One to Buy: ex-Nigel Mansell 1988 Ferrari Testarossa
Of the myriad British drivers to have appeared in Formula 1 and Grand Prix racing over the best part of 100 years, perhaps none have received the level of rapturous home support as Nigel Mansell.
Whether it was at Silverstone or Brands Hatch, Mansell’s performances electrified the huge crowds that came to support him in a riotous fashion unseen before or since.
With a talent considered by many experts to have been on a par with contemporary rival Ayrton Senna, Mansell should have been a three-time World Champion. However, bad luck in 1986 and ‘87 cost him while driving for the Williams Honda team and, following a disappointing campaign in 1988 when Williams had to run underpowered Judd engines, Mansell departed for Scuderia Ferrari and became the last driver Enzo Ferrari personally signed.
Just like in Britain, the Italian fans adored Mansell who they dubbed ‘il Leone’ on account of his heroic driving style. Despite some appalling reliability and the dominance of McLaren, Mansell won three races for Ferrari during the 1989 and ‘90 season and when his car made the finish, the Brit was nearly always on the podium.
When Mansell signed for Ferrari in late 1988, a perk was the gift of a brand new Testarossa which is set to go under the hammer with RM Sotheby’s at their sale in London on November 4th.
A right-hand drive example supplied new to Gestions Sportives Automobiles of Geneva on December 23rd 1988 and subsequently imported to the UK by Maranello Concessionaires, chassis 79325 remained in Nigel Mansell’s possession until December 1993.
Today the car, which features a commemorative plaque on its door jam, has covered a little under 15,000 miles. It is offered in superb condition along with an original six-piece set of fitted Schedoni lugagge monogrammed with Nigel Mansell’s initials.
Reprinted below is RM Sotheby’s description:
Estimate: £150,000 - £200,000
Chassis No. ZFFAA17C000079325
Engine No. 15213
Presented as a gift to Nigel Mansell following the Formula 1 driver’s switch to Scuderia Ferrari
Delivered to Mansell ahead of his first season as a Ferrari driver
A plaque in the inner-door jamb notes the car’s close connection to Mansell
Retains its matching-numbers chassis and engine
A rare example, having been built in right-hand-drive configuration
Accompanied by a six-item set of fitted luggage embossed with Mansell’s initials
Also supplied with period correspondence between Maranello Sales and Ferrari headquarters to arrange for the car to be supplied to Mansell
As the 1980s drew to a close, a power struggle emerged among the great Formula 1 drivers of the era. Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet were each three-time Drivers’ champions by the end of the decade, while the threat of Piquet’s compatriot, Ayrton Senna, became obvious after the Brazilian’s first tilt for the title in 1988. By comparison, Scuderia Ferrari could only wish for better luck; one solitary race win in the 1988 season forced team bosses to make drastic changes, and Michele Alboreto’s contract was not renewed for the following campaign.
Desperate to improve its fortunes, the Scuderia looked to motorsport’s brightest talents to fill its vacant seat for the 1989 season. Nigel Mansell had earned an encouraging reputation with Williams with successive 2nd-place Drivers’ Championship finishes in 1986 and 1987, albeit followed by a 1988 campaign beset by bad luck and early retirements. The Birmingham-raised hotshoe was thrust into the limelight as the last-ever Ferrari driver personally appointed by Enzo Ferrari, who sadly passed away only weeks after rubber-stamping Mansell’s move to his team.
Mansell’s reception with the Italian team was rapturous. While he missed the 1988 Italian Grand Prix through illness—still a Williams driver, but with his move to Ferrari already confirmed—the Englishman hit the ground running with a 1st-place finish on his Scuderia debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix. The driver earned the nickname of ‘Il Leone’ among tifosi thanks to his fearless determination behind the wheel, and his exploits with Ferrari brought great reward. Just before Christmas 1988, Mansell was presented with the gift of a Ferrari Testarossa—the car offered for sale here.
Thought to be one of around 500 examples of the Testarossa to leave the Maranello factory in right-hand-drive configuration, the car was imported into the United Kingdom by Maranello Sales, the official Ferrari dealer based in Egham, Surrey. Noted as first being supplied to Gestions Sportives Automobiles SA of Geneva, Switzerland, on 23 December 1988, Mansell took delivery of the Testarossa shortly afterwards, as verified by period correspondence (available to view on file) between the dealership and Ferrari headquarters. It is believed that Mansell retained the Ferrari until December 1993. The car’s odometer reads 10,227 miles at the time of cataloguing, though its original odometer was replaced while reading around 4,700 miles. The Ferrari retains its matching-numbers chassis and engine.
Bearing a commemorative metal plaque honouring its close connection with Nigel Mansell, and accompanied by a fitted luggage set proudly embossed with the Scuderia Ferrari driver’s initials, this storied Testarossa presents as the ideal collector’s item for any Ferrari or motorsport fan.
