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USA FERRARI F40

Discussion in '288GTO/F40/F50/Enzo/LaFerrari/F80' started by joe sackey, Jul 6, 2007.

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  1. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    Joe Sackey
    #1126 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Graham,

    I fear you may be right. Because stating enthusiasm and actually being enthusiastic are two seperate things.

    When FNA so kindly hosted the first F40 Reunion at Laguna Seca in celebration of the 20th Anniversary, I personally saw their list with 27 applicants. They were certain that short notice notwithstanding, a showing of at least 20 F40s would occur. Unfortunately, just 7 F40 enthusiasts actually showed up in their cars:) I am happy to report to you that I was one of those that took the time, expense and trouble to participate in and enjoy the proceedings. Piero Ferrari himself blessed our occasion and told us not to worry about the poor souls who coulda shoulda. Could it be that there are just 7 real F40 enthusiasts in America he asked? We assured him there must be more...
    Again, given the ratio of actual turnouts to applications, I fear that we would need at least 140 applicants to see 44 cars actually show up and indeed I must confess that such a feat in the USA would be nigh-on impossible.

    Sadly,

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
     
  2. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    #1127 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    We have learned that there were 3 prototype F40s that were used in the R&D and homologation process for USA-type approval. 2 of them sported the external features of the USA series cars as we know them today. One of them however looked like a typical rest-of-the-world car, and after its stint at FNA it was spared the crash-barriers (unlike the other 2) and sent back to the factory.

    Ive often wondered what happened to "74045"? Did the factory keep it as their museum car? Did they refubish the well-used 'muletta' and sell it to a European dealer for demonstrations? Or did they simply disassemble it and turn it into boxes of spare parts?

    Joe
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  3. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1128 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    As it turns out, "74045" upon arrival back from prototype duties in the USA was sent by the works to Michelotto and manufactured into the 13th F40 LM.for Rene Herzog. It wasnt until the 1995 BPR racing season that appeared in Pilot Aldix livery in the hands of Michele Ferte in an inspired season which included an outright 1st place/win in the Anderstorp 4 hours, 2nd place in the Silverstone 4 hours and 6th place in GT1 in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours!! Its racing history reads famed circuits like Monza, Nurburgring and Suzuka to boot. The 1996 season saw another Le Mans 24 Hours attempt and a 3rd place in the Nogaro 4 hours.
    Featuring a special reinforced long-distance sequential gearbox, the ex-USA development car "74045" has had a full life to say the least :)

    Joe
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  4. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    Joe Sackey
    #1129 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
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  5. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Joe Sackey
    #1130 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  6. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Joe Sackey
    #1131 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
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  7. SSNISTR

    SSNISTR F1 Veteran

    Feb 13, 2004
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    #1132 SSNISTR, Sep 25, 2007
    Great info on that LM Joe....
     
  8. ClassicFerrari

    ClassicFerrari F1 World Champ
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    Jan 7, 2004
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    #1133 ClassicFerrari, Sep 25, 2007
    +1. That Pilot car boasts one of my favourite liverys!
     
  9. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1134 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    And to think this bonfide Le Mans racer was one of the USA F40 development cars.... its amazing what you can find out if you try.

    The hairy beast storming up the hill at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

    I think when F40s in general are eligible for vintage racing in a few years they will be hard to beat :)

    Joe
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  10. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1135 joe sackey, Sep 25, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Any afternoon spent working side-by-side with Luis Meza is a good afternoon as this man is a craftsman par excellence and its a pleasure to watch him work. I simply held the screws....

    We managed to re-install the F40's headliner panel and it is better than new. It will probaly last forever too. Luis spend a great deal of time simply removing the old perforated vinyl, the disintegrated thin foam layer beneath it, and that obnoxious ineffective glue. Its all in the preparation and now that the new vinyl is installed snug to the panel showing all its delightful contours (and not brushing down on my head) Im delighted.

