The ‘Godfather’ of supercars Is any great Ferrari collection complete without an F40? The no-holds-barred twin-turbocharged supercar truly defined an era of excess. And we wouldn’t hesitate to say that no other Ferrari has wound up on quite so many teenagers’ bedroom walls as the F40. The mid-1980s was an exciting period of technological change. And at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, the ingegneri – still working under the rule of Il Commendatore himself – were fully embracing it. Nowhere is this more evident than the F40. Its bewinged razor-sharp Pininfarina-styled bodywork was largely crafted from newfangled carbon-fibre and Kevlar, their distinctive weaves partially visible through the thin scarlet paint. Its carbon-Kevlar monocoque, meanwhile, was bonded to the tubular steel chassis, resulting in an extremely strong and rigid structure. In addition to its show-stopping overall aesthetic, the plentiful and intricate origami-like cutouts, vents and ducts played a whole host of roles, from increasing downforce to force-feeding cool air to the insatiable turbocharged V8 engine. And how can be gloss over that legendary powerplant? It’s a turbocharged tour de force, whose high-revving and torque-laden shove sears itself in the minds of anyone fortunate enough to experience it. Yes, the F40 was – and perhaps remains – the Godfather of all supercars. Chassis number 88501 A European-specification ‘Cat Non-Adjust’ F40, chassis number 88501 left the Ferrari factory on 13 February 1991 destined for Jacques Swaters’ history-steeped Garage Francorchamps in Belgium. This F40’s first listed owner was a real estate and export company in Brussels, which exported the car to Japan. And it’s Japan where chassis number 88501 remained for 24 years, covering a mere A beautifully presented European-spec ‘Cat Non-Adjust’ F40, having covered a mere 8,913km from new kilometres passing through the hands of a small number of owners and making several public appearances including at the Forza Ferrari meeting at Suzuka. We returned this F40 to Europe for the first time in the summer of 2025, sending it straight to the official Ferrari service centre HR Owen in London for a major service. Having inspected the car, we can confirm the presence of all the correct numbers pertaining to this particular F40, including those on the body, wing and latches, as confirmed by Ferrari Classiche in Maranello. On the subject of Ferrari Classiche, we have begun the certification process. For such a low-mileage example, chassis number 88501 is in accordingly excellent cosmetic and beguilingly original condition, even retaining its ultra-rare factory Goodyear tyres (a new set of Pirelli tyres will accompany the car). Satisfyingly, this Ferrari retains its original factory tool kit, leather documents pouch, owner’s manuals, tyre compressor kit, spare key and F40 seat covers.