One of the most famous Ferraris in pop culture is headed to auction.
A 1986 Testarossa that was used in the hit 1980s TV show "Miami Vice" will be auctioned off by Mecum Auctions next week. While there's no official estimate on the car, some experts think it could fetch $1 million or more at the auction in Monterey, California.
The car was one of two Ferraris used on the show, and it became one of the top poster cars of the decade as viewers watched the famously stubbled Sonny Crockett (played by Don Johnson) race around Miami battling drug dealers and interrogating trophy wives.
The car has a beige leather interior, power windows and—the best part— a period-correct car phone mounted next to the passenger seat. After "Miami Vice" ended in 1989, the car was put into storage until this year, so it only has 16,124 miles.
The story behind the "Miami Vice" Ferraris is filled with twists and turns. In the first two seasons, Sonny drove a black Ferrari Daytona Spyder, which was actually a fake built from a Corvette chassis.
Ferrari filed a lawsuit to shut down production of the replicas but also offered "Miami Vice" two new black Testarossas to use on the show. The only requirement: Sonny's old car had to be destroyed on the show. So on the first show of the third season, the Daytona knockoff was blown up by Hellfire missiles.
The show producers painted the new Testarossas white to better pop on screen. And thus, an auto legend was born.
The car has been up for sale on eBay for $1.75 million, but there were no takers. We'll see next week what "Vice" fans are truly willing to pay for a bit of '80s history.
Everyday Testarossas from the 1980s rarely top $200,000 at auction. A red 1989 Testarossa being sold at the same Mecum auction is estimated to sell for $125,000 to $150,000.