Great Marcel Massini story on the F40 launch

6 vids (from Oct. - already posted somewhere?)



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No offense Marcel, but I thought you were much older.
Cool video, thanks for posting.

 

LOL, I thought he was bigger

 

Hi Robert
When I wake up in the morning (or is it afternoon?) I usually feel like 103, although I naturally still look as good as a 33 year old.......
Please enjoy a wonderful day!

Marcel Massini

 

All these years I had never seen your picture and just assumed with your vast knowledge that you were a much older individual.
I think we all feel the same in the morning! LOL!!

 

The videos are pure gold, thanks for posting.

Marcel, thank you for pointing out that it's good to be environmentally conscious, I'm still chuckling.

 

Great F40 story about the changing build numbers and so good you had your camera on that picture perfect sunny day long ago. As you mentioned there were two F40 examples present at Fiorano. One car, the track car 73015 was a little rough with the paint showing some abuse and didn't even have exterior mirrors fitted. The other F40 that I call the 'picture car' looked fresh and perfect. One curious detail about the picture car; it was presented with no visible serial number!

 

Finally I can put a face to the name. Thanks for all the contributions over the years Marcel !!

 

The older you get, the earlier it gets late.

 

Chatted to Marcel a number of times by DM, so was really good to see him clearly in his element on that series.

He may appear dry at times on here (sorry Marcel) but his humour is evident in the interview.

Making your passion also your business is what we all strive for.

 

I cant imagine the wow factor when they uncovered the F40 for the first time. In 1987 and when they announced the specs..

I still remember how the press in France only talked about the 324kmh top speed and the 0-100 kmh in 4.1s, oh and the price - 1,700,000 frs. I also still remember the first one i ever saw - which happened to be right by the main entrance of the building we lived in, in Paris. I would later find out it lived in the same building, owned by a guy who also owned a real GT40. He owned 4 boxes - and i would always stop by his floor to try to see one of his cars out (one of the box only had a wire mesh door so you could see into it).

Good times.

 

Amazing video series. You have to keep the stories coming Mr Massini.

Thank you!

 

Yes, the wow factor during the unveiling was absolutely huge.
Everybody's chin just fell to the floor. Nobody had seen such a massive rear spoiler before (on a Ferrari production car).

Marcel Massini

 

As I mentioned in the interview, on Tuesday, 21 July 1987, following Commendatore Enzo Ferrari's brief speech and F40 presentation in Maranello (where the Galleria Ferrari is today) the new F40 was driven straight to the nearby Fiorano track where we had the chance to inspect not one but two F40's. Here's a pic I took of the one driven over from the (later) Galleria Ferrari towards the track and then another shot I took that day behind the pits at Fiorano.
Count the slits in the rear window, number of air vents in the rear side, exhaust system tubes, lack of red lights below taillights ......... and compare with production F40's. Also note mounting position of exterior rear view mirror.

Marcel Massini

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That prototype also utilises the 308/328/288 door window frames, the production cars have a slightly bigger (longer) sidelight window which moves the metal upright between both panes back a bit further, I guess to give a better view of the door mirror glass from the driver seat.

 

The French journalist Jose Rosinski was at Fiorano for the introduction of the F40. He wrote for the magazine Sport Auto about the new Ferrari and said the project started on le 6 Juin 1986. He was pictured talking to Michele Alboreto at the track and noted that production was expected to start Mars 1988. The magazine headline read LA NOUVELLE FERRARI F40: 480 ch!

 

I think in that same issue they drove the GTO Evoluzione as well?
And later, when they test drove the F40 in France , iirc, they showed a picture of the extra insurance they had to purchase bc of the price of the car.

 

Yes you are correct in Sport Auto #307 they compared the Porsche 959 to the Ferrari GTO Evoluzione.
It was the following year in August Jose Rosinski drove an F40 around Paris and Stephane Foulon photographed the car at all the Paris tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower and Il Notre Dame plus more interesting locations. Even a polo tournament was featured in the photographs. That F40 had the French plate 7549WWY92 and featured the sliding side window to. There were also the two small rectangular red lights mounted in the rear grill on either side of the license plate location. The F40 was also photographed at the Mas du Clos track. Featured in the picture background were the 288 GTO plus a series 1 250 GTO and a 250 LM. There was even a trip on an unopened section of the new autoroute! Fun times...

 

Yes! I think I still have these magazines somewhere in Paris. Back when a new Ferrari was a huge event. Good times.

 

... as Macari said recently, "Looks like it's trying to gather up small children and spit it out the back."

 

At the same time, a beautiful meeting

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i watched all of them Marcel, and i have to say i am extremely impressed.
this level of expertise and information accumulation and management is an exceptional achievement.

 

Great post !...

 

Article said he asked his chauffer to drive around the 959. Quite funny Sport Auto took the 959 to Fiorano to go drive the GTO Evo.