Decisions, decisions ... Ferrari F40, or Enzo?

The question might be more pertinent than you think. Despite being separated by a decade of technical progress, not to mention the F50 which followed the F40, values of the two cars are comparable. So, which would you go for?

RM Sothebys are offering examples of both (and for that matter an F50 and a 288GTO) in its auction at Villa Erba in Italy later this month so we’re going to take a look at both here to try to weigh up the benefits of each.

Despite the impact the Enzo had upon its release, there seems to be little doubt that the F40 has earned itself a very special place in the supercar firmament. A swift poll of the GRR office reveals that, without hesitation, most of us would opt for the F40, despite the fact that we could just as easily have an Enzo. When you break it down though, the Enzo on many levels would be a better choice. It’s significantly more powerful and quicker, better equipped, benefits from years of development over the F40, and surely few could argue that its majestic six litre V12 doesn’t produce an even more engaging sound than the F40’s twin-turbo V8? That said, how many would consider the Enzo to be the better-looking of the two?

Another area the Enzo scores over the F40 is exclusivity. In fact, it’s not even close …

Apparently 400 Enzos were produced versus the F40s 1,311, which may go some way to explaining why the values are comparable. Certainly values are higher for the F50, of which just 349 were supposedly built. As such, might the Enzo be the car to buy if investment potential is a factor? It’s time to take a look at the candidates which will be on offer at Villa Erba.

This F40 is one of the later cars, having been produced in May 1991. It was sold through a Milan dealership to a German resident who appears to have kept the car until 2002 and who apparently had the car looked after correctly. More recently it has been submitted for Ferrari Classiche certification which included a fastidious service. This makes the auctioneer’s claim that this example ‘is certainly one of the best’ seem quite plausible. The upper estimate is approximately £655,000.

The very next car scheduled to cross the block is this Ferrari Enzo. In contrast to the F40 it is an early exmaple, so early in fact that we understand it to be Pininfarina’s 2002 Paris Motor Show car. Sold to a Monaco resident it too appears to have been looked after correctly and used just enough to keep it fresh, but not so much that the mileage is unappealing. It has recently benefited from a 30,000km service in Modena and appears to be in every bit as gorgeous a condition as the F40. £727,000 is reckoned to be the high estimate on this one. Please forgive any vulgarity, but if you can afford one you can likely afford the other. Also, it’s not inconceivable that they could go for a similar amount on the day.

So, is it to be the last car Enzo Ferrari oversaw, or the one that bears his name? Tough one, isn’t it?