It would probably be reasonable to suggest that Nick Mason is known by many as much for his cars as his music. That Live 8 reunion, Pink Floyd’s first performance together in more than 24 years, was itself in July 2005, almost 17 years ago - when Tony Blair was still Prime Minister. As if to prove the point, 2005 was a year after Into The Red was first published, Mason’s book chronicling ownership of some of the world’s most exciting cars. With a little help from Mark Hales, of course - it’s well worth seeking out if you’ve not read it already. For those of us not, er, mature enough to have known Pink Floyd at their peak, the book introduced Mason as a car nut first, drummer second.
Perhaps his most famous automobile is the Ferrari 250 GTO; the original bumf for the book speaks of it being “highly expensive”, with “a value of £10m at its peak”. Ah, sweet, innocent, early 21st century. But Mason has also owned, amongst many others, a Ferrari T3 F1 car, an F40, a 250MM, a LaFerrari and this very Testarossa. And that’s just the Ferraris…
Said to be ordered new when collecting his F40 from Maranello - as if the trip wasn’t going to be memorable enough - this 1989 example was owner by Mason for three years. At which point he part exchanged it for a competition 365 GTB/4 Daytona - naturally. So not exactly long-term ownership by his exalted standards but, still, there are plenty of Testarossas out there that weren’t first owned by Pink Floyd’s drummer.
Originally Blu Sera, the Testarossa was later resprayed Rosso Scuderia. Which does seem somewhat of a shame when you consider how magnificent it once looked painted an inky dark blue - so it should be no surprise that the last owner (who had the car for a decade) bought it with the intention of returning the Testarossa to the original colour. Another owner shouldn’t feel guilty about getting the job done.
That aside, it’s a pretty lovely Testarossa, being sold with a detailed history and plenty of original paperwork. It’s believed to be one of just 268 remaining UK Testarossas; if it goes back to blue then this will be one of only five.
Despite having covered less than a thousand miles a year since 1989, there are plenty of lower mileage Testarossas out there for those that want them. This is definitely a car from the higher maintenance era of Ferrari, one for special occasions than more regular use. However, even those who don’t remember the Testarossas in period have grown up admiring them, with values now reflecting that. This one is £120k, with comparable Testarossas available at more money - and later TRs pricier still. So you’ve missed the boat on even vaguely affordable flat-12 Ferraris (or 180-degree V12s, for the pedants); on the other hand, this one has some additional provenance for no premium. And it’ll be one of the best looking Testarossas when it’s blue again…
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