THE LOWDOWN

PRICES

‘Leggy’ (50,000km in F40 terms), adjustableheight catalysed cars start in the mid£600,000s. A low-miles non-cat ‘dry’ car might be £1-1.25m. That mythical deliverymiles early car could fetch £2m. ‘F40s are not good cars to buy at auction,’ warns Cottingham. ‘They need a proper inspection.’

LOOK OUT FOR…

The Ferrari With You programme, launched in 2009, is offered to owners of all Ferraris. It provides roadside assistance and covers the expenses to get owner and car home or to a Ferrari service centre. Ferrari still trains its mechanics on its older cars via its ‘Models out of production’ programme; all of its official workshops can, therefore, handle F40s. An annual service is £935. Cottingham warns not to run an F40 on old fuel: ‘Modern fuel has a shelf-life of about six weeks, so don’t leave a car for long periods with full tanks. The most damage we see is when people thrash them with stale fuel. You burn a valve seat and, when you put it right, you might as well do both heads. Suddenly you’re into a £25,000 bill.’

Turbos should be allowed to cool before shutting down after a run, but don’t leave the engine idling a long time from cold; it’s better to drive straight off. A plumbed-in extinguisher is a good idea as fires are not unknown.

A recall for wishbone replacement was subsequently updated. Many cars had the first part but never returned for the second. Check with a Ferrari dealer – the recall is still valid and the update will be free of charge.