The Ferrari F40 stands as the most purist supercar in Maranello's history and the final model personally signed off by Enzo Ferrari. Introduced in 1987, it was built both to commemorate Ferrari's 40th anniversary and to serve as Enzo's definitive technical retort to the Porsche 959.
The engineering lineage of the F40 traces back to the 288 GTO Evoluzione—originally conceived for Group B motorsport before being redirected for road use following the category's cancellation. Enzo Ferrari tasked engineer Nicola Materazzi with crafting a "pure road-going race car" using pure motorsport technology, with the entire development completed in under a year. Styled by Pietro Camardella at Pininfarina, the body achieved an aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.34, with its prominent fixed rear wing, functional NACA ducts, and low-slung wedge profile becoming its defining visual hallmarks.
At the heart of the F40 is a 2,936 cc 90° V8 twin-turbocharged engine (engine code F120A), fitted with twin IHI water-cooled turbochargers and Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection, developing a maximum power of 478 hp (7,000 rpm) and a peak torque of 577 Nm (4,000 rpm). Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and tipping the scales at a dry weight of just 1,100 kg, it completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 324 km/h—making it the first series-production road car in history to break the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier.
The F40 was Ferrari's first production model to make extensive use of composite materials, featuring just 11 Kevlar and carbon-fibre panels bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis, with the doors, bonnet, and boot lid all constructed from carbon fibre. The cabin was notoriously spartan and extreme for its day: no carpets, no audio system, no power windows, and no sound insulation; conventional interior door handles were replaced by simple pull cables, the seats were Nomex fire-retardant cloth-trimmed carbon-fibre buckets, and both the pedals and gear lever were made of drilled metal. This uncompromising "subtraction" philosophy cemented the F40 as the definitive benchmark for a pure driver's machine.
Ferrari originally planned a limited run of 400 units, but by the time production concluded in 1992, total output exceeded 1,300 units. The F40 was met with fervent demand from launch, with secondary market values surging past RM1,000,000 by the late 1980s, compared to an original list price of approximately RM219,000.
The year 2026 saw a major resurgence across the F40 auction market. At the Mecum Kissimmee auction (January) featuring the Bachman Collection, an F40 crossed the block for RM6,600,000, setting an auction record at the time, while another unit in the same sale fetched RM5,830,000. At the RM Sotheby's Monaco Auction (June), a 1989 F40 (chassis 83620, showing just 1,799 km on the clock after being dry-stored for nearly 30 years) sold for RM4,336,000.
The market reached its crescendo in August. At the RM Sotheby's Monterey Auction, a 1991 F40 went under the hammer for RM8,365,000, fetching more than double its pre-sale estimate. This particular car was exceptional not only for its ultra-low mileage of just 515 km, but also for its provenance: its first owner was legendary Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, and the car came complete with a bespoke factory plaque inscribed "Built exclusively for Lee Iacocca".
The F40's driving experience is widely described as "awe-inspiring". Marked by pronounced turbo lag followed by an explosive wallop of boost, and devoid of ABS, power steering, or any electronic driver assists, it remains one of the most demanding supercars to master. Legendary Ferrari chief test driver Dario Benuzzi cited the F40 as the project he was "most proud of". Enzo Ferrari passed away in August 1988, and the F40 stands as his final parting gift to the automotive world—an uncompromising, pure-bred track machine engineered directly for the road.
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