Goals: Drive Your Ferrari F40 When You Turn 80, Like This Guy
A perfect example for supercar owners everywhere.
In recent days, supercars and '90s tuner vehicles have been in high demand—enough to call them more of an investment than some stocks. Sadly, this has led to collectors stashing away beautiful examples in garages while they deteriorate in hopes that they will one day compound the money put into them. But not 80-year-old John Clower, and certainly not his Ferrari F40.
Clower is a man of exquisite automotive taste with a passion for racing. Despite growing up building cars meant for the race track, supercars have always been his guilty pleasures. He's owned Lamborghinis and McLarens, but his true enjoyment comes from the 16 Ferraris he has owned over the years, and namely, the brilliant red F40 that he drives whenever he can.
But despite what you might think, Clower didn't just buy the car as something he would enjoy driving. Sure, that was a benefit, but John really bought the F40 in as an investment after seeing his money move up and down in the stock market. Unlike other owners who let their cars sit in a desolate garage, Clower was determined to get out and enjoy his hero ride.
In 2009, Clower began his search for the perfect F40. It took some time before landing on the perfect one, and he even turned down several other examples because they were too low mileage and he wanted something he could drive and not feel bad about. After deciding on his purchase, Clower took delivery of the F40 at Silverstone Circuit where he presented the car with a taste of its future: a hard drive around the race track.
"I've never been on a track day since, because I think they're too expensive for track days," said Clower, recalling that he had to immediately send the F40 out for warranty service following the five laps. "You can have a lot of fun on track days in just a cheap, cheap car."
That hasn't stopped him from driving it on the streets, though. Clower gets out and about with the F40 whenever the mood strikes. In fact, he doesn't even trailer the car on long drives to supercar events. In the video above, John recounts being chastised for driving the car to the F40's 25th Anniversary celebration at Silverstone.
"Cars are meant to be driven, aren't they?"
Clower's F40 is stock other than a catless exhaust and the three-row rear vents, which were made popular by Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason. The burbles, perfect engine note and the clack of a gated shifter work in concert to make the perfect symphony for any automotive enthusiast.
John has since purchased a Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M for his daily driving needs, but he still takes the F40 out and "gives it the beans" regularly. He begs people who own an F40 to get out there and drive and not just treat the cars as an investment—and his story reminds us that we should all be a little more like John.
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