Will You Be Crockett or Tubbs Today? 'Miami Vice' Testarossa Up for Sale

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

Dubbed the “ most famous Ferrari known to exist” by Mecum Auctions, the white “Miami Vice” Testarossa will hit the auction block August 13-15 in Monterey, California.

The amazingly entertaining history behind the car includes details about the Testarossa, which was repainted white, and its life after the hit ’80s show.

With just over 16,000 miles on the clock and a recent $8,000 engine-out service, a piece of American television history can be yours (probably for a lot of money).

The 1986, single-mirror special Testarossa was one of two cars delivered to Universal Studios in a deal to rid the TV show of its Corvette-turned-Ferrari-Daytona they used for the first two seasons. Also part of the deal: Kill the Daytona on screen with a Hellfire missile. Awesome.

Since 1990, the car has been in storage, according to the auction house. Its low mileage and history could be attractive for any buyer looking for a car to complement their pastel suit collection. The car’s history has been verified by Ferrari and comes with complete service history.

Last year, a 1989 Testarossa with 95 miles sold at auction for $242,000. In May, David Hasselhoff’s “Knight Rider” car, KITT, was sold for $150,000. It’s unclear where the Ferrari 328 used in an episode of “Alf” is today.

Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • TMA1 TMA1 on Jul 08, 2015

    Both Bo's General Lee and KITT failed to sell at auction last week. We'll see about this one.

  • PriusV16 PriusV16 on Jul 09, 2015

    @APaGttH thank you, thank you, thank you for this statement. Miami Vice defined my youth, media-wise, and I'm simply STUNNED how many people remember that show in a completely wrong way -- either because their memory is playing tricks on them or because they never "got" Miami Vice in the first place. All the show's elements that people seem to have remembered the most -- the music, the luxury, the decadence, the cars -- were just a FACADE which was juxtaposed with the human suffering, the personal tragedies, and the horrible crimes that took places before this facade, and which made this facade possible in the first place. This wasn't a feel-good show about lucky and happy people driving around in Lamborghinis and dating hot women. This was a show about morally corrupt a**hole characters who paid their Lamborghini with dirty money and *raped* the women they wanted. And as you rightly pointed out, there was practically NEVER a happy ending to any episode. It was ambiguous or downright tragic endings all the way. The show was far less superficial than many people still make it out to be, and to this day, it gets way too little credit for its calculated bleakness and often stirringly tragic storylines.

  • Sobro Sobro on Jul 09, 2015

    Magnum's 308 GTS is more famous. Sorry Sonny. No moustache wax for you!

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Jul 09, 2015

    It's looking for a HEARTBEAT. Somebody to drive. That single mirror perched way up high like a parrot on the shoulder of a pastel pirate is a travesty.

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