Automotive
Lewis Hamilton has added one of the most iconic supercars ever built to his garage, and this one comes with a story that makes it far more interesting than simply buying another collectible Ferrari. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion revealed on social media that he found a Ferrari F40 that had reportedly been sitting in a garage for more than 30 years. Covered in dust and clearly in need of attention, the car was exactly the sort of forgotten treasure enthusiasts dream about stumbling across, even if Hamilton likely had considerably better resources than most of us when it came to tracking one down.
The F40 has long been one of Hamilton’s favorite cars, so there is some real symmetry here. When he officially joined Ferrari, he famously posed with an F40 during his first major photoshoot at Maranello, and earlier this year he turned up in another example during a highly publicized appearance in Japan. Hamilton has now made it clear that owning one was a childhood dream. According to his post, once he found this particular car sitting dormant for decades, there was little hesitation about bringing it home and giving it the attention it deserved.
Rather than simply cleaning it up and putting it on display, Hamilton sent the car to Maranello, where Ferrari technicians spent weeks bringing it back to life. Photos shared with the announcement show the F40 undergoing extensive mechanical work, including what appears to be an engine-out restoration. That is reassuring to see, because preserving an F40 properly takes more than replacing fluids and fitting a fresh battery. These cars are now highly valuable historic machines, and getting one back on the road after decades of inactivity requires careful attention to everything from fuel systems and seals to turbochargers, cooling components, brakes, and suspension hardware.
The car itself needs little introduction. Ferrari built the F40 from 1987 through the early 1990s, creating what became the final road car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. Power comes from a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8, and the entire machine was designed with an almost obsessive focus on keeping weight down and driver involvement high. There are no luxury-car pretenses hiding beneath the bodywork. The F40 is raw, loud, fast, and famously demanding, which is a big part of why pristine examples have climbed so dramatically in value and why stories involving untouched cars still create such excitement among collectors.
Hamilton’s relationship with road cars has shifted over the years. He previously spoke about reducing his personal vehicle collection and making lifestyle changes tied to environmental concerns, but his move to Ferrari appears to have rekindled his enthusiasm for special road-going machines. Motorsport.com also reported that Hamilton described this particular acquisition as fulfilling a lifelong ambition, and judging by the photos, he looks genuinely thrilled to be involved with the restoration process rather than treating the F40 as another trophy tucked away in a climate-controlled collection.
There are still plenty of unanswered questions, including where the car was found, who owned it for those three decades, how much work Ferrari ultimately had to perform, and whether Hamilton plans to drive it regularly once the restoration is complete. His social-media signoff suggested there is more to come, so chances are good that this will not be the last time we see the car. For enthusiasts, that is the best part. An F40 that spent decades gathering dust is returning to the road, and it is doing so in the hands of someone who clearly understands exactly why this Ferrari matters.
Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive professional with a proven track record of leading successful ventures and providing strategic consultation across the automotive industry. With years of hands-on experience in both business operations and market development, Darryl has played a key role in helping automotive brands grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape. His insight and leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted expert, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts reflect his deep knowledge and passion for the business side of the car world.
