One to Buy: ex-Pierre Alexandre Popoff 1990 Ferrari F40 GT (SOLD)
When GT racing underwent its early 1990s revival owing to the widespread collapse of Prototype racing, Ferrari’s F40 found itself as the most competitive machine available prior to the arrival of the McLaren F1 GTR in 1995.
Following an inaugural season in 1992 when several more-or-less standard F40s had gone racing, organisers of the Italian GT Championship allowed considerably more development for the ‘93 campaign at which point Michelotto created a GT upgrade pack that featured a number of parts derived from the awesome F40 LM.
As expected, the F40 GT went on to dominate the 1993 and ‘94 Italian GT Championships and today these cars are highly prized as among the most significant racing cars of their era.
Currently on offer at the Joe Macari showroom in London is one of these rare cars: chassis 85690.
Originally delivered to VIP customer and close friend of Enzo Ferrari, Pierre Alexandre Popoff, chassis 85690 was initially prepared for the 1992 season by Nicodemi, after which Michelotto brought it up to GT specification for the following season.
During his time with the car, Popoff most notably took victory at the Binetto Italian GT Championship race in 1994. It was retired from competition duty at the end of that season, since which time it has been painstakingly restored and issued with Ferrari Classiche certification.
Reprinted below is Joe Macari’s description:
One of only nine examples built to CSAI-GT specification by Michelotto with wonderful ownership provenance and history.
Year: 1990
Mileage: 36,815km
Price: POA
The Ferrari F40 was announced in the summer of 1987 as the ultimate supercar of its generation. The last car unveiled by Mr Enzo Ferrari himself, before his death a little over a year later, it was named to celebrate his recent 40th anniversary as a car maker. With a race-developed twin-turbo V8, aerodynamically perfected carbon fibre coachwork, and a spartan interior that substantially minimized weight there was little surprise when Ferrari decided to take the F40 racing.
The necessary tuning and modifications were entrusted to Giuliano Michelotto, whose work on the Lancia Stratos rally cars and the Ferrari 308 IMSA cars had earned him due praise. Michelotto's conversions packages of standard F40 examples into so-called F40 GT specifications were then sold by the factory to privateer racers. The GT modifications proved to be a forerunner to more purpose-built racing versions, such as the F40 LM and the F40 LM Evolution.
It is believed that just nine examples of the F40 were treated to Michelotto’s CSAI-GT upgrade and all cars featured uprated engines, larger F40 LM Brembo brakes and F40 LM cooling ducts, lighter carbon fibre front and rear clam shells, racing uni-ball rose jointed suspension, F40 LM wishbones, fully adjustable anti roll bars, wider CSAI-GT wheels and many other subtle modifications.
The F40 GTs were campaigned by privateer clients in the Italian GT Championship and raced to great success, as such, they remain prized today as a unique club-racer iteration of one of the brand’s most significant flagship models.
This particular example was built in 1990 and collected directly from the factory in Maranello by Pierre Alexander Popoff, a close friend of Enzo Ferrari who was also responsible for designing the Mugello racing circuit in Italy.
A prominent member of the Ferrari Club Italia, Popoff desired to race in the inaugural 1992 Italian GT Championship. Initially his F40 was prepared for racing by Adriano Nicodemi, although that responsibility soon passed to the highly respected Michelotto, who built it to CSAI-GT specifications.
Popoff would go on to compete in a total of 27 rounds of the Italian GT Championship over three seasons from 1992 to 1994, resulting in seven podium finishes and two outright victories as well as a remarkable 85% finishing record.
Around this time, the F40 GT was featured in Sergio Cassano’s definitive book on the racing F40s, F40 Da Corsa. It was also later depicted in Ferrari expert Keith Bluemel’s book Ferrari F40. Returned to road-car specifications, the F40 was imported to the United Kingdom in 1998 where it has resided ever since.
In 2013, with the close collaboration of the original owner’s son, Andrea Popff, the car was carefully and sympathetically converted back into its 1993 racing configuration. While this included replicating the original race livery, and re-installing the period Brembo competition brakes, racing exhaust system, and the rare 17-inch magnesium wheels, the owner chose to keep the road-specification suspension to provide a more forgiving ride quality.
The car is offered with an extensive history file documenting its impressive life including copies of the Italian registration documentation, confirming Popoff’s ownership, and over 150 images of the car competing in the Italian GT Championship. Also included in the file are UK MOT’s, servicing history from UK Ferrari specialists along with copies of correspondence with Michelotto in period. Also accompanying the car is a beautiful three-piece F40 Schedoni luggage set.
The car has also been awarded red-book Classiche Certification confirming that it retains its matching numbers chassis, engine, gearbox and body. This beautifully presented F40 GT claims important ownership provenance and a successful three-year career in period Italian racing, as well as fastidious recent maintenance and an extensive history file. It represents a special opportunity to own one of the very few competition F40s and would be a fantastic addition to any collection. Contact us now for more information or to arrange a viewing.
