This 1990 Ferrari F40 Could Fetch Over $2.5 Million at Auction

The F40 is one of the most iconic Ferraris of all time, and maybe the greatest sports car of all time, though, for all that prestige, it doesn’t choose its owners. One unfortunate F40 recently got caught up in a bankruptcy, and soon it’ll be for sale to the highest bidder.

A 1990 example will be auctioned by Icon Servicing on August 12 as part of the bankruptcy proceeding in federal court in California. RM Sotheby’s, itself an auctioneer of many a rare and valuable car, has already put in a “stalking horse” bid of $2.55 million, Icon Servicing said on its website. That bid is meant to set a base price for the auction, meaning the car will likely sell for more than that, though possibly not much more. Icon Servicing says those interested in becoming a “qualified overbidder”—the next bid is $2.6 million—should send them an email.

Separately, there is a buy-it-now price of $5 million, if you simply can’t wait. The last Ferrari F40 sold on Bring A Trailer, though, was a 1992 example that sold in August 2022 for $2.44 million, suggesting that RM Sotheby’s stalking-horse bid is at or near the median of the market for F40s.

Icon Servicing also notes that because this is a bankruptcy auction, there are no fees: The winning bid is what the car will cost and not a penny more.

What the winning bidder will be buying is one of 213 F40s made for the U.S. market, of 1,315 produced in total. Power is made by a twin-turbo V-8 making 478 horsepower, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The power is sent to the rear wheels.

Enzo Ferrari originally conceived the F40 in 1984 to compete with the Porsche 959. The F40 debuted in 1987, which was also the 40th anniversary of the marque. Just 400 were planned to be built, but demand was such that over three times that number were ultimately produced, before the last was made in 1996. That made it the least rare Ferrari supercar, which is an odd thing to say about a car that is also the marque’s most iconic.

That might also explain why prices for F40s haven’t exploded into eight-figure realms. Your next chance to buy one is on Tuesday.

Click here for more photos of the 1990 Ferrari F40.

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