For Sale at Auction: 1990 Ferrari F40 in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. ZFFMN34A4L0087219
Engine No. 24514
Transmission No. 228

Unveiled at a ceremony in Maranello on 21 July 1987, the F40 celebrated 40 years of Ferrari car production. Its name, legend has it, was born when Ferrari Managing Director Giovanni Razelli asked motoring journalist and author Gino Rancati what the new car should be called, and received an elegantly direct answer: "Ferrari Quarante."

Yet the F40 didn't start merely as an anniversary badge. Spy photographs had already hinted at a successor to the 288 GTO, and the squat, winged prototype later dubbed the GTO Evoluzione was originally intended as the GTO's competition version. When Group B was cancelled in the wake of tragedy at the Tour de Corse, the Evoluzione's original purpose vanished, but its engineering lessons did not. What remained was an opportunity to build the most uncompromising road-going Ferrari of its era, shaped by turbocharged know-how and buoyed by the unexpected sales success of the 288 GTO.

Overseeing the effort was Nicola Materazzi, widely regarded as the father of the project. Having joined Ferrari's Formula One department in 1979, he brought deep experience with forced induction, and his influence was felt throughout the final result. Designer Leonardo Fioravanti captured the atmosphere surrounding the program when he recalled, "When Enzo talked to me about his desire to produce a 'true Ferrari,' we both knew that it would be his last car." That understanding informed the approach across the team, with extensive wind-tunnel work guiding aerodynamic optimization and a clear effort to ensure the car's appearance matched its intent, right down to the low nose, NACA ducts, and the rear spoiler that came to define the F40's now iconic silhouette.

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, this example notably lacks the adjustable suspension fitted to European-market F40s after serial number 80697, making it a "non-adjust" car highly sought-after for its superior, unfiltered handling. The original warranty card and owner's service booklet 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 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 a Texas-based collector in December 2014 and benefited from nearly a decade of careful single ownership. During this ownership, the car received service by Ferrari of Austin and Norwood Auto Italia in Carrollton, Texas, as well as by the collection's in-house mechanic. 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.

Acquired by the current owner at Broad Arrow's 2024 Monterey Jet Center Auction in Monterey, California, chassis 87219 has since continued to receive the same standard of care. Most recently, in December 2025, Miller Motorcars performed the car's sixth major service at 8,061 miles. Work included a 101-point inspection with a compression test (with all cylinders reading between 130 and 140 psi), installation of new auxiliary and timing belts with roller bearings, replacement of valve cover gaskets and seals, replacement of air and fuel filters, a brake fluid flush, a coolant flush, along with an oil and filter change. The shop also diagnosed and corrected a difficult-to-engage reverse gear by adjusting and lubricating the shifter assembly and linkage. In total, the work amounted to $21,647.21 with the invoice on file and available for review.

Now offered with just 8,065 miles since new at the time of cataloging-a mere 4 miles since its last major service-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 Platinum 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, two sets of keys, its wheel socket, and a binder documenting a life of fastidious maintenance since new. While the F40 is currently equipped with a Tubi Style exhaust system, the original factory exhaust silencer assembly is included with the sale, allowing the next owner the choice to return the car to its factory specification if desired.

Ferraristi seekin...for more information please contact the seller.