Vehicle Description
Chassis No. ZFFMN34A4L0087219
Engine No. 24514
Transmission No. 228
On 21 July 1987, the Maranello Civic Center swarming with the
world's automotive press fell silent as an 89-year-old Enzo Ferrari
shuffled to his position behind the speakers' table. The event
marked 40th anniversary of the first automobiles to carry his name,
as well as the worldwide debut of what would become the final new
model to be unveiled by "il Commendatore" before his death in
August 1988. "I expressed a wish to the engineers. Build a car to
be the best in the world. And now the car is here," stated Ferrari
through a translator moments before a car cover was whisked away to
reveal the brand-new Ferrari F40.
What had been spotted on the Fiorano test track and speculated to
be the 288 GTO's successor in the months leading up to its public
unveiling was in fact the 288 Evoluzione - a limited prototype that
acted as a testbed for the 40th anniversary model. The true shape
of the F40 was more purposeful than the multi-slotted prototype,
with Pininfarina sculpting a low, aggressive nose and an
astonishingly wide rear deck dominated by an integral wing. Save
for its cabin section and windshield which it shared with its 328
GTB/GTS contemporaries, the radical shape was entirely new, as were
its Nomex, Kevlar, and carbon fiber construction materials. The
story was much the same beneath the skin, with its tubular steel
chassis supplemented by composite materials forming the sill box
sections, cabin floor pan, and front bulkhead. The F40 was the
first road car to use these innovative lightweight materials to
such a degree, resulting in a scant 2,425-pound curb weight.
No less than eleven horizontal vents in the rear Plexiglas screen
offered a glimpse of the engine bay. While the F40's 90-degree,
twin-turbocharged "F120A" V8 was similar in general configuration
to that of the 288 GTO, a number of developments pioneered on the
288 Evoluzione saw a substantial increase in performance figures. A
small bump in displacement from 2,855 cc to 2,936 cc, a higher
compression ratio up from 7.6:1 to 7.7:1, a rise in boost pressure
from 0.8 to 1.1 bar, and other nominal improvements raised peak
power output to 478 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. Paired with
the same five-speed all-synchromesh transmission in the 288 GTO
with altered gearing, the F40 was, at launch, the fastest
production car in the world with a claimed top speed of 201
mph.
Initially, Ferrari refused to disclose how many F40s would be built
and over what period so as to avoid a repeat of the spiraling
secondary market of the 288 GTO. Ultimately, 1,311 production
examples were built, with a mere 213 F40s destined for the United
States. Nearing the middle of F40 production, chassis number 87219
was completed in October 1990 as one of approximately 90
U.S.-market examples built that year. As such, it features a
correct U.S.-specification deep front lip spoiler, a front rubber
strip running into slim side marker lights, a rear rubber strip
wrapping around to the rear side marker lights, a lack of lower fog
warning lights, and a third brake light positioned above the
Ferrari badge. The original Warranty Card and Owner's Service Book
shows that the car was initially delivered on 29 December 1990 via
Continental Motors Inc. (now Continental AutoSports Ferrari) to
Thomas Murphy of Evanston, Illinois. A copy of the original window
sticker also shows that the original price of the F40 including
destination charges was a lofty $399,150.00 when new.
Records indicate that the F40 next changed hands in March 1994 when
it was purchased by Illinois-based neurosurgeon Dr. Sheldon Lazar
through Lake Forest Sports Cars (now Ferrari Lake Forest), showing
just 248 miles at the time. Over the succeeding decade, the car was
routinely serviced by Lake Forest, visiting the dealer for
maintenance on as many as thirteen documented occasions including
two major belt services at 979 and 3,689 miles. In October 2005,
after eleven years of careful stewardship, Lazar sold the F40 to a
Florida-based collector.
Immediately following their acquisition, the F40's new caretaker
elected to have Lake Forest conduct the car's third major belt
service with 4,747 miles on the odometer. In this ownership, the
Ferrari's meticulous maintenance schedule resumed at Ferrari of
Central Florida where it received service on four documented
occasions from December 2005 to January 2008, when it was treated
to its fourth major belt service at 5,740 miles. This period also
saw the exceptionally preserved Ferrari win numerous Best in Class
and Best in Show awards at local Florida concours.
The car passed to its fourth owner, a California-based collector,
in April 2008 showing 5,860 miles at the time. Recognizing the
Ferrari's outstanding originality, its new caretaker submitted the
car for coveted Classiche certification which it was awarded in May
2008, certifying that the serial numbers present on the chassis,
engine, and transmission are recognized to match factory records.
Furthermore, the Red Book notes that the body, suspension system,
Brembo disc brakes, and Speedline aluminum wheels are the original,
factory-installed components. The Ferrari continued to enjoy
regular maintenance at Ferrari of Orange County for a number of
years before being relocated to Texas in the early 2010s.
The F40 was acquired by the consignor in December 2014 and has
since benefited from nearly a decade of careful single ownership.
This has included service by Ferrari of Austin and Norwood Auto
Italia in Carrollton, Texas, as well as by the collection's
in-house mechanic. Most recently, in August 2023, the renowned
marque experts at Norwood Auto Italia treated the car to its fifth
major belt service which also involved replacing both fuel pumps,
replacing the ignition distributor pickups, and overhauling the air
conditioning system at 7,902 miles. A second service followed in
November 2023, which saw the water pump rebuilt at 7,912 miles.
Finally, a loose A/C compressor and alternator belt, as well as a
coolant leak were addressed by Team CJ in January 2024.
Now offered with just 8,060 miles since new at the time of
cataloging, this fully matching-numbers, meticulously documented
Ferrari F40 is surely among the finest examples of the model
currently available - and certainly one of the finest
U.S.-specification cars extant. Attesting to the car's spectacular
presentation and high degree of originality is its participation in
the "Ferrari 70th Anniversary Collection: Driven By Emotion" event
held in conjunction with the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,
followed by its appearance at the 27th Cavallino Classic where it
received a coveted Platino award. The enviable originality of this
particular example is further supported by the presence of numerous
factory accessories, not least of which includes its rare optional
three-piece luggage set by Schedoni pyrographed with the car's
chassis number "87219" and accompanied by their proper cloth dust
covers. The car is also supplied with its original owner's manuals
in their leather folio, both tool bags, three sets of keys, its
wheel socket, and a binder documenting a life of fastidious
maintenance since new.
Ferraristi seeking to acquire a cherished and extensively
documented example of the legendary F40 will seldom find a better
opportunity than chassis 87219. This outstanding
Classiche-certified Ferrari, with its low mileage and complete set
of original accessories, is sure to captivate collectors of
Maranello's groundbreaking supercars, offering immeasurable j...for
more information please contact the seller.
