One of the Raddest Ferraris of Them All Is About to Blow Everyone’s Mind Even More

The Ferrari F40 is already a legend and one of the most valuable collector cars in all the land. But this one that’s about to hit the Woodcote Park RM Sotheby’s Auction next week is quite a bit different.

As a one-off with an incredible background and history, this specific F40 may just set a new record for auction values when the gavel comes down.

One of the most storied F40s, ever

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

This specific auction-bound F40 was once owned by the late Jean Sage. If you’ve never heard of Mr. Sage, he’s arguably one of the most prominent figures in Formula One history.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Sage was best known as the director of Team Renault, specifically between 1977 and 1985. His involvement with Ferrari’s Formula One team didn’t start until 1986, when he departed from Renault.

Upon joining the group, Sage became famous for leading a whole fleet of racing-spec Ferrari F40s through the IMSA GT Series league in 1989 and 1990.

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

Sage also worked with Jean Alesi, who led Ferrari to win the Canadian Grand Prix in 1995. Alesi is most known for seat-swapping with the one-and-only Michael Schumacher in the mid-1990s.

Going back to the F40, though, it was formerly owned by the late director himself. Sage was known to be a regular driver of the machine.

Not just any F40

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

He eventually sent it to renowned Ferrari engineer and modifier, Giuliano Michelotto for a bit of rework. The result was nothing short of staggering.

Michelotto is best known as one of Ferrari’s most prolific motorsports engineers. He was among a very small and select group of engineers trusted by the Prancing Horse.

He’s credited for almost single-handedly helping Ferrari score a major portion of its motorsports victories from the 1970s and up through the 1990s. For example, Michelotto helped Ferrari win Le Mans three times in the class where the iconic 365 Daytona performed.

1990 Ferrari F40 “Jean Sage” by Michelotto – RMSotheby’s Woodcote Park Auction 2026

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His other accomplishments include helping Ferrari win Sebring three times and Watkins Glen twice with the 333SP in the 1990s. Other victories in the decade include Daytona, Monza, and even the 1998 Le Mans.

And the list goes on. Needless to say, when Michelotto elected to modify Sage’s F40, it got a seriously special treatment.

Michelotto squeezed more power from the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V8. The final figure came to 527 hp and 626 pound-feet of torque, versus the original car’s 477 horses and 426 lb-ft.

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

He also reduced the car’s weight by 300 pounds in total, which for a racecar adapted for the road, was a massive difference. And the car to date has only clocked 14,105 miles in total.

Setting another record, almost four decades later

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

Because of this background, analysts are predicting that this specific F40 could fetch big money, with the starting price hovering between $3.65 million to $4.35 million. It also has the potential to set another record for vehicles sold at auction.

While it has a ways to go before it comes anywhere close to surpassing the most expensive car sold at auction (a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that sold for $142 million), the bidding wars could still drive it quite high.

Ashley Border for RMSotheby’s

The most expensive Ferrari F40 ever sold was a 1993 F40 LM also by Michelotto. It also sold via RMSotheby’s for a record-setting $11 million.

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