Man who drives a Ferrari F40 in his 80s shares his key advice for anyone who owns or wants to own a supercar
Published on Mar 01, 2026 at 6:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Feb 26, 2026 at 9:44 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A man in his 80s still drives a Ferrari F40, and he’s not precious about it.
He’s owned rally cars, race cars, and more Ferraris than most of us will ever see in one place.
But it’s the F40 sitting in his garage that still makes his heart sing.
And after decades around fast cars, he’s got one clear message for anyone lucky enough to own one.
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The Ferrari F40 lesson he wants every owner to hear
John Clower told Supercar Driver he bought his Ferrari F40 back in 2009, long after his early days thrashing cars around muddy rally stages and building race machines from scratch.
He’d started out borrowing his mother’s car for rallies, hosing the mud off before Monday morning shopping runs.
Racing followed, then marriage, then a pause.
Decades later, the spark was still there.
For John, the Ferrari F40 isn’t just an icon – it’s the icon.
He remembers seeing one for the first time at Silverstone and thinking, ‘Wow, what a car.’
He never imagined he’d own one 20 years later.
When the opportunity came up at his local Ferrari dealer, he chose the F40 over an F50.
The F50 might have appreciated more in value, he admits, but the F40 was always the poster car.
The one Enzo Ferrari wanted to be the fastest road car in the world.
The first Ferrari to crack 200mph.
And yet, despite its reputation – and its value – John drove it.
He even took delivery straight to Silverstone without ever having driven one before.
It coughed and spluttered after a few laps, one bank going down, and had to head back under warranty.
Still, he doesn’t regret using it.
Over the years, people have told him it’s ‘sacrilege’ to put miles on such a low-mileage example.
But he sees things differently.
“Anybody out there who owns one – get out and drive it,” he says.
“You do want to enjoy your cars.”
For him, it’s about memories.
Not just an investment sitting under a cover.
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A lifetime of supercars, with no regrets
John hasn’t exactly lived a one-car life.
Between him and his son, they’ve owned around 14 or 15 Ferraris, starting with a 550.
There have been Lamborghinis too, including an Aventador and a Murciélago SV, and even a McLaren 675LT that once stormed down a runway at 166mph with two people on board.
These days, though, in his 80s, he admits he’s not driving as much.
Dealers have asked whether he’d consider selling the F40.
He just laughs.
“You couldn’t find a better one than this,” he tells them.
And maybe that’s the real takeaway.
After a lifetime of cars, crashes, podiums, and parade laps, the advice isn’t complicated.
If you’re lucky enough to own something special, don’t just stare at it.
Start it.
Warm it up.
And go make some memories.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
