He buys a Ferrari Testarossa that is supposed to be in perfect condition, he discovers 70,000 euros in repairs

As early as the 1980s, the Ferrari Testarossa represented Italian automotive engineering at its peak. With its 390-hp flat-12 engine, its lines sculpted by Pininfarina , and its appearances in the cult series "Miami Vice," it embodied the pinnacle of luxury and performance.

It is for these reasons, among others, that François, already the owner of a Porsche 911 , set his sights on this legendary model, which he loves to describe with passion. “It was the most expensive and most powerful car of its time,” he says. For him, the Testarossa represents a bygone automotive era, one where “we believed 100% in technology, where the more performance we developed, the more interesting it was. A time when manufacturers cared neither about ecology nor electronic assistance. Enzo Ferrari spoke of this model as “the last car where people will be able to die like men,” François recalls.

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For this resident of the Paris region, the advertisement for one of these models - red with black interior - from a professional in the South seemed tempting: "car in good condition, serviced." "We had quite a few exchanges before actually making the sale," says François, who had even sent a friend to check the general condition of the vehicle. His friend noted a few defects: faulty electric windows, windshield wiper problems... Details that had justified negotiating the model. "I had brought the price down from 122,000 to 80,000 euros . " "It wasn't very reasonable not to have it appraised beforehand," admits François, but he had a vested trust in the professionalism of the seller. "Professionals can't hide behind ignorance, the car must correspond to what they are selling," he thought then.

After the purchase, François went to an automotive expert to run a few checks. The verdict was harsh. The bodywork had been repainted following an accident, masking the signs of damage that should have alerted him to the vehicle's eventful history. The leather seats, supposedly original with their characteristic stitching, had been replaced with inferior copies. But the most serious problem concerned the very heart of the Testarossa : its legendary "Tipo F113 A" engine was showing major flaws, with power issues and malfunctions in the injection system.

The cost of necessary repairs amounts to 70,000 euros, of which 35,000 euros are directly related to faults that the professional could have easily verified during a more in-depth inspection.

Faced with this discovery, François does not intend to leave it at that. "I told the seller two things: either he takes it back, or he takes care of part of the restoration," he explains with determination. "I'm trying to settle this amicably. We know the risks everyone is taking. I'm not questioning their bad faith, I'm questioning their professionalism."

The seller, a recognized professional, also seems aware of his responsibility. "Even the seller tells me that I'm right, he was surprised by the expert's diagnosis and that no one could have seen the defects before," says François. This tacit recognition on the part of the professional suggests a favorable outcome, especially since the latter is now "trying to renegotiate with the owner" to find a solution.

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The solution remains complex. "Cancelling a sale isn't easy," François emphasizes . "Because you have to come to an agreement with the owner." The legal setup complicates negotiations, involving several stakeholders in this delicate matter. "There are at least four of us in this: the owner, the expert, the person making the sale, and me." But François remains calm: "At no point do I think I'm going to keep the car in this condition," he concludes.