Ferrari F40

Beware the myths surrounding Enzo Ferrari’s final supercar

you learn if you want to buy an F40 is that you have to compromise,’ says James Cottingham of DK Engineering. ‘We’d all like a low-mileage, non-cat, nonadjustable-suspension early car with low mileage and, ideally, sliding windows, but if such a thing existed it would be £2 million.’

So let’s run through the different flavours of F40 you might encounter. Although built for Ferrari’s most hardcore customers, they evolved though their 1987-92 production. Ferrari made 1311, of which 600 were US cars, all with catalytic convertors and heavier, with extra crash protection and slightly different interiors, plus height-adjustable suspension.

That leaves 700 ‘European’ cars. The first 350 or so were built in the Ferrari race shop: the lightest, most powerful and ‘purest’ for collectors. It’s a myth that only the first 50 had sliding Lexan windows instead of wind-ups, as they remained an option, but they’re most likely to be encountered on an early car.

As Ferrari decided to build more than the proposed 400 cars, production moved to a proper line. These cars have an assembly number in the engine bay, and build quality tends to be better. About half had the hydraulic height-adjustable suspension to provide bump clearance, but DK has removed quite a few. Taking its instructions from the position of the anti-roll bars, the system can get confused on bumpy roads and lift the car at speed. Catalytic converters arrived in 1990.

What must you beware? Cottingham says another myth is that if you can’t see the carbonfibre weave beneath the paint, then it must have been repainted. ‘I’ve seen early cars where the weave isn’t visible, and it’s possible they were repainted while still at the factory after some complaints. These are handbuilt cars, painted by hand, so they are all different.’

Cracks in the C-pillars affect some cars, and are obvious. Inside, the unique seat material can get grubby, and the foam deteriorates. But the fabric has been remanufactured and DK’s price for retrimming the pair is around £3000.

All F40s generate ongoing bills without even moving, so check paperwork to make sure vital jobs have been done. The engine, a twin-turbo 2936cc Tipo F120 (A for non-cat, D for catalysed), punches out 478bhp (at 7000rpm) and needs a cambelt change every 18,000 miles or three years. The engine doesn’t have to come out so it’s a relatively straightforward job, costing £946 at Ferrari prices. A smoky exhaust is most likely to be down to tired turbos, but these can be overhauled relatively cheaply.

The fuel tanks are bag-type and guaranteed for five years, though DK changes them at ten; Cottingham says he knows of cars still on their originals. DK’s price for this is £1200. A clutch is about £3000.

Age has thrown up a couple of further problems. The magnesium bellhousing, which contains the clutch slave cylinder, can become porous, so you lose the clutch – but this can be fixed by a stainless steel sleeve insert. Likewise, the split wheelrims can leak and are hard to fix.

Cottingham says not to worry about gaps in service history, as many cars have been stored for periods: ‘But recent history is important. I get excited when I see a car still with inertia-reel belts and not harnesses. That suggests it hasn’t had a hard life.’