There’s nothing quite like the Ferrari F40, maybe the most iconic modern-classic Italian car from an era that also gave us unique gems like the Jaguar XJ220 and the Porsche 959. These are absolute classics that turn heads wherever they go, but there’s something that bugs people and that’s the fact that nearly all F40s are red. Not this one, Chassis No. 80782, finished in a shocking shade of Nardo Gray.
Ferrari made 1,311 examples over 5 years, from 1987 to 1992, and many of them have an interesting history. Dictators love to buy these up. Some have been spotted abandoned while others are locked away in storage gathering dust. This one is a little bit controversial because it’s no longer how Ferrari made it, and it’s just on the verge of “outrageous” as a result.
The F40 was engineered as an analog race car for the road, but that made it perfect for competitions as well. Ferrari saw its potential and tasked specialists at Michelotto Automobili with making track versions such as the famous LM, the GT and GTE.
Private owners also liked these thoroughbreds and converted their road-legal F40s, which is what happened with 80782 here. Its “Competizione” makeover began in the 1990s. To be precise, it left the factory in November 1989 as a red car, and stayed with Ferrari importer Kroymans BV and was purchased three years later in the Netherlands by Peter van Erop of Cavallino Tuning.
In the mid-1990s, the Ferrari underwent engine upgrade work, which increased the output to over 700 hp, though documentation says it can do 1000 hp with a race tune. Reports state the tuning was done in 1995 at G-Tex in England, in collaboration with Michelotto, the Italians responsible for F40 race car conversions.
In 1997, it was bought by Englishman Michel Oprey and saw plenty of track action until 2006. A new owner took over in 2019 with modifications going into a slightly different direction. The then-yellow race car was shipped to the Italian bodywork shop Zanasi Group in Maranello where it was given its current Grigio Nardo paint, otherwise known as Nardo Gray, and blue fabric seats.
And while few people will think this is the right color for a Ferrari, the paint job is undoubtedly well executed. Jeremy Clarkson once said that the paint of the F40 was so thin that you could see the weave of the carbon fiber. But his €123,000 paint job is as shiny as a mirror.
This unique F40 was up for grabs during the 2022 Monterey Car Week RM Sotheby’s private auction. And it seems the buyer didn’t like the race car feel because it’s available again. Lot 1405.1 is just days away from being listed by Barrett-Jackson at its 2023 Scottsdale event.
Update: The Nardo Gray 1989 Ferrari F40 “Competizione” sold for $2.5 million, quite close to the average F40 today.
