The 1990 Ferrari F40, chassis number 83249, originally delivered new to four-time World Champion Alain Prost during his first season as a Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver, is now up for auction with RM Sotheby’s.
Prost’s F40 was built in late-1989 before catalytic converters or adjustable suspension were added features, making this example even more valuable. When speaking with RM Sotheby’s, Prost confirmed he never drove the Ferrari. He signed the roof of the car and sold it shortly after taking delivery. The next owner, Graham de Zille, a Ferrari Challenge driver in the United Kingdom, relocated the car to New Jersey in 1995. It was featured in the April 1997 issue of Motor Sport magazine written by Andrew Frankel, where it was compared with a 288 GTO and F50. After the test drive, Frankel was smitten with the F40 and described the experience in one sentence: “In the art of deftly controlled savagery, the F40 knows no peers”.
The F40 returned to the U.K. by 1999 and was seldomly driven by its caretakers. For Ferrari’s 70th Anniversary, the F40 returned home to Maranello where it placed second in its class at the Concours d’Elegance at the Fiorano Circuit. Today, the car resides in France. It is Ferrari Classiche Certified, which confirms that the sports car retains its original chassis, engine, gearbox, and bodywork. According to RM Sotheby’s listing, the car has just under 2,900 miles on the odometer.
The 1990 Ferrari F40 is offered without reserve. Bidding for the auction is scheduled to end on May 12, 2023. Head to RM Sotheby’s website for more information.