Stored for 30 years, the car has only covered 1 799 km since new
Famously, the final design approved and signed off by Enzo Ferrari, a plan to build only 400 examples of the F40 supercar in celebration of the Maranello brand’s 40th anniversary, was quickly scuppered when order books burst at the seams. Indeed, records suggest that 1 315 examples of this now-iconic 356 kW, twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V8-powered car, complete with a top speed of some 324 km/h, found customers between 1987 and 1992.
A proud member of the so-called “big six” in terms of collectable Ferraris, a list that includes the 280 GTO, Enzo and LaFerrari, this 1989 F40, chassis number 83620, has had two owners to date and has been dry stored in a moisture-controlled environment for almost 30 years. Its odometer displayed just 1 799 km at the time of being listed for auction by RM Sotheby’s.
Finished in factory-correct colour pairing of Rosso Corsa over Rosso Stoffa Vigogna trim, despite the low mileage, the car has had fresh engine and gearbox mounts fitted, as well as new fuel tanks, pumps, lines, and filters. A new clutch and suspension joints were fitted, and the turbochargers and braking system were rebuilt as a precaution.
Significant for collectors, the car was ordered in European specification, which adds air conditioning and manual wind-up windows. It was also configured without catalytic converters or an adjustable suspension.
Complete with Ferrari Classiche "Red Book" certification, chassis 83620 fetched €4,336,250, or R82.6million at auction in April 2026.
Ian McLaren has more than 25 years of experience as a motoring journalist. Here, he will be compiling a series of articles documenting his learning curve when it comes to all things auction. Find him on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @IanMcLaren76.
These articles aim to offer insights only and in no way encourage reckless or hit-and-miss purchasing decisions.