The British motor race team, Simpson Motorsport, in the late 1990s/early 2000s, in cooperation with Ferrari, modified the legendary F40 model and equipped it with a V12 engine, which makes it unique. This car, a 1992 Simpson-Ferrari V12 GTR, was built for former driver Stefano Sebastiani and will be offered at auction.
The car has a very interesting story, and here are just some of the details told by Stefano Sebastiani that were mentioned in Keith Bluemel’s book ‘Ferrari F40: a comprehensive look at one of Ferrari’s greatest and most revered cars’. “Simpson Motorsport ran for Stefano Sebastiani his Ferrari 348 LM (chassis 95450) in endurance races between 1993 and 1995, including two Le Mans 24 Hours entries in 1993 and 1994. Through its racing with the 348 LM, Simpson and Sebastiani formed a strong relationship with Mr. Felisa of the Ferrari Factory and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that probably led to the production of the Michelotto-built 348 Competizione and 348 GTC/LM models during 1994.”
After the crash test, Stefan and his driving friend Robin Simpson Smith were given the opportunity to convert the original F40 chassis into the Simpson-Ferrari V12 GTR. It was an expensive project, but it paid off in the end, and the result was a unique Ferrari F40. The car participated in several races and after one of them, World Champion Mauro Baldi, who drove the car at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga with Richard Jones and Fabio Montani said, ‘What a nice and quick car to drive. Much better than the turbo original car!’
This Simpson-Ferrari V12 GTR is powered by a naturally aspirated F133 V12 engine mated to a Hewland 6-speed sequential manual transmission. Although engine output is not specified, it is believed that the engine delivers more than the factory 485 hp (362 kW) and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque.
It is equipped with lightweight F40 GTE-style bodywork, a full FIA roll-cage, 11in-width x 18in-diameter front wheels, 12.5in-width x 18in-diameter rear wheels, and custom-made suspension. Until 2023, the car was dry stored and well looked after, and that year it was subsequently being fully checked and gone through by Simpson Motorsport and shaken down at Turweston Airfield.
The estimated value of the car is £500,000 – £600,000, and along with this unique car, the buyer will also receive a history file containing drawings and specification details relating to its original build, a number of relevant invoices, and its UK V5C confirming that it’s road-registered as and ‘Simpson Ferrari GTR’ with the UK registration number J848 JUY. The car is road legal and has a chassis number – SEoGL1576AD45659.
The auction will take place on 23rd August 2024 at The Wing, Silverstone Circuit, NN12 8TN.
Source: Iconic Auctioneers
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