40 examples of the F40 lined up at Silverstone for the 2007 event (Photo Credit: Silverstone Classic)
This year's Silverstone Classic powered by the AA already promises a weekend packed with celebrations of some of the most recognisable cars of the last half decade and event organisers have now added the 25th anniversary of the Ferrari F40 to the list of celebrations for this July's festival.
The last car to be commissioned by Enzo Ferrari the F40 was originally introduced – and named – to honour the 40th year of the eponymous manufacturer. Famously lightweight – even down to plastic windows and holes drilled into the pedals – the F40 was united with a V8 engine in an effort to produce the ultimate supercar – an aim many believe Ferrari achieved.
Just over 1300 F40 were produced and 40 cars were lined up at Silverstone Classic in 2007 for the event of the car's twentieth anniversary and for 2011 the Ferrari Owners' Club of Great Britain is organising an even greater gathering.
“Our original aim was to get at least 25 of these Ferraris together and, as I have contacted owners, I have been gratified that so many want to be part of the celebration – so much so that we now have more than 50 F40s registered for the event with more still to come!” reported Nigel Chiltern-Hunt, and F40 owner and the club's co-ordinator for this anniversary gathering. “A parade of those F40s present is planned for the Sunday and it undoubtedly will be the largest gathering of F40s ever seen anywhere in the world and will certainly beat the club's own previous record of 40 in 2007.”
“Silverstone is the perfect place for Ferrari to be celebrating this important milestone in the incredible F40's history,” said Silverstone Classic organiser Nick Wigley. “It was, of course, at Silverstone in 1951 that Ferrari achieved its first grand prix win and, since then, the circuit has witnessed countless more Ferrari victories, most recently when Fernando Alonso won last year's British Grand Prix. With such a rich sporting history, it's no surprise that so many fabulous Ferraris star in many of the major races staged at the Silverstone Classic. Now the promise of a record number of Ferrari F40s lining up on the infield is another major attraction. It's a truly mouth-watering prospect that no supercar enthusiast will want to miss.”
