The owner should be devastated.
After a complete restoration, heartbreaking photos have been posted online of a Ferrari F40 completely destroyed by fire.
Paul500, a forum member, posted the images on Motor1’s sister site Ferrari Chat. The images show the wreck in a salvage yard, somewhere in the United Kingdom. Although the circumstances of the fire are unknown at this time, the poster states that the F40 was in its maiden drive following a complete restoration. Thankfully, the occupants were able to escape unharmed.
You can see that the fire did not leave any part of the car unaffected. The rubber lip under the front bumper was probably the only thing that was not damaged by the fire. It will be likely to be classified as a Category A write off if it is UK-registered. This means that any salvageable parts can only be removed, but the entire chassis must be destroyed. A rebuild would not be financially viable, even though F40 values are so high.
This is not a common occurrence but it is rare to see an F40 go up in flames like this. Frefan, another forum member, said that both rubber fuel bladders as well as ignition coils have been identified to be weak points.
The F40 hit the headlines when it was launched in 1987 as Ferrari claimed a top speed of 202.6 miles-per-hour (326.1 kilometers-per-hour), making it the first series-production car to break the 200 mph barrier. The F40’s 471 horsepower, 352 kilowatts twin-turbo V8 engine produced this astonishing speed. It weighed in at only 3018 pounds (1 369 kilograms) thanks to its all-carbon fiber body.
Since then, it has taken on a certain poignancy due to being the last car that Enzo Ferrari signed off. It is considered by many to be the last car built without compromise and unaffected by safety regulations or driver aids. It’s no surprise that it is the most sought-after Ferrari post-Daytona, with values currently in the millions.
Between 1987 and 1992, Ferrari produced just 1,311 F40s. It is not known how many are still around, but it is certain that there are less than 1,310.