Famously the final design to be signed off by Enzo Ferrari, the F40 of 1987 was initially forecast for a 400-strong production run in celebration of the marque’s 40th anniversary. However, Maranello records show that this figure eventually stretched to 1,315 units as customer interest skyrocketed. Little wonder, given the intoxicating recipe of a lightweight Kevlar and carbon fibre construction being propelled by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V-8 engine that delivered circa 478 horsepower to result in a top speed of some 324 km/h.

As a key instalment in Ferrari’s statement “Big Six” lineup—starting with the 288 GTO and completed by the F50, Enzo, hybrid LaFerrari, and brand-new F80—the F40 stands as one of the most important and special Prancing Horses ever made.

Nigh on four decades later, chassis number 83620 offered here is among the most authentic and desirable examples of this seminal supercar to surface for public sale. Having been dry stored for almost 30 years, it boasts just two private owners from new. Accordingly, it displayed a remarkably low 1,799 kilometres on the odometer at the time of cataloguing.

Ordered by the first owner in June 1989, per the accompanying history report compiled by marque authority Marcel Massini, this car was built between 15 November and 6 December. Configured to European specification and fitted with air conditioning further to manual wind-up windows, rather than the more basic sliding arrangement, the F40 rolled out of the Maranello gates in the most desirable form: without catalytic converters or adjustable suspension. The following week, it was delivered new to Belgium via Jacques Swaters’ famed Ferrari concern Garage Francorchamps SA in the capital city of Brussels.

Purchased via a lease agreement on 13 December 1989, the F40 was registered two days later by the original owner in his company’s name. A stamp in the accompanying service book records that the car returned to its supplying dealer for a service on 11 June 1990, at which time the odometer was noted with just 1,226 kilometres. However, in October 1992, the lease deal ended ahead of the Ferrari being taken off the road and dry stored for 29 years. During this period, in 1994, the F40 featured in issue 21 of Auto Collection magazine.

Chassis 83620 was then acquired by the vendor, just the car’s second owner, in October 2021. It was swiftly submitted to long-time Ferrari collaborator and world-renowned marque expert Michelotto Automobili in Italy for recommissioning. Every effort was made to preserve the originality of the exterior paint—even the original set of tyres was retained—while the mechanical components were meticulously overhauled.

As part of a two-year process, the engine and gearbox mounts were replaced; so too were the fuel tanks, pumps, lines, and filters. A new clutch and suspension joints were fitted. Furthermore, the turbochargers and braking system were rebuilt, the wheel bearings greased, and the cooling system refreshed. Alongside a service and cambelt and service belt change, the total work exceeded €165,000 (invoice available to view on file).

Upon completion, the car was shaken down by Cristiano Michelotto himself and it has remained in storage with the firm. As a courtesy from the consigning owner, the F40 will receive a fresh cambelt service prior to sale. In addition, chassis 83620 has been submitted to Ferrari Classiche for inspection, with a view to securing its important “Red Book” certification, which was pending at the time of the catalogue going to print.

In addition to the Massini report and Michelotto invoice, accompanying documentation includes the car’s original Belgian registration form, the Certificate of Conformity from Garage Francorchamps dated to December 1989, correspondence over the lease agreement, and the relevant issue of Auto Collection magazine. The F40 is also supplied with its leather folio containing the service book and owner’s guides, plus its tool roll, spare belts, and Agip tyre inflator kit.

Finished in the factory-correct colour pairing of Rosso Corsa over Rosso Stoffa Vigogna trim, boasting a short chain of just two owners from new, displaying only 1,799 kilometres at the time of cataloguing, and retaining its matching-numbers chassis, body, engine, and gearbox, this “non-cat, non-adjust” F40 is among the very finest examples of what is almost universally regarded as one of the great automotive creations of the 20th Century.

Now poised to join a new stable, this wonderfully preserved F40 would make for an outstanding candidate to be displayed at any number of concours or marque-themed events. Courtesy of its recommissioning by Michelotto, chassis 83620 may also be enjoyed on the open road and in driving tours. Above all else, in time for the 40th anniversary of Ferrari’s own 40th anniversary-celebrating supercar, it would make for a truly stunning headline addition to any collection the world over. Prancing Horse devotees need not look further.