    Anyway here are a few pics (original ones, no less) of the inside of the car showing the headliner back in place and other details besides.

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
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  11. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1136 joe sackey, Sep 26, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The only surviving USA F40 development car became an F40 LM and Marcel Massini has graciously filled in some details to paint the full picture:

    Tom Shelton acted on behalf of Ferrari SpA in disposing of the 74045 to Rene Herzog after its USA prototype duties were complete. Giuliani Michelotto accepted the car in 1992 for a complete conversion to F40 LM Comp specs and upon completion the car was delivered to Charles Zueger in Switzerland in 1993. But without a series it sat around until BPR maven (and my freind the suave Frenchman) Stephane Ratel purtchased it in 1995 for competition purposes, running it the now famous French Blue Pilot Aldix livery. The rest as they say is history...

    My favorite image of 74045 is of it is in the morning hours of the 1995 24 hours of Le Mans damaged & covered in dirt with its rear bodywork held together with duct tape whilst it went on to finish 6th in GT1!

    Paul Osborne has it at Cars International UK and it is fully refurbished and ready to compete again so if you fancy the ultimate track weapon with which to crush the opposition, for the small matter of a princely sum, 74045 can be yours.

    Joe
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  12. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1137 joe sackey, Sep 26, 2007
    "Blu Le Mans"

    Joe
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  13. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Mar 2, 2005
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    #1138 Marcel Massini, Sep 26, 2007
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  14. 512Tea Are

    512Tea Are F1 Rookie

    Apr 22, 2004
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    #1139 512Tea Are, Sep 26, 2007
    Good Evening Comrade Joe,

    I've been motoring along the Queens Highway in the 512 Tea Are Dream Machine today. However, I am most pleased to inform you that I have a photograph of myself within this blue F-40.

    With kind regards,

    512 Tea Are
     
  15. SSNISTR

    SSNISTR F1 Veteran

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    #1140 SSNISTR, Sep 26, 2007
    Humm, looks like a LM GTE wing there....
     
  16. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1141 joe sackey, Sep 26, 2007
    Dear Graham,

    Please be so kind as to e-mail me the aforementioned photograph, showing us that you have had the privelege of sitting in the only surviving USA development F40. Even now I am standing by to post said image for all to enjoy.

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
     
  17. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1142 joe sackey, Sep 26, 2007
    Correct, that was phase 2 of the car's bodywork later in its racing career by which time the GTE wing was perceived as the application to have to keep the car on the track at enormous speeds...

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
     
  18. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    #1143 joe sackey, Sep 26, 2007
    Very impressive display, but I would have gone for a more symetrical arrangement myself... Two questions spring to mind:

    1. Is that layout a (new) requirement for judging?
    2. Does the pogo-stick come in satin-black?

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
     
  19. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    Joe Sackey
    #1144 joe sackey, Sep 27, 2007
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  20. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Joe Sackey
    #1145 joe sackey, Sep 27, 2007
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  21. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

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    Joe Sackey
    #1146 joe sackey, Sep 28, 2007
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  22. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    Joe Sackey
    #1147 joe sackey, Sep 28, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  23. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 16, 2003
    5,186
    #1148 WCH, Sep 29, 2007
    Asking $1.5 I believe?

    Le Mans Blue - a Ferrari color?
     
  24. thepinkumbrella

    thepinkumbrella F1 Veteran

    Feb 26, 2006
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    #1149 thepinkumbrella, Sep 29, 2007
    I believe it is a Bugatti blue, back when Bugatti were French
     
  25. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ

    May 23, 2006
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    Joe Sackey
    #1150 joe sackey, Sep 29, 2007
    The owner of the car, the pilot and the sponsors were proud Frenchman so they went with the old French national racing color.... they were really hoping to win GT1 in 1995 and thought they had a good chance till Ferte went off in the morning and they had to settle for 6th.

    Joe
    www.joesackey.com
     
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