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Alain Prost’s stint as a Ferrari F1 driver didn’t live up to expectations, but at least he got a Ferrari F40 out of the deal. Now the car is up for auction.
Delivered new to Prost during his first season with Ferrari, this 1990 F40 will be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s on May 10. It is a prime example of the iconic supercar, which is also linked to one of the classic F1 lore.
Prost entered Ferrari for the 1990 season as the reigning driver’s champion, after defeating arch rival and McLaren teammate Ayrton Senna in controversial fashion at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. The Frenchman collided with his Brazilian teammate, who won the race, but was disqualified for using the road. exit to rejoin the circuit after a crash.
Ferrari F40 given to Alain Prost (photo via RM Sotheby’s)
Leaving the toxic intra-team rivalry at McLaren behind, Prost moved to Ferrari as a three-time champion. Epitomizing the ongoing changes at Ferrari at the turn of the decade, Prost was the first driver signed after the death of Enzo Ferrari, and was gifted an F40 — the last car developed while Ferrari was still alive — to use as his personal car.
Launched in 1987, the F40 immediately caught the attention of other supercar makers with a top speed of 200 mph — making it the fastest production car in the world at the time. A 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 produces an impressive 471 hp, though the turbo’s furious pause means the Buick GNX can beat it within a quarter mile. Today, the F40 is still held in high esteem for its analogue nature and great style.
According to the auction listing, Prost took delivery of the car but never used it. He also did not last long at Ferrari, famously being fired from the team midway through the 1991 season. This came after Senna returned the favor at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, crashing into Prost at the first corner to secure himself the Drivers’ Championship. The French driver returned to F1 in 1993 with Williams, winning his fourth championship and retiring at the end of the season.
Ferrari F40 given to Alain Prost (photo via RM Sotheby’s)
Prost’s F40, meanwhile, was sold to Ferrari collector Graham de Zille. Prost signed off on the roof before sending the car to its new home. His signature is clearly overlaid and still faintly visible. The F40 has been driven less than 2,900 miles since new, according to the listing. It was also built without a catalytic converter and adjustable suspension was added to later examples—which RM says is a more desirable specification.
All of that explains the pre-auction estimate of between $2.7 and $3.3 million—not surprising for such a great car that was once owned (albeit briefly) by one of F1’s greatest drivers.
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