Ferrari's 201mph 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's and the road 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 2936cc motor produces approximately 500bhp at 7000rpm with the help of two water-cooled IHI turbochargers running 1.1bar of boost - at 1,202kg the F40 had a and still has a phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. Shatteringly fast by any comparison (especially for 1988), the F40 can sprint from 0-60mph in just 4.4 seconds and hit 201mph flat out making it the first production car to surpass this mystical boundary.
Whilst the GTO had pioneered the use of composite panels, the F40 was the first whose bodywork was constructed entirely from such materials. Comprising of eleven panels made from Nomex, Kevlar and Carbon composite with a heavily ventilated Plexiglas rear windscreen. The F40 was a landmark not just on account of its crushing performance and stunning looks, but it was fittingly the last ever car presented by Enzo Ferrari, this taking place at Maranello in June 1987, 14 months before the great man's death. From 1991 onwards cars were fitted with catalytic converters to meet ever-tightening legislation and at this time adjustable suspension became an option. Production was discontinued in 1992 after 1,311 examples had been completed in five years (600 or so being bound for the USA and being noticeably different to their lighter and faster European cousins), the F40 was only ever available from Ferrari in left-hand drive and presented in Rosso Corsa. (Approximately 7 examples were converted to RHD for the Sultan of Brunei).
This example was supplied new by Schuster Ferrari to its first keeper in May 1990. Residing in the community of Stegaurach, an hour north of Nuremberg, Germany, this is a fabulous example of ‘Cat, non-adjust’ F40. Its first keeper, Mario Gunther used the car regularly during his 23 year ownership. Accompanied by a comprehensive and thorough service history, this example shows no major mileage or time gaps between services. In fact, the car has seen each of its 17 services with no interval greater than 2,000 kilometres, as detailed below:
21.06.1990 – 1,000 km Service – Schuster Ferrari
Circa. 1993 - 5,000 km Service – Schuster Ferrari
26.10.1995 – Major Service + Belts – Autohaus Isert – 7,041 km
09.06.1997 - Annual Service – Autohaus Isert – 8,843 km
29.06.1998 – Major Service + Belts – Autohaus Isert – 10,528 km
08.06.1999 – Annual Service – Autohaus Isert – 12,595 km
22.09.2000 – 20,000 km Service – Autohaus Isert – 14,429 km
02.07.2002 – Major Service + Belts + Tanks – Autohaus Isert – 16,313 km
24.04.2007 – Major Service + Belts – Autohaus Isert – 18,550 km
17.09.2009 – Major Service + Belts – Autohaus Isert – 20,667 km
15.08.2011 – Annual Service – Autohaus Isert – 20,965 km
26.06.2012 – Major Service + Belts – Autohaus Isert – 21,139 km
30.07.2019 – Major Service + Belts + Tanks – Sportwagen Laging – 21,192 km
23.03.2020 – Clutch Replacement – DK Engineering – 21,278 km
28.04.2020 – Fire extinguisher Installation – DK Engineering – 21,405 km
23.06.2020 – Overhaul of Fuel System – DK Engineering- 21,499 km
24.06.2021 – Major Service + Belts – V Engineering - 23,637 km
06.10.2021 – Alternator replaced – V Engineering – 24,587 km
22.06.2022 – Annual Service – V Engineering
14.09.2022 – Fuel line replacement – V Engineering
This example was sold to its second keeper in January 2001 by Sport-Auto Dransmann with 21,200 Kms. The second owner would live just a couple of hundred miles away and so continued to service the car with Autohaus Isert for several years.
Following an inspection, this example was purchased by DK Engineering in 2020 prior to the sale by ourselves to its previous owner. Today presenting with just 26,500 kilometres from new, this example received a cambelt service in June 2021 and most recently, an annual service along with fuel line replacement in June 2022. This example will pass through our workshops once more for a thorough inspection as part of the sale.
