When you live life in the fast lane, you never lose that bug and excitement for driving some of the greatest production cars ever built. Meet John Clower, a man now in his mid-80s who still drives a Ferrari F40 at every available opportunity.
When at old age, driving would present a freedom like no other. But driving a historic Maranello-based brand presents a different feeling entirely. Behind the wheel, the passing years meet Ferrari’s enduring legacy, blending personal memories with the marque’s rich racing past and reminding drivers that both passion and history can age beautifully.
In October 2020, he featured in an enthralling interview with YouTuber Supercar Driver, discussing his lifelong passion for all things automotive. He’s been a member of the Supercar Driver Club since 2012, and now the community can hear all the intriguing anecdotes about his longstanding fascination with cars.
A Ferrari F40 Love Affair
The Ferrari F40 was released in 1987 to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary, and was the last car personally approved by founder Enzo before his death in 1988. It’s a car that has stood the test of time, as it approaches 40 years old in 2027.
As a keen petrolhead and racing enthusiast, Clower believes the additional context of how the car came to be makes it even more significant, given how it broke new ground in building a car so iconic for the road.
“The fact is, I’ve been a member of the Supercar club since 2012. I believe the F40s I believe the Supercar club had within their membership, it was particularly exciting,” he shared.
“It’s such an iconic car, just to look at it, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up almost. It’s really something, there’s never been another one like it, which is a racecar for the road.
“As we know, Enzo, being the person who ordered it, wanted to have the fastest car on the road because they thought F1 had gone a bit soft at that time.
“They were losing races, and he wanted to get back there and prove they could produce a top-of-the-range fastest car in the world. It was the first car to break 200 miles per hour as a road car.”
Ferrari’s success in Formula 1 didn’t reignite for over a decade after its release, but its revolutionary impact on the sports car market cannot be overstated.
The F40’s journey to his backyard came about in 2009, when Clower’s son suggested buying it as a distraction from the financial crash. He stated: “Actually, my son, who suggested, ‘Why be miserable, Dad, losing money on stocks and shares, when you could have that money in a nice classic car you could look at and even actually drive?’ We bought it in 2009.”
A Background in Racing
Clower recalled that he was eager to get behind the wheel as soon as he could learn to drive. Naturally, once he had the luxury and freedom to do so, he decided to pursue rallying before trying racing.
He drove cars from iconic British manufacturers such as Triumph and Austin-Healey, the latter of which was a British sports car maker established in 1952 through a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company. Both are now defunct.
“Well [before] racing, I actually started rallying first, ever since I started learning to drive on the school grounds in my father’s car. After I left school, I passed my test, borrowing my mother’s car, in which those days, I think she had a brand new Standard Pennant. I certainly remember rallies getting the car absolutely filthy, dirty in mud and hose piping it down and handing it back on Monday morning.
“I went to a Triumph Herald Coupe A. I won the Dukeries Rally, and Roger Clark won it the next two or three years after that. Racing followed rallying, and I think I decided it was such a waste of time being in the middle of Derbyshire getting lost.
“There was a lot more acknowledgement and feedback by going on a race track with thousands of people watching, and a lot less effort. The first car was a Sprite, which we built up from absolute scratch. I then upgraded to an [Austin-Healey] Sebring Sprite.”
Father and Son Living the Dream
Despite Clower driving around in his best toy, the iconic F40, he revealed that he’s driven plenty of exciting models over the years. Between him and his son, who got into automotives through his dad’s lifelong love affair, the pair have owned around 14 or 15 Ferraris between them, starting with a 550.
Aside from the luxury Prancing Horse, Clower revealed his taste for Italian sports machines extends further. He’s owned a Lamborghini Aventador and a Murciélago SV before switching to the local Woking manufacturer and earning a McLaren 675LT. He recalled a story that he once got that McLaren up to 166mph, with he and, presumably, his son in it.
The father leaves viewers with one piece of advice, simply stating to sports car enthusiasts: “Anybody out there who owns one – get out and drive it. You do want to enjoy your cars.” A fitting message from someone who’s rallied, raced, driven, and enjoyed every gear change and every push of the accelerator.