USA FERRARI F40

I can see you as a kid ripping all the bits off your toys that you didn't like.

Stay away from Eduardo Sr's car!

 

Interesting article in the press from March 15th 1990 claims they crashed four (4) USA F4Os to meet USA compliance:

"Ferrari F40 Supercar Is A Smashing Success
In order to bring the new Ferrari F40 into the United States, the company had to drive it into a wall at 30 mph. And not just one F40 - but four of them. It must have been painful to watch. But such is the price of U.S. safety law. Barring any last-minute snafus, the first of some 200 U.S. F40s will arrive in June. All of the $250,000-plus cars should be delivered within 18 months. ''This is a very special automobile,'' said Giuseppi Greco, president of Ferrari North America. ''We want to make sure we cross all the t's and dot all the i's. ''The Environmental Protection Agency is awaiting a final application for a certificate of conformity."

It appears the reporter was a little off on the price as a subsequent article published on August 16th 1990 in the Los Angeles Times shows:

"Ferrari's F40 - The Costliest Car Ever - Has Arrived
August 16, 1990|By Paul Dean, Los Angeles Times
Skeets Dunn, a San Diego municipal bonds dealer, has invested in a transportation commodity usually tied to instant depreciation and limited futures.
He bought a new car. Without a factory cash-back deal.
He also waited three years and paid $400,000 for a two-seater that comes without carpets, spare tire, radio or safe hands willing to insure it.
The car does 12 miles per gallon in city traffic and 200 mph wherever there is that much room to run. There are hand cranks for the windows and pull cables to unlatch the doors. It is noisy, hot, jiggly, cramped, low, primal and made from the same tough, unchewable Kevlar used for Batman's body armor.
But no dealer, collector, car investor or museum curator is questioning the Wall Street wisdom of Skeets Dunn - purchaser of the first Ferrari F40 super car sold in California. Especially when, only hours after this week's deliveries, the car began attracting premiums of up to $1 million over sticker.
Dunn, 46, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., a collector and restorer of classic Ferraris, began negotiating for his car in 1987 when the estimated price was $240,000. He signed a contract with Ferrari that guaranteed he would pay only sticker price for the car.
He has yet to take delivery of his F40 from Cornes Motors of San Diego. But his phone hasn't stopped ringing, he said, with offers of $600,000 above what he paid for the car.
''Speculation is rampant,'' he said, ''but I'm not selling. It's a silly car at an absurd price, especially in today's topsy-turvy economy. But it's also irresistible.
''My reasoning was purely from a (Ferrari) collector's standpoint. To do (restore) a car these days, from the ground up to concours and Pebble Beach (show) standards, the price is approaching $100,000. I thought this time, I'll start with a new automobile and just keep it forever.''
Eight of the F40s - literally street-legal race cars with turn signals and air conditioning - arrived in the United States last week. Four were air-freighted by Alitalia from Italy to the West Coast, then delivered to dealers in Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Diego and Newport Beach, Calif. Four more F40s were delivered to New York.
That's it for the first dribble. A few more are on their way, and by year's end, said a spokesman for Ferrari of North America, maybe all 40 U.S. dealers will have received one F40. Maybe."

A footnote to this story is that Skeets Dunn did not keep his F40 (chassis no. 85269, just the 11th USA car built) forever. In fact he sold it to my late friend Bob Pond. I had the pleasure of selling the car on to Ron E just 2 years ago, just before Bob passed away.

 

Anyone know this F40's chassis number? Indiana-registered "F40".

TIA.
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For many years the 94th USA F40 built, chassis number 87345 belonged to the late Tony Carlini, the famed 60s & 70s bike-builder and legendary hot-rodder.

Today it resides in the Toronto area.
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Sunday soundtrack. Turn up & enjoy.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3w03e_le-turini-en-ferrari-f40-sound_auto

 

For the F40 worshipers amongst us Kimball can supply some amazing prints.

http://www.kimballstock.com/results.asp?inline=true&image=FRR+06+RK0012+04&wwwflag=1&imagepos=10
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My personal favorite.
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Not on his site, although I am sure he took more. Feel free to contact him.

 

In my search for prints for a client I came across this old classic.

Contact the famed artist himself directly.
[email protected]
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Looks like chassis number 86438.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/ferrari-f40-leaving-cc_380396.htm

 

Chassis number 89888.
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Coming up for auction in August, the ex-Otis Chandler 1992 F40.

http://www.dupontregistry.com/autos/Search/DRauSearchDetails.aspx?itemid=812562
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