Introduced for the 1989 model year, this targa-top V8 Ferrari replaced the 328-era berlinetta in the brand’s mid-engine road-car line and was part of a broader update to Ferrari’s eight-cylinder sports cars. It paired the company’s familiar transverse mid-engine layout with a removable roof panel, giving the car a more open feel while retaining the structural character of a fixed-roof coupe. The name’s final letter reflected the open-top/targa concept, while the rest of the designation followed Ferrari’s then-current numbering and drivetrain terminology.
The car launched as one of two body styles alongside the closed coupe, and it quickly became the more accessible of the pair for drivers who wanted everyday usability without giving up the low, wedge-shaped Ferrari look. In 1993, Ferrari updated the line and shifted the naming scheme for the revised cars, with the targa version becoming the GTS designation and the coupe becoming the GTB. Because of that change, the original TS nameplate is generally associated with the early 1989–1993 production run, before the updated naming took over.
Today, the car is remembered as an important bridge between the classic 308/328 generation and the later 355 era. Enthusiasts value it for its Pininfarina styling, analog driving experience, and its place in Ferrari history as one of the defining V8 models of the late 1980s and early 1990s.