VIN: the Jolly Club / Team Taisan Ferrari F40 GT chassis 80742
History of chassis 80742
In July 1989, Ferrari F40 chassis 80742 was sold to Milanese Ferrari collector and privateer racing driver, Vittorio Colombo.
In 1991, the car passed to its second owner from Milan, Roberto Angiolini, the son of Jolly Club founder, Marco Angiolini.
During 1992, the World Sportscar Championship was imploding due to rising costs and falling participation. By contrast, domestic GT contests began to gain traction as they enabled privateer drivers to go racing at a more reasonable price. Foremost among these national series was the Italian GT Championship which, in 1992, was dominated by lightly modified Ferrari F40s.
After its inaugural season, more modifications were permitted for the 1993 Italian series. Through Michelotto in Padova, Ferrari began to offer F40 customers the GT upgrade pack.
Michelotto’s enhancements resulted in more power and less weight. Wheel, suspension, brake and gearbox modifications were also part of the programme.
Roberto Angiolini had Michelotto upgrade chassis 80742 to GT specification. It would race in the 1993 Italian championship with backing from Shell.
Preparation was handled by Jolly Club (who also ran a second F40 for 80742’s original owner, Vittorio Colombo).
Marco Brand was hired to drive and won eight of the nine rounds that season.
Brand secured the championship and scored almost 50% more points than his closest challenger.
For 1994, the Jolly Club expanded to running three F40s at most rounds (which were now double headers with two races per weekend).
Chassis 80742 received backing from Totip and was given a new white, green and orange livery. It was raced by Federico D’Amore, Oscar Larrauri and Arturo Merzario. However, despite winning more races than any other car in 1994, it was Vittorio Colombo that emerged as champion.
In September 1994, chassis 80742 was sold to Team Taisan, the renowned Japanese outfit run by Yasutsune ‘Ricky’ Chiba for the Taisan Industrial Company.
Bought to contest the Japanese GT Championship, it joined Taisan’s second F40 (80780) that had been running in the series all year.
Over the next few weeks, chassis 80742 was uprated by Michelotto towards LM specification: this included further engine, gearbox, brake, suspension and wheel modifications.
Now painted Team Taisan’s familiar red and black livery, chassis 80742 made its Japanese debut in the final round of 1994 at Mine. It raced twice more in 1995, but by this time the team had switched their attention to the new Porsche 993 GT.
At the end of the 1995 season, chassis 80742 was retired from competition duty. It went down in history as the Ferrari F40 with more race wins than any other.
Notable History
1989 sold new to Vittorio Colombo, Milan
1991 sold to Roberto Angiolini, Milan
Uprated by Michelotto to GT specification
Monte Shell livery
28/03/1993 IGT Monza (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
12/04/1993 IGT Magione (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
16/05/1993 IGT Vallelunga (M. Brand) 13th oa (#7)
30/05/1993 IGT Misano (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
13/06/1993 IGT Mugello (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
27/06/1993 IGT Pergusa (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
05/09/1993 IGT Binetto (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
03/10/1993 IGT Imola (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
17/10/1993 IGT Mugello (M. Brand) 1st oa (#7)
Totip livery
20/03/1994 IGT Monza (F. D'Amore / O. Larrauri) 2nd oa / 1st oa (#1)
04/04/1994 IGT Magione (F. D'Amore / O. Larrauri) 1st oa / 1st oa (#1)
24/04/1994 IGT Mugello (F. D'Amore / O. Larrauri) 2nd oa / 1st oa (#1)
05/06/1994 IGT Vallelunga (M. Trione) 1st oa / 2nd oa (#1)
26/06/1994 IGT Varano (M. Trione) 2nd oa / 2nd oa (#1)
10/07/1994 IGT Vallelunga (M. Trione) DNF / 2nd oa (#1)
24/07/1994 IGT Misano (M. Trione) 5th oa / DNF (#1)
04/09/1994 IGT Binetto (A. Merzario) 7th oa / 8th oa (#1)
Sold to Team Taisan, Fuji
Tasian livery
23/10/1994 JGT Mine 300km (K. Suzuki / H. Matsuda) 8th oa (#34)
02/04/1995 JGT Suzuka 300km (M. Kondou / A. Reid) 11th oa (#34)
04/05/1995 JGT Fuji (A. Reid) DNF (#34)
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
