A blue 1989 Ferrari F40 of Instagram star Sam Moores sold for £1,000,500 in a Bonhams The Market sale — a record price paid for a car in an online-only auction in Europe and the UK.
A 1989 Ferrari F40, which had become a worldwide social media star due to its ultra-rare blue livery and personalized F40BLU numberplate, has sold for £1,000,500 ($1,360,700) on The Market by Bonhams, as the first seven-figure result for an online platform in the UK and Europe. The F40 was sold by Sam Moores, creator of the popular Car Chat podcast and Instagram star, who claimed it is probably the most famous and most photographed F40 in Britain.
Bonhams Sold Blue Ferrari F40 BLU
The blue Ferrari F40 was offered by Sam Moores, creator of the popular Car Chat podcast and Instagram star. He commissioned the Aqua Blue metallic paintwork from Carrozzeria Zanasi of Maranello. Although this blue is based on Porsche specification, Ferrari apparently approved and the car is Ferrari Classiche-certified.
The 1989 Ferrari F40 had covered 16,000 miles from new, which is not particularly low (or high) for an F40. The car was originally red — like all F40s leaving the factory, although a few got resprayed — and first registered in Switzerland and later in Japan and the UK. Liberty Walk rebodied it into a road-going F40 LM but it was returned to factory specifications, except for the blue paint, by Sam Moores.
The hammer fell after a four-way bidding battle drove the price past the seven-figure mark in the final hour of the seven-day continuous online auction. The sale included the private registration number F40 BLU.
Tristan Judge, Director, The Market by Bonhams, said: “We are thrilled with this result. Not surprisingly, the F40 was the subject of a lot of attention and activity, with 15 bidders submitting a total of 128 bids.
“This car was one of only a handful of blue examples in existence and while many collectors favor tradition – such as a red-liveried Ferrari – this sale indicates there is a younger generation of serious collectors who appreciate something different.”
Bonhams sold a more standard red 1990 Ferrari F40 for £883,000 ($1,221,000) a few weeks earlier at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021 sale.
Online Sale Record Price for Blue Ferrari F40 BLU
The blue 1989 Ferrari F40 is the first million-pound motor car to be sold on The Market by Bonhams, a fastest-growing online marketplace for classic and collectible car and motorcycle auctions. Bonhams also claimed it as the most expensive car ever sold in an online-only auction in Europe or the UK.
The most expensive car ever sold in an online-only auction worldwide is also a Ferrari — the 2001 Ferrari 550 GT1 Prodrive that achieved a mid estimate $4,290,000, as the top result at the RM Sotheby’s Shift / Monterey 2020 online-only classic car auction.
The Market by Bonhams
Founded in Oxfordshire in 2016, The Market sold vehicles with a total value of £13 million and increased its turnover by almost 300% compared to 2019. It was acquired by Bonhams in April 2021.
The Market helps people to buy and sell their classic vehicles through innovative curated auctions via its online platform and app. In contrast to standard auctions, The Market charges a seller’s commission of just 5 percent + VAT with no fees for buyers.