Lewis Hamilton has added a Ferrari F40 to his garage, fulfilling a childhood dream that he had publicly set aside when he said he had given up collecting cars. The seven-time Formula 1 champion announced the purchase on social media, describing the model as «the car of my dreams» and thanking everyone involved in the project.
The F40 holds a unique place in automotive history. It was the last car developed with direct input from company founder Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988, and it was built to mark the 40th anniversary of the marque. It was also the first production car to exceed 200 mph, achieving that feat in an era before stability control, airbags, or electronic speed limiters became standard. With its twin-turbo 2.9-litre V8 and distinctive design, the F40 became the poster car for a generation of children growing up in the late 1980s.
Only around 1,300 examples were ever built, and soaring collector prices have kept most of those childhood dreams out of reach. For Hamilton, however, the challenge was not financial but practical. Despite having driven for Ferrari's Formula 1 team for nearly two years, finding the right car proved difficult. The example he has now acquired is something of a barn find, having sat unused in a garage for more than three decades before being handed over to Ferrari's Classiche department in Maranello, Italy, which specialises in restoring and preserving classic Ferraris.
Hamilton's attachment to the F40 has been well documented. He has previously spoken of wanting to create a modern successor, which he dubbed the «F44», and when his move to Ferrari was announced, he made sure an F40 was visible in the background of his first-day photograph at the Fiorano test track. During the week of this year's Japanese Grand Prix, he also featured an F40 in one of his now-familiar montage videos.
The purchase marks a change of direction for Hamilton, who had appeared to lose interest in owning supercars. He has owned several notable machines in the past, including a LaFerrari and a Pagani Zonda 760 bearing his own «LH» insignia, but recent reports suggested he had sold his entire collection. Speaking before last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he said: «I don't have any cars anymore. I got rid of all my cars. I'm more into art nowadays. If I was going to get a car, it would be the F40. But that's a nice piece of art.»
Hamilton has now reconciled those two passions, treating the F40 as both a car and a work of art. In a separate post, he teased a full video reveal, likely to appear on his YouTube channel, where he has begun exploring car culture. Images he shared show the dusty supercar inside Ferrari's Maranello facilities, with his racing number 44 visible on the bodywork.