To Be OFFERED AT AUCTIONEstimate:
$1,250,000 - $1,500,000
- One of 213 cars delivered to the United States
- Low mileage example currently displaying 6,407 miles
- Certified by Ferrari Classiche as a matching-numbers car
retaining all of its major original factory components
- Documented with histories by Marcel Massini and Rosso Corsa
Consulting
- Recently serviced for ideal mechanical condition
- Accompanied by owner's manuals, tools, and Ferrari Classiche
Red Book
- A beautifully presented example of Ferrari's most celebrated
commemorative hypercar
While anniversary supercars and commemorative models have grown to
be a steady niche within Ferrari production, one model looms larger
than all others in terms of importance and sheer gravity: the F40.
In addition to being the first of Maranello's special anniversary
models, the F40 claims the important distinction of being the final
Ferrari supercar built under the supervision of the celebrated
maestro himself, Enzo Ferrari.
A testament to its era in both aesthetic appearance and build
specifications, the F40 was devised as a lightweight race-capable
speed machine with minimal frills, a potential competitor to
Porsche's 959 that approached that elevated platform from an
entirely different philosophical direction.
The F40 began life as an evolution of the twin-turbo V-8 powered
288 GTO, itself an extension of the highly developed 308 model
line. With the proposal of new dual-use supercars from Stuttgart
and Coventry, Maranello was poised to join the FIA's Group B
4-liter class with a more evolved 288 GTO. But after only a handful
of 288 Evoluzione examples were built and tested the racing series
was cancelled, so Ferrari opted to use the mule as the basis for a
proposed new 40th anniversary model.
The 288's twin-turbocharged V-8 was bored to displace 2,936 cubic
centimeters and fitted with twin IHI turbochargers and Behr
intercoolers, developing a stout 478 hp and 425 pound-feet of
torque. This powerful new mill was dropped into a race-developed
tubular space-frame chassis equipped with four-wheel
double-wishbone independent suspension (including Koni coil-over
shock absorbers), and four-caliper ventilated disc brakes.
Pininfarina's celebrated stylist Leonardo Fioravanti, whose stellar
resume included the coachwork for the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, penned an
angular new body with a massive spoiler wing that was a consummate
study in 1980s wedge angularity. The design was honed at length in
Pininfarina's wind tunnel, eventually incorporating a host of NACA
ducts throughout its brilliant surfacing.
In the tradition of race car construction, great effort was taken
to minimize weight. The coachwork was formed from a lightweight
weave of Kevlar and carbon fiber that reduced curb weight
substantially compared to the 288, all while tripling structural
rigidity. Reduction of mass also extended to the interior, which
featured cloth upholstered plastic-composite racing seats,
pull-strap door releases, drilled pedals, and sliding Perspex
windows in the early cars (roll-up windows, like those fitted to
this car, were eventually incorporated).
The composite result of such careful engineering was a visually
arresting new supercar that delivered performance to match, with
the F40 hitting 60 mph from standstill in just 3.8 seconds en route
to a top speed of 201 mph. Following the model's introduction at
the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show customer demand skyrocketed.
Maranello quickly extended production beyond the initially planned
400 examples, eventually building 1,315 cars worldwide-of which
just 213 examples were specified for the United States. Arriving in
1990, the American cars were even more developed, featuring
standard-equipped air conditioning and catalytic converters.
The F40 was an instant collectible, and many examples to this day
have experienced more show and display time than actual driving
use. Despite its relatively high production and period styling, the
model continues to occupy an echelon above successors such as the
F50 and the Enzo because of its identity as the original Ferrari
commemorative model, and the most race-engineered of them all. In
this respect the F40 may be considered the Maranello hypercar that
most quintessentially embodies the factory's original build values,
earning the prodigious speed machine a special place in the hearts
of Ferrari enthusiasts worldwide.
Claiming very minimal driving use while being fastidiously
maintained, this beautifully presented F40 is one of the
lowest-mileage examples offered in recent memory. According to the
combined records of marque expert Marcel Massini and Ferrari
Classiche, chassis no. 87627 was built during December 1990,
finished in the standard color combination of Rosso Corsa paint
over an interior of Rosso Stoffa Vigogna (red vicuna cloth)
upholstery. This car is one of the 213 examples specified for the
United States, and it was delivered new for retail in March 1991 to
the well-known Foreign Cars Italia of Greensboro, North
Carolina.
Purchased by the end of 1991, the F40 was re-offered by Foreign
Cars Italia on behalf of the first owner in 1994 after accruing
1,656 miles. By 1995 the Ferrari was acquired by collector Dean
Becker of Illinois, the founder of an eponymous beeper company.
Within the care of his collection, the F40 enjoyed the company of
numerous other important late-model Ferraris, including a 288 GTO
and an F50, as well as one of the marque's earliest important
racecars, a 166 Spyder Corsa built from chassis no. 01C (one of the
very first Ferraris produced, in fact).
In 2000 the F40 was sold to the head of sales for an internet-based
company. In 2004 the F40 participated in the Ferrari Challenge
Rallies, and by 2008 it had accumulated approximately 4,000
miles.
Under his supervision the car has continued to receive doting care
as needed, including a recent round of maintenance in preparation
for the current offering. In February 2011 the Ferrari was
displayed at the regionally known Cars on 5th in Naples, Florida,
and seven months later it was the recipient of a Ferrari Classiche
Red Book that attests to the continued presence of all the original
major components, including the factory-fitted engine, gearbox, and
coachwork.
Currently displaying 6,407 miles, this minimally driven F40 is
accompanied by proper owner's manuals in the correct leather pouch,
a warranty booklet, and tool roll; and it is documented with
histories by Marcel Massini and Rosso Corsa Consulting, as well as
the desirable Ferrari Classiche Red Book attesting to the car's
complete originality. The venerable anniversary model would make a
fabulous entrant to supercar displays, Sunday cars & coffee
meetings, or regional FCA gatherings. Or it may be cherished and
admired within the confines of a private collection, as one of the
most powerful and thoughtfully conceived speed machines ever to
emerge from Maranello's legendary factory. To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo20.