Friday 22nd July 2011

Spotted: Ferrari F40

Finding one isn't news. Finding one in right-hand drive, however...

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If you'd have asked Ferrari to build you a right-hand-drive F40 they would have probably laughed at you. They might have still offered a polite 'sorry sir, but we just can't...' when an esteemed customer called Hassanal Bolkiah made the same request.

When he ordered seven of them, however, it seems that they were happy to get on the phone to Pininfarina to see what they could do. Then again, Mr Bolkiah does happen to be the Sultan of Brunei...

What makes this F40 all the more remarkable is that five of those original seven cars are said to still be in the Sultan's possession.

Aside from being right-hand drive, the car has also been fitted with 'LM' seats and a different headlining to afford the lucky pilot a tad more headroom. It's also been equipped with electric windows, which kind of goes against the hardcore ethos behind the last model Ferrari introduced before 'Il Commendatore' passed away.

The F40 is offered by specialists DK Engineering, who sold the car to its current owner and who confirm that a recent restoration has been carried out at a cost of...ahem...£100,000, which seems like an awful lot to spend on a car that's covered just 5,200 miles. Suffice to say it's in concours condition as a result.

It appeared in our classifieds recently and, not surprisingly, the price is available on application only. Personally I wouldn't expect a great deal of change from £500,000. So, I reckon it's this or something like, say, a Koenigsegg CCX. Oh to have to mull that one over...

[wab172uk]

If only it had been me who had won that £161m

[Graebob]

^ What he said.

[JohnG1]

+1 to what he said

[kainedog]

perfection

[Google [bot]]

What's with the crap exhausts?

I don't really see the issue with LHD in the UK anyhow, but where this would be really desirable is in other countries that prohibit LHD cars.

[Stig]

Call it sacrilege, but I've always thought the F40 looks like a glorified kit car

Does absolutely nothing for me - still, if they want to gift it, I won't say no

[Graebob]

Stig said:

Call it sacrilege, but I've always thought the F40 looks like a glorified kit car

Does absolutely nothing for me - still, if they want to gift it, I won't say no

Heretic! Burn the unbeliever!

[Snoggledog]

Only 5,000 miles? You buy a car like to drive it, not to park it up.

[Stig]

Snoggledog said:

Only 5,000 miles? You buy a car like to drive it, not to park it up.

Well, he did have 7 of them..

I also think you'd view that differently if it was sat in your garage especially at £100k a pop refurb costs!

[6potdave]

Determined to own one of these one day.. I wouldn't ever rest in my grave knowing I hadn't. May have to steal it but ah well at least I will have an hours ownership. Perfection!

[Mike Holmes]

I dont want to appear thick or anything , but why would would a car like this need a 100k re-fit when its spend most off its life garaged and never seen rain ?

[CatherineJ]

Lovely, if anyone is in the South West and has some time to kill, it's worth taking a trip to Dick Lovett in Swindon. when I was in there not so long ago year on business and they had a collection of F40, F50's and Enzo's. From memory it was 7 in total.

[Stig]

Mike Holmes said:

I dont want to appear thick or anything , but why would would a car like this need a 100k re-fit when its spend most off its life garaged and never seen rain ?

Ferrari parts prices. Not like you can pop down to Euro Car parts for a sump bolt washer for it

[CK_N4S]

Mike Holmes said:

I dont want to appear thick or anything , but why would would a car like this need a 100k re-fit when its spend most off its life garaged and never seen rain ?

Bevause, when not used things will start falling apart. Gaskets drying out. Hoses wearing through or also drying out. Engine may need looking at when not being turned over for a long time, bearings not greased up properly. Same goes for the turbos.

Thats what I was informed at least.

Would sooo love to be able to park an F40 in my garage sometime. Guess its just a question of picking the money together fast as possible, as prices have only been going one way the last 3 or 4 years.

CK

[Mini1275]

Pretty much the ultimate supercar

[belleair302]

If DK had anything to do with the restoration you will understand why the price is so high. Their rates are silly money priced on the owner not the job.

[Schnellmann]

Graebob said:

Heretic! Burn the unbeliever!

+1

Although having said that I did look at an F40 at Autohaus Singen in Southern Germany a few years back and the build quality was dreadful. Of course, the F40 is still one of my favourite Ferraris and I'd have one in an instant.

[CocoUK]

An absolutely incredible car, amongst the greatest of all time, I’d trade one of my spuds for one!

[Snoggledog]

Stig said:

Well, he did have 7 of them..

I also think you'd view that differently if it was sat in your garage especially at £100k a pop refurb costs!

That 100k would need to be spent in any case whether it was used or not, so why not use it?

[epom]

back to bed and dreams for me again