Ferrari F40 (1988)

Ferrari's 201 mph F40 is the definitive supercar and has a formidable reputation alongside the 250 GTO as possibly the best road Ferrari built to date. With the F40, Pininfarina produced an era-defining creation, one that even today is instantly recognisable by old and young enthusiasts alike. F40's were closely derived from the experimental GTO Evoluzione and the road-going 288 GTO (that the F40 replaced). The design features a tubular steel chassis with bonded composite inserts, most notably around the sills and floor pan, The 2,936 cc motor produces approximately 500 bhp at 7,000 rpm with the help of two water-cooled IHI turbochargers running 1.1 bar of boost. At 1,202 kg, the F40 had, and still has, a phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. Shatteringly fast by any comparison (especially for 1988), the F40 can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and hit 201 mph flat out making it the first production car to surpass this mystical boundary.

Please note, this vehicle is no longer for sale.

This example of the infinitely iconic Ferrari F40 has a comprehensively documented and researched history that is second to none, and presents in exceptional condition, with lustrous and glassy wheels and paintwork. As well as its red Classiche certification book, the car also comes with extensive memorabilia, which include several editions of Top Gear magazine, in which this very car, and its accompanying Ferrari halo supercars that form ‘The Bloodline Collection’, were a repeating feature.

This specific car was delivered new to France in January 1989 and sold to Mr Jean-Pierre Delaunay. The car was only ever driven on temporary dealer plates during his ownership and the car was sold after a couple of months to Mr Jean-Pierre Martel, the lawyer for Ferrari in France, via Charles Pozzi SA. The early build date, which commenced on the 2nd of June 1988, makes it amongst the first F40s ever produced.

This example is understood to be the 25th production F40, which crucially means that it is part of the immensely special group of F40s that were being produced when Enzo Ferrari was still alive, who passed away barely a month after the manufacturing of this specific car commenced.

This of course makes it a desirable ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ variant, which are considered to be the more pure, more raw variant of the esteemed model. Corroborating with the very early build date are several characteristics which are indicative of an early ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ car. These include the bare aluminium intercoolers, and the different construction and finishing of carbon kevlar components such as the more rudimentary surface undeath the front clam, which draws the eyes to the unique way in which the NACA ducts are affixed to its underside. Under the front clam, the front brake cooling ducts and their flanges are also visible, and the manner they join to the clam is again different to later cars.

This F40 was in the care of Martel until 2001, who carried out regular maintenance at Charles Pozzi SA, Levallois, Paris, and covered just under 20,000km over this time. It was then purchased by the fastidious collector, Dr Karim Said, in 2001, with whom it covered another 10,000km until 2021. The distance covered included tours to the south of France, which surprises sceptics that do not realise the usability and enjoyment that can be derived from longer journeys in an F40.

The car was obsessively documented and maintained by its second owner, who curated the most detailed history file of any F40 that we have ever seen over the course of his 19 year ownership. The car was seen by Maranello Egham several times a year for conservational maintenance, where the F40 was also stored alongside his 288 GTO, F50, Enzo, 599 GTO and more.

A part of the 'Bloodline' collection, this F40, along with its stablemates, was selected for an exceptionally rare opportunity, when it featured in the May 2014 edition of Top Gear Magazine - along with the 288 GTO, F50, and Enzo - as the ‘Bloodline’ to LaFerrari. The car featured also in Top Gear: Portfolio 2014 magazine, Top Gear: Supercars 2014 magazine & in the Top Gear video: ‘The LaFerrari Bloodline’.

The incomparably thorough work on this car would be continued through to present day and involved, but was not limited to: a £16,000 service including replacement fuel cells in 2016, and a Scuderia Systems Seca sports exhaust in 2018, which were both fitted by Maranello Egham. The car was also seen in 2015 and in 2021 by DK engineering, where we performed over £15,000 worth of cosmetic improvement to the car including paint correction and refinishing. The car was then passed on to its third and current owner in 2021, who has not added any milage to this example.

To emphasise how dedicated and meticulous the care of this car has been, the car is presented with not only its original service book, but also a second service book, as the original has been filled to the end with stamps, as well as three vast volumes of service invoices. The car also comes with: Ferrari Classiche certification which confirms matching chassis, engine, gearbox and body, as well as its original leather book pouch and manuals, original and spare sets of keys including immobilisers, spark plugs and bolts, tyre repair kit, bulb and fuse set, original car cover & bag, two sets of sports exhaust silencers, and various memorabilia including a 1987 press pack & sales brochure. The car will receive a major service, including cambelts and fuel cells, as part of the sale.

At present, the car shows just 29,200 kilometres from new, and is displayed in our showrooms just outside of London for viewing by appointment.