Is any great Ferrari collection complete without an F40? The no-holds-barred twin-turbocharged supercar truly defined an era of excess. And we wouldn’t hesitate to say that no other Ferrari has wound up on quite so many teenagers’ bedroom walls as the F40.

The mid-1980s was an exciting period of technological change. And at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, the ingegneri – still working under the rule of Il Commendatore himself – were fully embracing it. Nowhere is this more evident than the F40.

Its bewinged razor-sharp Pininfarina-styled bodywork was largely crafted from newfangled carbon-fibre and Kevlar, their distinctive weaves partially visible through the thin scarlet paint. Its carbon-Kevlar monocoque, meanwhile, was bonded to the tubular steel chassis, resulting in an extremely strong and rigid structure.

In addition to its show-stopping overall aesthetic, the plentiful and intricate origami-like cutouts, vents and ducts played a whole host of roles, from increasing downforce to force-feeding cool air to the insatiable turbocharged V8 engine.

And how can be gloss over that legendary powerplant? It’s a turbocharged tour de force, whose high-revving and torque-laden shove sears itself in the minds of anyone fortunate enough to experience it. Yes, the F40 was – and perhaps remains – the Godfather of all supercars.

A beautifully presented Cat Non-Adjust example built in July of 1991, this F40 – chassis number 090278 – was sold to its first owner in Romano d’Ezzelino via the Italian Ferrari dealer Ineco Auto S.p.A. in Bolzano. The F40 remained in its native Italy for almost 20 years, passing through the hands of a small number of owners and making an appearance at the Tutte Le Ferrari gathering at Imola in 1998.

By the early 2010s, with the mileage noted as around 23,000 kilometres, chassis number 090278 was exported to the United Arab Emirates. In the years that followed, this Ferrari was diligently maintained by a handful of respected marque specialists and only driven a further 3,000 kilometres.

In 2018, chassis number 090278 was acquired by Adrian Sutil, the veteran of 128 Formula 1 Grands Prix, who returned the car to Europe, registering it in Switzerland. And Switzerland is where this Ferrari has remained since. Enter Girardo & Co..

It’s always satisfying when we’re able to harness the worldwide network of contacts we work tirelessly to foster and join dots to help our clients find the cars they’re looking for. That’s exactly what happened in the instance of this F40. A close contact in the motorsport world located nearby to us in Oxfordshire recently asked if we could assist in sourcing a great F40 for an friend of his in Switzerland, who he’d brought to Belchers Farm for a look around. 

Following a major service at the official Ferrari dealer Garage Zenith in Sion totalling over 41,000 Swiss Francs, a professional detail and a number of inspections, all with the invaluable support of a close friend and contact in Geneva, we were able to agree a deal and find this highly original fully matching F40 an excellent new home.

SOLD