Iconic Ferrari with 201mph top speed to sell for record £2.3m – it’s the fastest road car of all time

An iconic Ferrari with 201mph as its top speed is to sell for a record £2.3 million.

The red F40 is known as the fastest road car of its time thanks to its twin-turbocharged 3L, V8 engine.

Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sThe 1989 Ferrari F40 available for sale[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sThe red F40 can do 201mph thanks to its twin-turbocharged 3L, V8 engine[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sThe Ferrari has had a restoration but still has its original chassis, body, engine, and gearbox[/caption]

Brand new in 1989 the 478bhp supercar – famed for its angular shape – was as worth about £163,000.

In today’s money, when taking into account inflation, it would be priced at a hefty £424,000.

But the six-figure sum is nothing compared to its expected auction sale price, where its tipped to go for over 14 times its original cost.

If it goes for the guide price, the stunning car will smash the £1.7m recouped at auction for an F40 two years ago.

The Ferrari has had a restoration but still has its original chassis, body, engine, and gearbox.

Other original features are its tool roll, Agip tyre kit, exhaust and seatbelts.

And what’s more – it has only done a mere 10,749 miles in the last 36 years.

That works out at only 298 per year on average.

The F40 was so popular at the time it was owned by ex-F1 race champ Nigel Mansell.

Late football legend Diego Maradona and tenor Luciano Pavarotti had one too.

Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sIt has only done 10,749 miles in the last 36 years[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sThe F40 was so popular at the time it was owned by ex-F1 race champ Nigel Mansell[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sIt is being sold by RM Sotheby’s in Milan, Italy[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sIt is tipped to go for over 14 times the original price when it goes under the hammer[/caption]

It’s being sold by RM Sotheby’s in Milan, Italy, next Thursday, Luxury Auto News reports.

A spokesperson for the auction house said: “Famously the final design to be signed off by Enzo Ferrari.

“The F40 of 1987 was initially forecast for a 400-strong production run in celebration of the marque’s 40th anniversary.

“However, Maranello records show that this figure eventually stretched to 1,315 units as buyers kept being enticed.

“Little wonder, given the intoxicating recipe of a lightweight Kevlar and carbon fibre construction being propelled by a twin-turbocharged 3L V8.

Of those cars, chassis number 80763 offered here was completed on 27 July, 1989 and delivered to its first owner one week later.

“The Ferrari then moved to the United Kingdom in 1997, where it remained for more than two decades.

“Under the care of a new owner, the car was submitted to Italy in 2021 for a complete rotisserie restoration on the doorstep of the Ferrari factory.

“The restoration has been captured in a complementing photo album, which is beautifully housed in a matching-colour carbon fibre and Kevlar case.

Once finished, the F40 enjoyed a momentous April 2022.

“That month, it was registered in France in addition to being awarded prestigious Ferrari Classiche certification in recognition of its matching-numbers chassis, body, engine, and gearbox.

“The car remained with its then-custodian until May 2023, at which point it was purchased by the consigning owner.”

Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sThe car has beautiful red seats to match the exterior[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sIt’s known as the fastest road car of all time[/caption] Jam Press/Oliver Hirtenfelder/Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sIt’s set to sell for a record £2.3 million[/caption]