When the Ferrari F40 was first introduced in 1987 it was the most ambitious project ever undertaken by this venerable Italian manufacturer.

While it was only produced for five years and just 1315 rolled out of the factory, the F40 quickly became a supercar pinup and would influence future generations of designers.

Ferrari was looking to replace its existing 288 GTO and at the time of the F40's inception it was also in need of a car that could stand up against rival models like the Lamborghini Countach.

Enzo Ferrari was also in need of a car that would act as his swansong, since he was aware that being close to 90 meant that he might not get another chance to solidify his legacy.

Thus the F40 was born, over a three year development period. It took advantage of a 2.9 litre turbocharged V8 engine which delivered an impressive 471bhp.

Versions of the F40 were produced for the road and the track, so performance varies depending on which model you are considering.

Tests which have been carried out over the years show that the retail edition of the F40 could hit 62 miles per hour in around 3.8 seconds, while the track-tuned model would do it in just 3.2 seconds.

Most important was the fact that Ferrari had done enough to allow the F40 to outpace the Porsche 959, which at the time was arguably the biggest competitor out there.

Another accolade which is attributable to the F40 is that it was the first car which could be driven on public roads legally which was also capable of exceeding a speed of 200mph flat out.

It was not until the arrival of the Lamborghini Diablo in 1990 that the F40 was ousted from its position as the fastest production car.

The F40 remains one of the most idolised supercars to ever have been built, with the decades doing little to diminish its good looks or blistering performance levels. Many see it as the purest form of supercar, because the gradual encroachment of computing technology has meant that subsequent Ferraris have become far more refined if a little less passionate.