so sultry that its creators nicknamed it "BB," after Brigitte Bardot.

Ferrari's press office had to make up a story about BB, and called it the Berlinetta Boxer — but of course this Berlinetta never had a Boxer engine. (Ferrari insiders confirmed this BB story to us.)

The press railed on the BB for not being a usable car, and so it was replaced with the Testarossa, which gained 6 inches in width that allowed the cooling system to be moved to the rear of the car. This addressed the media's complaints about the heat-soaked cabin. Despite its enormity, the Testarossa became one of the most successful Ferrari models ever.

Its 1980s cocaine-snorting image doesn't quite line up with the valium-popping driving experience, but the Testarossa was a magnificent luxuxry car. Great, just not what you'd expect. Its replacement, the 512 TR, sharpened many of the rounded edges and made it halfway back to the magnificent 365 BB's driving experience, but without the drawbacks.

After 23 years, Enzo had left us, and the mid-engined 12-cylinder GT was retired by new boss Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who realized the middle-motor concept was probably best left for the sports cars. The flat-12 lineage ended, and the Ferrari GT returned to its front-engine roots with the 550 Maranello.

The Testarossa is the middle-child in a two-decade series of cars between the 365 GT/4 BB, BB 512, and BB 512i; and then the 512 TR and 512 M. Each is an amazing Ferrari in its own right, even if it's not what you think it is, proving that sometimes the best things come from something that ultimately proved to be a mistake.

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ISSIMI’s “Spotlight” series gives automotive enthusiasts and collectors an in-depth look at rare, interesting, and important cars. “Spotlight” is an editorial wiki video that, first and foremost, provides context, answering the question “why is this car important?”

With his trademark balance of insight and comedy, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa combines the facts with editorial insight, allowing the audience to walk away with a cursory understanding of each featured car. Wherever possible, Spotlight will include driving footage and acceleration footage with high-quality audio to provide a first-person experience of sight, sound, and motion that words alone never could.

ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform. Please check www.ISSIMI.com for more information.

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