Ferrari F40
1987–1992 · Ferrari F40 — Hypercar, V8 Twin-Turbo, designed by Pietro Camardella.
The Story
The F40 was built to crown Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, and it carries a weight no other modern Ferrari can claim: it was the LAST car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before his death in August 1988. Unveiled on 21 July 1987 and engineered under Nicola Materazzi, it was conceived as a road-legal distillation of competition intent. Enzo himself framed the brief, recalling that he ‘expressed a wish that we produce a car which could remind us of Le Mans and the GTO.’ The result was the FIRST production car to break the 200 mph barrier — Ferrari claiming 201 mph (324 km/h), making it the world’s fastest production car at launch (independent tests measured closer to 199 mph).
Mechanically the F40 evolved directly from the 288 GTO and its stillborn Group B racer, the 288 GTO Evoluzione. Its longitudinally mounted 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8 (tipo F120A) produced 478 PS (471 hp) at 7,000 rpm, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual. The body — penned at Pininfarina by Pietro Camardella under Aldo Brovarone, within Leonardo Fioravanti’s Centro Studi — was moulded in Kevlar, carbon fibre and aluminium, with the famous high rear wing and flip-up headlamps.
What makes the F40 matter is its uncompromising rawness. No carpets, no door handles (pull cords released the doors), sliding plexiglass windows on early cars, minimal sound deadening. It is the analog supercar at its purest: turbocharged, mechanically savage, with no electronic driver aids — sitting at the hinge point between Ferrari’s racing heritage and the digital hypercars to come. Originally planned at 400 units, demand pushed total production to roughly 1,311, almost all in Rosso Corsa.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Hypercar class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Pietro Camardella
Won the 1990 Car Design Award for the Ferrari Mythos concept; also penned the 512 TR restyle and 456 GT.
Studio Motors POV
The F40 is the high-water mark of the analog supercar — the moment a road car was still allowed to be loud, raw, turbocharged and faintly dangerous, with nothing between the driver and the machine. Everything since has been faster; almost nothing has felt this alive.
The Engine
Ferrari V8 Twin-Turbo (288 GTO/F40)
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About F40
Worth Knowing About the F40
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- • The F40 was the LAST Ferrari personally signed off by Enzo Ferrari before he died in 1988.
- • It was the FIRST production car ever to exceed 200 mph (Ferrari claimed 201 mph), holding the 'world's fastest production car' title from 1987 to 1989.
- • Ferrari planned just 400 cars, but demand was so intense that production ran to about 1,311 — over three times the original target. The cabin was stripped bare: pull-cord door releases, sliding plexiglass windows, no carpets, no radio.
5 Fast Facts
- • ~1,311 built (planned at only 400), almost all Rosso Corsa.
- • 2.9L twin-turbo V8 (tipo F120A), longitudinally mid-mounted.
- • 478 PS (~471 hp) at 7,000 rpm; 426 lb-ft (577 N·m) of torque.
- • Top speed ~201 mph claimed (~199 mph independently measured) — first production car past 200 mph.
- • 0–60 mph in ~4.2 s (sources range ~4.1–4.7 s); 5-speed manual, ~2,765 lb.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Nigel Mansell — delivered new 30 March 1989 (chassis …080022, plate ‘MAN 40N’); he sold his F40 to John Collins/Talacrest for a then-record £1,000,000 in 1990 (Bonhams / Wikipedia). Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) — owns chassis 78122, part of his Ten Tenths collection (Supercar Nostalgia). Alain Prost — a 1990 F40 delivered new during his first Scuderia Ferrari season; his autograph survives under the clearcoat on the roof; sold for $3,886,250 in Dec 2025 (RM Sotheby’s). The Sultan of Brunei — at least seven F40s custom-modified by Pininfarina for the royal family. (Eric Clapton & Rod Stewart are widely reported but not chassis-documented → flagged; Gerhard Berger could NOT be verified as an F40 owner → excluded.)
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Cat vs non-cat and adjustable vs non-adjustable suspension are the key value splits. The most prized are the earliest ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ cars (1988–89), with the first ~50 having racing-style sliding plexiglass windows. Look for matching-numbers chassis/engine/gearbox, low mileage, Ferrari Classiche certification, and documented provenance (a Marcel Massini history file is the gold standard). Almost all are Rosso Corsa; original colour is a value factor. Values generally run ~$2.5M–$3.5M+, with exceptional low-mileage or notable-provenance cars going well beyond.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Ferrari F40
- Class
- Hypercar
- Production years
- 1987–1992
- Units built
- ~1,311
- Variants
- Engine layout
- Mid
- Engine
- V8 Twin-Turbo
- Engine family
- Ferrari V8 Twin-Turbo (288 GTO/F40)
- Displacement
- 2936 cc (2.9 L)
- Power
- 471 hp
- Torque
- 426 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 4.1 s
- Top speed
- 201 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 428 hp/tonne · 5.1 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD (longitudinal mid V8) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2425 lb
Questions
F40 FAQ
What are the Ferrari F40’s key specifications?
The F40’s twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V8 (2,936cc, code F120A) produces 478 hp at 7,000 rpm and 424 lb-ft of torque, reaching 62 mph in approximately 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 201 mph (324 km/h). Ferrari built approximately 1,311 examples between 1987 and 1992 in a weight-obsessed specification with no power steering, no ABS, no traction control, and composite body panels made from carbon fibre, Kevlar, and Nomex.
What makes the Ferrari F40 historically significant?
The F40 was built to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary (1947-1987) and was the last car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari, who died in August 1988. It was also the first production road car to officially exceed 200 mph, establishing a landmark at a time when crossing that barrier was the defining benchmark in the automotive world.
How does the Ferrari F40 compare to the 288 GTO it evolved from?
The F40 (1987) evolved from the 288 GTO (1984) with more power (471 hp vs 400 hp), higher top speed (~200 mph vs 189 mph), and a much rawer, race-derived character. Dry-weight difference is closer to about 60 kg (~1,160 kg 288 GTO vs ~1,100 kg F40) rather than a large delta. Enzo Ferrari approved both as flagship supercars.
What is a Ferrari F40 worth at auction?
F40 market: Hagerty shows about $2.7M for a good 1992 F40; Classic.com shows an F40 average around $2.83M with 1990-1992 examples benchmarking higher for low-mileage/originality. The full 1987-1992 production run of 1,311 units and blue-chip halo status support the strong current market.
Can you source a Ferrari F40 through Studio Motors?
Yes. The F40 is widely regarded as among the greatest Ferraris ever built — the last car Enzo Ferrari personally approved, the first production road car to exceed 200 mph, and a viscerally raw twin-turbo V8 experience in approximately 1,311 examples.
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