This 1988 Ferrari Testarossa was imported to the US from Europe by a friend of the seller, who subsequently had it modified to meet US emissions standards and converted to a convertible configuration by the R. Straman Company in Costa Mesa, California. The car was then purchased in 1989 by the seller, whose 36-year ownership included a 2018 overhaul of the 4.9-liter flat-12 engine as well as bodywork and a repaint.
Finished in iconic Rosso Corsa, the car features a five-speed manual transaxle, a limited-slip differential, servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes, and five-spoke 16” center-lock magnesium alloy wheels. It is equipped with a black convertible top and a tan leather interior upholstery. Additional comforts include air conditioning, power windows, a radar detector, and a cassette stereo.
This Testarossa Straman convertible is now offered with federal approval letters, invoices from the current ownership, owner’s manuals, removed exhaust silencers, an accident-free Carfax report, and a clean Pennsylvania title in the seller’s name.
Richard Straman began offering open-roof conversions for various Ferrari models in the 1970s out of his Southern California shop. By the 1980s, he had become a leading provider of convertible conversions for a wide range of makes and models. The conversion of the Testarossa included the addition of structural fortification to accommodate removal of the coupe’s roof and the fabrication of a convertible top with buttress-style rear anchor points.
This example was repainted in 2018 after body repairs performed by Karosserie in Wayne, Pennsylvania, following an incident in which the car left the road and entered a cornfield. The restoration involved replacing the front valance, driver-side mirror, windshield, and belly pans, as well as repairing several panels. R. Straman Company badges are present on the quarter panels.
The five-spoke magnesium alloy wheels are secured by octagonal nuts and were mounted in 2018 with BFGoodrich g-Force Sport tires, sized 225/50ZR16 up front and 255/50ZR16 at the rear. Stopping power is provided by servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes, with a recent brake fluid flush completed in August 2025.
Inside, the cabin is trimmed in tan leather over bolstered bucket seats and door panels, complimented by black leather covering the dashboard, center tunnel, and door armrests. Additional interior features include color-keyed carpeting, a gated shifter, air conditioning, power windows, a Whistler Spectrum 2 radar detector, and a Sony cassette stereo with a remote CD changer. The seller notes that attempting to play a CD results in an error message. The air-conditioning system was recharged in August 2025.
The MOMO three-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of the classic orange-letter Veglia Borletti instrumentation, which includes a 200-mph speedometer, a 10,000-rpm tachometer, plus gauges monitoring oil pressure and coolant temperature. To the driver’s right are oil temperature and fuel level gauges, along with a six-digit odometer displaying 47,000 kilometers (~29,000 miles). Approximately 23,000 miles have been added during current ownership.
Under the hood, the 4.9-liter F113 flat-12 features dry-sump lubrication, dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder, Bosch fuel injection, and Marelli electronic ignition. This engine was professionally overhauled by Algar in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, between 2016 and 2018. The rebuild included resurfacing of the cylinder heads, rebuilding the fuel distribution heads, and replacing the pistons, cylinder liners, bearings, and fuel injectors. Timing belts were replaced in August 2025 by Scuderia Performance in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
The independent suspension setup features unequal-length wishbones, coilover shock absorbers, and anti-roll bars front and rear, with dual shock assemblies at each rear wheel. The exhaust system was modified upon the car’s importation to the US in 1989, and the original exhaust silencers removed during conversion are included in the sale.
There are various minor scuffs present on the underside panels. The accident-free Carfax report lists an importation date of December 3, 1989, and notes a mileage inconsistency recorded in September 2009.
This rare and beautifully maintained Ferrari Testarossa Straman convertible represents a unique blend of classic design, open-air motoring, and detailed preservation, making it a standout offering for enthusiasts and collectors alike.
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