The fastest F40 ever?

Undoubtedly the most iconic supercar of the 1980s, the Ferrari F40 was nothing short of a sensation when it was announced and remains a global icon to this day. Although the car was never originally intended for racing use a number of individuals saw its potential. Ferrari would eventually authorise Michelotto to produce a series of racing examples that adhered to IMSA rules, giving the world’s fastest production car a chance to earn its keep on the race track.

Michelotto built up nineteen F40s that were classified as F40 LM (for Le Mans). Seven F40 GTs were built by Michelotto for use in the Italian Supercar Championship, followed by a further seven built for the BPR Global GT Series referred to as the F40 GTE, an evolution of the LM. With the success and excitement created around the appearance of the aforementioned F40 LM’s GT and GTEs, a number of other F40s which were born as road cars were upgraded for use in racing, such as the example featured here.

Originally constructed as an early ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ F40, it was delivered new to the official Ferrari importer of the Netherlands in November 1989. The car remained in the Netherlands where it was rebuilt for racing by Peter van Erop of Cavallino Tuning. In 1995, the car was further modified to remain competitive. This included the fitment of an upgraded roll hoop and a full suspension upgrade with all-new racing shock absorbers. Further modifications included a Stack instrumentation system and air jacks. It is believed that at this time the car underwent major engine work, increasing output to well over 700 bhp. The car was later further modified by David Hart for participation in the Ferrari/Porsche Challenge, driven by Hart and Mike Hezemans.

The car continued to be sold on, modified and raced up until 2009. In recent years the current owner sent the F40 to the famed Zanasi Group of Maranello, Italy. Just a stone’s throw from the Ferrari factory, Zanasi has enjoyed a nearly sixty-year relationship with Ferrari and is the official shop for all of Ferrari’s extracampionario paintwork requirements, Supercars, Tailor-Made editions, and Icona series cars.

As part of a cosmetic restoration the car was completely disassembled with the body fully stripped to its bare materials. The car was then repainted in triple-layer Grigio Nardo in place of the traditional red, with contrasting electric blue fabric seats and painted Scuderia Ferrari shields, in the style of the Scuderia Ferrari sports racing cars from the 1960s. At the same time, the car was also mechanically serviced. Today, it is rated at producing between 700 and nearly 1,000 bhp based on setup, making for a truly thrilling driving experience.

This one-of-a-kind 1989 Ferrari F40 "Competizione" is currently available from RM Sotheby’s Private Sales department. Photos © Wolfango Spaccarelli Courtesy of RM Sotheby's.