Firmly ranking high on many “best car” lists from introduction, Ferrari’s F40 was the inspired byproduct of a program initiated in 1984 to develop an improved 288 GTO for FIA Group B rally competition to counter the threat posed by Porsche’s upcoming 959. However, the lethal nature of this escalating automotive arms race ultimately spurred Group B’s cancellation in 1986, before the high-tech gladiators from Maranello and Stuttgart could face each other for supremacy. Undeterred, Ferrari continued work on the five 288 GTO Evoluzione development cars already built and redeveloped them into hyper-performance 200 MPH road cars in celebration of the marque’s landmark 40th anniversary. Introduced at Frankfurt in 1987 and named F40, the new Ferrari’s body was a design tour de force by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti. Bodies were produced by longstanding Ferrari coachbuilder Scaglietti, blending aggressively functional lines with incredibly efficient aerodynamics that yielded an ultra-low 0.34 drag coefficient. Specifications of the F40 remain current, even by today’s standards. Its tubular spaceframe chassis mounted fully independent underpinnings including double wishbones, coilover shock absorbers and ventilated disc brakes with 4-piston calipers at each corner. Kevlar, carbon-fiber and aluminum body panels lowered weight, while rigidity was three times better than that of the 288 GTO. Paired with a 5-speed manual rear transaxle, the F40’s 2.9L DOHC V-8 engine delivered 478 HP at 7,000 RPM with twin IHI turbochargers, twin water-cooled Behr intercoolers, Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection and U.S.-mandated catalytic converters. Performance was described in a period Car and Driver test as “… a mix of sheer terror and raw excitement.” Published credentials included zero to 62 MPH (100 km/h) acceleration in 4.7 seconds and a 199 MPH top speed, capably harnessed with equally impressive handling and braking. While initial estimates called for about 400 examples, market demand was so overwhelming—even with the car’s price tag of some $400,000 U.S. dollars—that 1,315 F40s were built when production ended in 1991. American enthusiasts, however, had to wait until 1990 for the chance to own one, and just 213 F40s were allocated to the U.S. market, including this compelling, Ferrari Classiche-certified example. Offered with the odometer reading just 3,413 miles, this 1990 Ferrari F40 features a Rosso Corsa exterior finish with a Rosso Ferrari interior. Despite its low mileage, the F40’s maintenance history includes a major engine-out service performed on January 18, 2017 at Paramount Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, North Carolina, at 3,354 miles. The timing belt, tensioner, idler and fuel system were serviced, and a detailing was performed on December 8, 2021, again at Paramount Foreign Cars Italia, at 3,368 miles. The offering of this rare U.S.-specification F40 includes original Schedoni luggage, a tool kit and the all-important Red Book issued by Ferrari Classiche. Extremely rare, this 1990 Ferrari F40 is a supercar icon and historic as the last new Ferrari model commissioned by Ferrari Founder Enzo Ferrari.
