For many enthusiasts, F40 will always be the ultimate modern Ferrari. A sharply-focused race car for the streets, F40 was a pure, unadulterated performance machine. It could be harsh and unforgiving, but also extraordinarily rewarding to drive. Its bodywork – which featured a huge rear wing and a generous assortment of air intakes – was both purposeful and aesthetically compelling. It set the mold for the F50, Enzo and LaFerrari models that followed it. Although those cars were faster and more technologically advanced, the F40 remains a favorite in large part because of how simple and “pure” it was. It recalls a time before traction control, onboard computer systems and when “flappy paddle” gearboxes dominated the world of super cars. The F40 is perhaps the ultimate example of the traditional, “analog” super car.
F40 was produced from 1987 till 1992. In total, only a little over 1,000 of them were made. It was the last model that company founder Enzo Ferrari was personally involved with. When it debuted, it was the fastest and most expensive road car the company had ever made. It was priced at around $400,000 in 1987, which is equivalent to $800,000 in 2014. Today, the car’s low production numbers and historical significance have made it a hard-to-find collector’s item that is likely to only go up in price.