1990 Ferrari 348 TS

Tony’s Take: Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo called the Ferrari 348 one of the worst cars Ferrari ever made. That’s true if you’re not shaped like an Italian astronaut; the 348 is smaller and more cramped with less headroom than the relatively spacious and luxurious 355 that replaced it. The 348’s also not very fast, the dog-leg gearbox takes some getting used to, and did I mention it? The 3.4-liter V8’s not very fast. And then there’s that infamous Car & Driver review . . .

This car feels as if it had four-wheel steering – with the rears steering in the wrong direction. Above 70mph on twisting, undulating black tops, the rear gets antsy. It wants to step out as you pick up the arcs of curves. Above 100mph on such a road – particularly in a crosswind – the car is difficult to hold in one lane.

Car & Driver

In the last 16 years, I bought, drove and sold 25 of these “mini-Testarossas.” At sensible speeds, the 348’s handling is tidy. At higher speeds around a bumpy corner, the 348 requires serious attention and skill. But then so did the “dentist killer” Porsche 911 back in the day, and the 348 makes an absolutely glorious noise. So thank you C&D for keeping 348 prices low. [ED: and Honda’s NSX for forcing Ferrari to up their game.] Running costs? I changed the alternators in about a third. Otherwise, no major issues.

In August, a red/tan 66k-mile 348 TS with a two-year-old service sold for $85k. This lower-mile example should get more, it may get more, but the “potential odometer rollback indicated” is bound to scare off some buyers. Shame. Once again, it appears to be a Canada-to-U.S. clerical error. [Note to sellers: always get these things sorted before putting your car on the market.] Downside: What’s with the shield on the passenger side dashboard? That’s a ninja star if you get into an accident.