Back in the 1980s Ferrari loved adding hidden features on their cars, including one that challenges time

The average Ferrari supercar has been through several generations of design changes, but the 1980s were an interesting time for all car manufacturers, including the Italian marque.

This was when everyone tried to be unique by implementing strange design choices in their cars.

It was all about making cars stand out, and Ferrari was no exception here.

If you look back at the iconic Testarossa, you will find some odd features that would confuse most drivers today.

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Revisiting Ferrari models from the 1980s

It’s not that some of these features weren’t useful, but they had to be scrapped either because of industry standards or plainly because a project manager decided against them.

A YouTuber who goes by Ratarossa posted a video on his channel where he offered his interesting insight into the Testarossa.

He himself owns a converted Ferrari Testarossa Spider, so he decided to point out its features.

It’s ‘converted’ because only one genuine Testarossa Spider exists, and it was a one-off commission from the automaker for Fiat Chairman Gianni Agnelli.

That didn’t mean owners couldn’t convert their ‘regular’ models into a Spider, however.

Anyhow, the Testarossa was an instant hit when it launched back in 1984 and became an icon, driven mainly by celebrities.

Ferrari carried out its production until 1996, and despite that not-so-limited run, it remains one of the most sought-after sports cars today.

What are these hidden features?

The YouTuber who showcased the car’s features highlighted that it had odd features like a glovebox that opened inversely.

It also had a mirror inside that pointed directly at the glovebox’s storage.

It’s certainly an odd design choice, and we don’t know what came first between the odd glovebox and the mirror.

Among other ‘hidden’ features, the Testarossa had a door handle tucked inside the crevices of its doors, and the pop-up headlights were also hidden… well, sort of.

Say what you will about the design choices, but it was one of the best designs at the time, and competed directly with the likes of the Porsche 911.

The F40 that came out in 1987 was also another gem, as it was all about the design — well, if you look past the insane performance numbers.

Envisioned by Emanuele Nicosia and Pininfarina’s design chief at the time, its design was one for the history books.

You certainly wouldn’t find things like these in modern cars, but they remain an interesting quirk of cars from that era.