Furlonger Specialist Cars is offering a five-car Ferrari collection that traces the development of paddle-shift transmission technology from Grand Prix racing to road cars. Called Scuderia ’89 – The Pursuit of Paddle Collection, the group is being sold as a single package, with offers invited in excess of £20m.
At its centre are the Ferrari 639 Formula 1 development car and the Ferrari 640 race car campaigned by Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell. Completing the collection are a Ferrari F40, F50 and F355 Spider.
Built in 1988 under the guidance of technical director John Barnard, 639 chassis 106 is one of two factory prototypes constructed ahead of the 1989 Formula 1 season, when the sport moved from turbocharged engines to 3.5-litre naturally aspirated units under new FISA regulations.
Powered by Ferrari’s Tipo 035 V12, chassis 106 is believed to be the only 639 in private ownership. Extensively driven by Berger, Mansell and Roberto Moreno at Fiorano, it served as the test bed for the Scuderia’s seven-speed semi-automatic paddle-shift transmission.
Chassis 106 remained in Maranello’s possession until 1999 before entering private ownership. It has since received Ferrari Classiche certification and appeared at Corse Clienti events. Described as fully functional, the car retains its original 685bhp V12 engine and paddle-shift gearbox. It was reunited with Mansell at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed and returned in 2025, driven by Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey.
Ferrari 640 chassis 110 applied the lessons learned from the 639 programme to become the first Formula 1 car equipped with a semi-automatic paddle-shift transmission to compete in a World Championship Grand Prix. Introduced for the 1989 season, the 640 also marked Ferrari’s return to naturally aspirated power and was the first Scuderia F1 car campaigned following the death of Enzo Ferrari in August 1988.
Gerhard Berger raced chassis 110 in the Canadian, British, Mexican and US Grands Prix during the 1989 season. The car emerged during a transitional period for both Ferrari and Formula 1, as paddle-shift transmissions began to supersede traditional H-pattern gearboxes.
After retiring from period competition, chassis 110 was initially displayed statically before being recommissioned by the factory and granted Ferrari Classiche certification. It has since participated in Corse Clienti events and was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
The collection’s three road cars demonstrate how paddle-shift technology migrated from cutting-edge Grand Prix machinery to production supercars.
Launched in 1987, the F40 is widely recognised as the final Ferrari road car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. The example offered here is described as the most successful racing F40 in the UK and was one of 30 cars converted to Competizione specification in period. It has since been returned to original factory specification and has covered 24,000km from new.
The Ferrari F50 succeeded the F40 in 1995 to mark the company’s 50th anniversary. It reinforced the link between Ferrari’s Formula 1 programme and its road cars, powered by a 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V12 derived from the Scuderia’s early-1990s Grand Prix engines. This example is one of 25 UK-supplied F50s. Finished in Rosso Corsa, it has covered 14,000 miles and is accompanied by its removable hardtop, tool kit and accessories.
Completing the collection is a Ferrari F355 Spider F1. Introduced in the mid-1990s, the F1-specification F355 was among the earliest production cars fitted with a paddle-shift transmission. Showing 5,500 miles from new, this is one of 139 Spider F1s delivered to the UK.
The Pursuit of Paddle Collection is being marketed alongside another Formula 1-inspired package from Furlonger – the Lamborghini V12 Camel Collection.
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