Ferrari F40, 1989
Ferrari F40
Ferrari F40•
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Chassis No.: ZFFGJ34B000080727
Auction: Monterey 2015
Auction date: August 15, 2015
Lot No.: S77
$1,265,000 | Sold
- Exterior: Red
- Interior: Red
- European spec car
- Believed to be 8,800 kilometers
- Twin turbocharged 2936cc/478 HP DOHC V-8 engine
- Weber-Marelli fuel injection
- 5-speed manual gearbox
- Independent double-wishbone suspension
- 4-wheel disc brakes
- Tools
- Workshop manual
- CAN NOT BE REGISTERED IN CALIFORNIA
Built to celebrate 40 years of thoroughbred racing and road machines carrying his name, the Ferrari F40 was introduced to the world by Il Commendatore himself in a dramatic press conference at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters. The date was July 21, 1987, and the F40 has since assumed an esteemed place as the last new model before Enzo Ferrari’s passing the following year. A direct development of the 288 GTO and the Evoluzione targeted for Group B rallying, the F40 was a mesmerizing sight.
Its form was dominated by a high rear wing, but the automotive press were unanimous in their approval. “To put it in perspective,” wrote Road & Track Executive Editor Dennis Simanaitis, “recall how jarring the Testarossa first looked. By contrast, the F40 looks immediately right.” It also delivered on Ferrari’s promise to make it “the best in the world,” boasting a top speed of almost 200 MPH on the strength of leading edge technology borrowed from Ferrari’s Formula One program. The tube steel chassis and independent suspension were conventional, but extensive use of carbon fiber, Nomex and Kevlar in the body and cockpit resulted in considerable weight savings.
Visible beneath a vented Plexiglas rear window, the F40’s 2,936CC DOHC V-8 bristled with twin intercooled IHI turbochargers, sequential electronic fuel injection, Marelli-Weber four-coil ignition and “a wastegate that would look right at home in an F1 engine bay.” This surprisingly versatile powerplant could stir from docile to ferocious in the blink of an eye, working through a 5-speed gearbox to turn gigantic Z-rated Pirelli P700s mounted on modular alloy wheels bearing the distinctive Ferrari five-spoke centers. The driver’s environs answered customer criticism that Ferraris were becoming too plush.
In addition to the typical padded steering wheel, hooded instrument cluster and gated shifter, driver appointments included oversized racing pedals, sliding Plexiglas side windows and form-fitting carbon-fiber seats with six-point racing harnesses. Carpeting was non-existent, replaced by painted carbon-fiber panels, air conditioning being the sole concession to comfort. As the last Ferrari road car produced under Enzo Ferrari’s direct leadership, the F40 is one of the most celebrated high-performance automobiles ever built, an important link in the Ferrari supercar lineage that includes the 288 GTO, F50, Enzo LaFerrari.
This European-specification F40 registers 8,917 kilometers or 5,540 miles. Offered with a complete set of tools and workshop manual, it is a superb specimen that promises to deliver the world-beating performance and style guaranteed by its creator almost 30 years ago.
