Ferrari wants to protect its brand through cease-and-desist orders. This rare convertible Italian supercar is no exception.
Ferrari has a tendency to push legal drama on everyone. This includes online influencers to big name celebrities. We all want to modify our car to try to drive something unique. This exotic Italian automaker considers some of these special details blasphemous.
When you were a kid in the 1980s, you could choose posters to put on your wall. Porsche 959, Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari F40 are popular cars. Some of us may have also had a poster of Cindy Crawford from her Pepsi commercial with the Countach.
Those of us who rocked Ferrari Supercars dreamed about the F40. Production of these cars is said to be quite low at 400 units. Its demand prompted the company to produce 1,300 units. Of the 19 models produced as the Ferrari F40 LM, the Italian automaker only recognizes 18 to this day.
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When Belgian billionaire Jean Blaton bought the F40 LM in 1993, he knew that serial number 79890 was a special car. It was a prototype and one of two LMs competing in IMSA GT. Jean is a veteran of motorsport competitions. He won’t accept a car that has 18 others owned by wealthy collectors.
To stand out, Blaton commissioned Tony Gillet, designer of Gillet Vertigo. Tony also brought Michelotto into the picture. Michelotto, a Ferrari race car builder, put together designs to convert 19 Ferrari F40s into their LM spec to compete in IMSA GT. Even with talent like this behind the wheel of the project, the automaker insisted on removing all Ferrari badges.
Owning a Rare Ferrari F40 Needs Bold Transformations
Ferrari F40 LM Barchettavia Monochrome yellow. The most drastic and obvious change is that this Ferrari F40 LM has no roof. Other body tweaks allow the modifications to work with the F40’s new look. This includes a competition-style windshield. Another bold move is to change the color. Jean chose to paint the car yellow, considered Belgium’s official historic racing color.
Gillet’s removal of the Ferrari engine restrictors results in a total of 760 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of just over 3 seconds and a top speed of 229 mph. To continue the disreputable modifications, the custom exhaust converts to a side exit system through the lower panels. A roll cage encases the LM for safety, and the suspension switches to an F1-style pushrod system.
The professional driver’s influence was not enough to prevent a Ferrari from stopping and scrapping the yellow Ferrari F40 Barchetta in the Garagevia Monochrome. Jean Blaton raced in the 1950s and 1960s under the pseudonym Jean Beurlys. Beurlys has completed several 24 Hours Of Lemans endurance competitions. He placed 3rd in the 1965 race. Jean favored Ferrari, so buying Ferrari F40 LM No. 79890 was a no-brainer.
This particular F40 LM was produced in 1989 and was later driven by F1 racer Jean Alesi. It finished 3rd at Laguna Seca in the IMSA GT race that same year. In 1990, Jean Pierre Jabouille drove to 2nd place in the IMSA GT Championship. Beurlys had a successful chassis in 1993, and soon after, it was no longer recognized by Ferrari.
This is how the Ferrari F40 LM Barchetta began had an additional chassis to compete in IMSA GT North America instead. Carbon fiber reinforcement and a new suspension setup are a start. This includes Koni suspension components, thicker sway bars, 17-inch OZ Racing alloy wheels and 355mm Brembo brakes.
Ferrari used the Tipo F120 B engine for the F40. It is a twin-turbo V8 engine, 3.0L capacity. Acceleration tops out at 38psi with an 8.0:1 compression ratio. Michelotto installed a large Behr intercooler, a custom camshaft, and a dual fuel injector setup for each cylinder. This pushed the LM to a regulated output of 720 horsepower at 7500 rpm due to the 38mm air restrictor being required for competition. Gillet removed those limitations to let Blaton unleash Barchetta’s full potential.
Auctions are no good for an F40 that is not recognized by Ferrari1990 Ferrari F40via Gooding & Company When cars like the Ferrari F40 LM Barchetta come up for auction, potential buyers will have to conduct considerable due diligence. Spending that amount of money means making sure that the car isn’t a separate piece that passes for the real thing. Documentation of previous sales and maintenance is also important.
Items that come with the car must also include the owner’s manual and original parts if the car is the highest bid. In the case of the Barchetta, the extensive modifications were allegedly not recognized by Ferrari. This kept the car from reaching its target of $195,000 in 2005. A well-documented example that Ferrari approved, could have fetched up to $4 million.
Auction house Gooding & Company sold its last Ferrari F40 LM for $2,090,000 in 2013. For comparison, the auction company sold a non-LM 1990 Ferrari F40 at Pebble Beach in 2022 for $3,965,000. Shame on the current owner of the iconic Ferrari F40 LM Barchetta.
