Which 1980s Ferrari shares its name with the Italian word for 'redhead'?

The 1980s Ferrari that shares its name with the Italian word for “redhead” is the Testarossa.

Ferrari unveiled the Testarossa at the 1984 Paris Motor Show as the successor to the 512 BBi. Its name is usually written as “Testarossa,” while the Italian phrase “testa rossa” literally means “red head.” The name refers to the bright-red cam covers on its flat-12 engine, and it also echoes Ferrari’s famous 1957 250 Testa Rossa racing car.

The original Testarossa was produced from 1984 to 1991. Ferrari then developed the closely related 512 TR, followed by the F512 M, extending the family’s production run through 1996. Together, those versions accounted for nearly 10,000 cars, unusually high volume for a Ferrari of this type.

A common mix-up is treating the name as a reference to a red-painted body. It does not mean the whole car had to be red: Testarossas were sold in many colors, while the distinctive red detail was inside the engine bay. The car’s dramatic side strakes and appearances in Miami Vice helped make it an enduring 1980s icon.