Elton John’s Classic Ferrari Testarossa Can Be Yours
The gorgeous red Ferrari was gifted to John by MCA Records as a 40th birthday present.
![](https://www.maxim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1987-Ferrari-Testarossa-Coupe-Elton-John-2-1024x576.jpg)
Never mind album sales and numerous Grammys—Elton John‘s enduring success can be measured by the resale value his name adds to this 1987 Ferrari Testarossa up for grabs at Australian auction house Shannons.
![Elton John Promo](https://www.maxim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/elton-john-promo-1024x536.jpg)
Hagerty puts a $211,000 value on an example of the classic Prancing Horse in absolutely pristine “Concours” condition. But as Jalopnik reports, this early Testarossa model once owned by the “Rocketman” legend is expected to sell for $216,000-$250,00, despite being presented with “minor wear and tear consistent for its age” like front spoiler scrapes, as well as a 10,733 mileage.
The celebrity provenance, then, is surely what’s bumping those pre-auction estimates up. According to Shannons, the 4.9-liter flat-12-powered coupe in Ferrari’s iconic Rosso Corsa red was gifted to John by his record company MCA as a 40th birthday present.
Documents indicate John was actually the second owner, but he kept it for over a decade before Christie’s first offered it to the public at a 2001 auction.
![](https://www.maxim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1987-Ferrari-Testarossa-Coupe-Elton-John-1-1024x576.jpg)
From new, the engine’s four-valve cylinder heads, then-cutting-edge Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system, and Magnetti Marelli Microplex ignition contributed to an output of 390 horsepower at 5300rpm.
That figure has surely dropped off over the years, but the interior still has its original light tan leather, slightly worn brown carpet and original hardware.
It’s actually the second red classic Ferrari once owned by John to make the rounds, the other being a 1972 Daytona that failed to sell for $522,000-$583,000 at a Silverstone Auctions event in 2019.
We’ll see if his 1987 Testarossa fairs better by the time bidding closes on November 30.