To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 6 - 7
March 2020.
Estimate:
$1,200,000 - $1,400,000
- Ferrari Classiche Certified
- Retains its original chassis, engine, and gearbox
- One of only 22 examples built in 1992
- The 199th of 213 delivered to the United States
- Desirable US specification equipped with catalytic converter
and air-conditioning
- Minimally driven and fastidiously maintained; currently
displaying 12,759 miles
- Documented by marque historian Marcel Massini, service
invoices, and CARFAX report
- An exceptional example of Ferrari's revered 40th anniversary
gift to itself
To this day, the F40 remains one of Ferrari's most captivating and
impressively engineered supercars. Originally engineered from the
superlative 288 GTO model to be an FIA Group B competitor against
the likes of the Porsche 959, the F40 continued forward even after
the racing class was canceled. Rather than scrap the program
entirely, Ferrari used the five initial 288 GTO Evoluzione examples
as the basis of a new 40th-anniversary road car, which would be the
last supercar devised under Enzo Ferrari's stewardship.
The F40 chassis consequently featured a race-developed tube-frame
chassis with four-wheel double-wishbone independent suspension,
coil-over Koni shock absorbers, and four-caliper ventilated disc
brakes. Leonardo Fioravanti's coachwork design, which was
aerodynamically perfected in Pininfarina's wind tunnel, was built
with paneling woven of Kevlar and carbon fiber, reducing the 288's
curb weight by approximately 20 percent, while simultaneously
tripling the car's structural rigidity. The twin-turbocharged V-8
was bored to displace 2.9 liters and equipped with twin IHI
turbochargers and Behr intercoolers, and married to a five-speed
gated-shifter transaxle. The resulting performance was stunning,
with 478 hp and 425 foot-pounds of torque capable of taking the F40
to 60 mph from standstill in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 201
mph.
Cosmetically, the F40 amply reflected its basis in race-car
development, with the low-weight body echoed by numerous interior
considerations. Weight was further reduced with the use of cloth
upholstery on plastic-composite racing seats, pull-strap door
openers, drilled pedals, and sliding Perspex windows (roll-up
windows were eventually adopted).
Publicly introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, the F40 was
initially earmarked for a low production of 400 examples, but
unexpected customer interest prompted Ferrari to ultimately build
1,315 cars. The commemorative supercar was initially only available
in Europe, and early examples were built without catalytic
converters or adjustable suspensions. In 1990 a more developed
version began taking deliveries in the United States,
standard-equipped with air-conditioning and catalytic converters.
By the model's production conclusion in 1992, just 213 examples had
been specified and delivered to North America.
Occupying such an important position in Maranello's supercar
lineage, it is hardly surprising that many F40 examples were
initially purchased by astute collectors and largely restricted to
showroom viewing and concours exhibition. Relatively few cars were
driven in anger under track conditions, but a handful of drivers
were lucky enough to experience the F40 under such conditions. Case
in point: Five-time Le Mans champion Derek Bell was allowed to push
the car's limits during a test drive for Classic & Sports Car
magazine conducted during the mid-2000s. His verdict was "It's just
magnificent...This is a car to make your hair curl. The power
delivery is sensational, and I love the way the turbos come on with
such a rush. Very quickly the situation changes from neutral
understeer to amazing oversteer, but it's all superbly
predictable."
Despite being the first installment in a long line of commemorative
models that includes the F50, the Enzo, and the LaFerrari, the F40
continues to hold a special place in the heart of Maranello
enthusiasts, bearing a closer relationship to FIA race cars while
having been supervised by Enzo Ferrari himself. Often occupying a
crowning position in marque-focused collections, the F40 has
evolved into one of Ferrari's most celebrated supercars, revered by
Maranello purists and hypercar aficionados alike.
Claiming modest driving use and a short chain of caretakers, this
Classiche-certified F40 is one of the finest examples offered in
recent memory. One of the last cars built, chassis no. 92978 is the
199th of 213 examples specified for the United States and one of
only 22 built in 1992. Retailed through Cavallino Classics in
Scottsdale, Arizona, the F40 was sold new in May 1992 to an unknown
owner who regularly serviced the car. By 2002 the F40 was sold to
Michael Bruno Jr., a respected Ferrari collector residing in
Armonk, New York, at which point the odometer displayed
approximately 7,000 miles.
Three years later the F40 passed to a longtime Ferrari Club of
America member who retained possession for ten years while treating
the car to two major services that included the important
timing-belt replacement. This owner offered the Ferrari at Pebble
Beach in August 2015, in preparation for which the car was serviced
again by Wide World Ferrari Maserati in Spring Valley, New York.
The car was also certified with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book,
confirming the presence of all the original factory-equipped
matching-numbers equipment.
Purchased then by the consignor, a respected collector based in
Florida, the F40 has continued to enjoy a life of minimal use and
fastidious care. In September 2019 the car received an additional
evaluation and service by Ferrari Maserati of Ontario, during which
the fuel pumps were rebuilt, the fuel injectors were flushed and
cleaned, the spark plugs were replaced, and the battery was
recharged.
Currently displaying 12,759 miles, this modestly used and
collector-owned F40 is documented with a history by marque expert
Marcel Massini, service invoices, and the Ferrari Classiche
certification, and it is accompanied by tools and owner's manuals
in the proper leather pouch. It would make a superb addition to any
sporting collection, ideal for display at regional concours
d'elegance and marque-focused gatherings or visceral driving use on
the open road.To view this car and others currently consigned to
this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am20.