Lewis Hamilton has bought a 1991 Ferrari F40 with just 69 kilometers, or about 43 miles, on the odometer, choosing an example that spent decades largely unused before Ferrari Classiche brought it back to running condition. The Formula 1 driver later showed the car on social media and drove it to Maranello and Monza during the F1 weekend, finally putting real road miles on a Ferrari that had barely left storage.
1991 Ferrari F40 had barely been driven before Lewis Hamilton bought it
Hamilton had been looking for a particularly original, low-mileage F40 for some time. According to his account, the first owner drove the car home from Maranello and then parked it in a garage, where it remained for years. Those 69 kilometers therefore represented almost the entire road life of the car before Hamilton bought it.
Decades of inactivity still took their toll despite the lack of driving-related wear. Dust covered the car, the paint had lost some of its shine and the mechanical components needed attention before the F40 could safely return to the road. Extremely low mileage alone did not make the car ready to drive.
During the recommissioning process, Ferrari Classiche kept the main original components while cleaning and polishing the bodywork. The work allowed Hamilton to use the F40 again without sacrificing the parts that document its original configuration.
The restoration also revealed an unexpected connection with its new owner. The engine carries the number 44, the same number Hamilton uses in Formula 1. He shared the coincidence while telling the story behind the purchase and described the F40 as one of the cars he had wanted for years.
His arrival at Monza also showed how he plans to enjoy the car, at least on this occasion. After spending years indoors, the Ferrari returned to the road and made the trip to one of the most important events of the season rather than remaining hidden away in a private collection.
Hamilton has not revealed how much he paid. The exceptionally low mileage and high level of originality make this F40 particularly interesting to collectors, but those details alone do not establish its purchase price. Auction results from other F40s cannot provide an exact answer either, since condition, history and specification can vary significantly from one car to another. Calling Hamilton’s example a new record-setting F40 would therefore be premature.
