The Ferrari 348 followed up some of the most sought-after cars that the brand has ever offered. When it was introduced in 1989, it replaced the outgoing Ferrari 308/328 line, which was a huge hit for the prancing horse. It also borrowed some visual cues from the iconic Testarossa, with loud, door-mounted slats that truly epitomized 1980’s Ferrari styling. Unlike the V12 flagship models of the time, the 348 TS featured a 3.4 liter (34) V8 (8) that was mounted transversely (T) in its mid-mounted engine compartment behind its retractable spider roof (S) — put all of those together and its model name makes sense.
At its release, the 348 TS was a relative bargain with an MSRP of around $95,000 in 1989 compared to the $181,000 Testarossa. It didn’t have that screaming V12 that Ferrari was famous for under the hood either, which made it less of an icon when it was released. To make matters worse, it was absolutely embarrassed by the then-new first-generation Acura NSX in all of the major automotive publications of the time, sullying its reputation to the point where it never recovered. Ferrari cleared its name with the F355 in 1995, but by then the 348 was already buried.
Unfortunately, that legacy remains to this day, as the 348 TS is still often looked down upon as being a bridge gap between two great Ferrari models. Its auction prices reflect that sentiment, as it’s possible to pick up a low-mileage 348 TS for between $55,000 and $65,000 today.
