Ferrari 348 TS

Why it matters

Launched alongside the 348 TB at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 348 TS continued Ferrari's celebrated removable-roof V8 lineage while introducing the entirely new 348 architecture. The TS designation identified the open-roof Trasversale Spider configuration: its 3,405 cc four-cam V8 was mounted longitudinally, while the five-speed gearbox sat transversely behind the engine in a compact T-shaped powertrain. Producing 300 hp at 7,200 rpm, the dry-sump V8 drove the rear wheels without power steering or electronic driver aids, preserving the direct mechanical character of the earlier 328. Pininfarina's wedge-shaped body combined a removable targa panel with deep horizontal side strakes and a full-width slatted rear grille inspired by the Testarossa. The detachable rear subframe simplified major engine service, while anti-lock brakes and independent double-wishbone suspension brought the compact Ferrari into a new technical era. Ferrari produced 4,228 examples before the improved 348 GTS arrived in 1993, making the TS the most numerous original 348 variant and a defining open Ferrari of the early 1990s.