It was 20 years ago: Ferrari, which had developed the 333SP in the mid-1990s, winning several races in the United States, decided to return to the track with a serious commitment, but this time in GT. After the F50 GT1 project was abandoned and following the lack of support for the F40s a little earlier, Jean Todt created a new impetus. He gave the go-ahead to a programme of Ferrari V8s designed for the GT2 category, which later became GTE/GT3. While the first expression of this new ambition was the 360 Modena GTC, it was the F430 GTC that delivered the first truly prestigious successes, in particular the victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ascott Collection is now offering for sale one of the F430 GTCs that raced at the time, now prepared for historic competitions (Endurance Racing Legends, Master Historic Racing, etc.).

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The F430, designed as a race car

The Ferrari F430 (presented at the 2004 Paris Motor Show) was the heir to the 360 Modena. The new V8 coupé in the range! It shared its aluminium chassis with the 360 that had preceded it, but its design by Pininfarina (and more specifically Frank Stephenson) opened up a new chapter. Almost everything was new. The F430 drew inspiration from other Pininfarina creations, both modern and old, including the Enzo's rear lights, side mirrors similar to those on the Testarossa and ducts integrated into the sides of the car. The dual air intake system was retained, but the wider air intakes were reminiscent of the legendary shark nose of the 156 F1 car of the 1960s. Although the overall shape was similar to that of the 360, the styling of the F430 was much more aggressive!

The F430 introduced Ferrari's new 32-valve V8 engine with double overhead camshafts (F136 E). At the rear was the block developed jointly with Maserati, with its own 180-degree flat crankshaft. The road version was rated at 490 bhp, all at the rear wheels, with a six-speed manual gearbox or the optional six-speed F1 gearbox. The basis was thus excellent, signalling a new aesthetic and inaugurating a new technical base. 

 

The development of the F430 GTC

Michelotto Automobili developed the F430 GTC with a view to making it eligible for all the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) series. The F430 GTC were entered in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the Le Mans Series (LMS), the FIA GT Championship and, of course, the Le Mans 24 Hours! Michelotto worked directly with Ferrari Corse Clienti. From the outset, the F430 was guided by an official desire to enter Grand Touring. This had not been the case with the 360 Modena, which was initially developed by Jean-Michel Bourresche's team (JMB) before receiving a helping hand from Maranello. 

Work on the F430 base began at the end of 2004, with the first runs in October 2005! Development was accelerated, but nothing was left to chance.

The F430's original aluminium chassis was reinforced with an aluminium tubular trellis cage in the cockpit. Mechanically, the engine displacement was reduced to 3,996 cm³ to make the car compatible with the GT2 category (allowing engines with displacements of 3.8 to 4.0 litres). The berlinetta was fitted with two silencers on the exhaust manifolds to limit noise. At the same time, the F430 gained weight - around 50 kg - to reach 1,130 kg on the scales. 

Power, managed by means of flanges placed on the intake pipes in accordance with the regulations, fluctuated according to the championship from 430 to 470 bhp, available from 6,600 to 7,500 rpm.  

In terms of aerodynamics, the underbody of the car was completely flat. To generate downforce, in addition to the excellent base provided by the F430, there was of course a rear wing with a wide range of adjustment options. The race versions of the F430 were fitted with lightweight 18-inch centre-nut wheels with Michelin slicks instead of the 19-inch wheels fitted with Pirelli tyres on the road cars. While the F430 road car's adjustable dampers could be adjusted using a knob on the steering wheel, the F430 GTC's suspension was not adjustable on the fly.

 

The first Ferrari V8 GT2/GTE queen

The F430 GTCs made a great debut, winning the constructors' championship and the FIA GT2 drivers' title in 2006 and 2007, the ALMS constructors' title in GT2 in 2007, and a class win in GT2 at Le Mans in 2008. The F430 GTC paved the way for the 458 GT2 and 488 GTE. 

F430 GTCs have won a total of 11 FIA GT2 titles (4 manufacturers, 4 teams, 3 drivers), 4 LMS (2 teams and 2 drivers), 4 ALMS (1 manufacturer, 2 teams, 1 driver), 2 Asian Le Mans Series (1 team, 1 driver), 1 ILMC (1 manufacturer), 12 GT Open (4 in total, 3 teams and 5 drivers). Numerous titles were also won in national championships in Italy and Spain.

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The history of chassis 2434 being offered for sale

Chassis 2434 distinguished itself in the Campeonato de España GT. Entered for the season in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the Portuguese team ASM Team, it enabled Lourenço Beirão da Veiga and Ricardo Bravo to win the overall title in 2009. That year, they won four races at Valencia, Estoril and Jerez. In 2012, the F430 chassis 2434 raced in England with Paul Bailey and Andy Schulz in the Britcar Endurance Championship, under the banner of SB Race Engineering.

After being acquired by the current owner in 2018, it was restored by Progressive Motorsport in 2019 and then Scott Sport took charge of the car. The engine was entrusted to XtecEngineering and the installation of a MOTEC and its wiring harness was carried out by Lap Engineering. The complete file of the restoration work, including photos and invoices, is available.

It was thus a fully restored F430 GTC which was then successfully entered in the Masters Endurance Legends races and the Endurance Racing Legends by Peter Auto. In its last race at Le Mans Classic 2022, it was quite simply victorious in the GT2 class. This Ferrari F430 GTC is certainly one of the best GT2s for competing in historic races, offering a perfect balance between performance and ease of driving thanks to its very robust and efficient chassis and after all … it's a Ferrari!
Photo: Jesse Evison Photography