This 1993 Venturi 400 Trophy is one of just 73 total units built (chassis 062), and it’s often referred to as the ‘French F40’. The 400 Trophy is a street-legal racecar built specifically to compete in tourism competitions. Venturi Automobiles is a Monaco-based automotive manufacturer founded in 1984 by two ex-Heuliez French engineers, Claude Poiraud and Gérard Godfroy initially as MVS (Manufacture de Voitures de Sport). Despite the fact that Venturi entered into the automotive world during a terrible global recession, the company still managed to produce an impressive list of accomplishments during that time. Thanks to Stèphane Ratel, director of competition services for Venturi, the ‘Gentleman’s Drivers Trophy’ was created, which was a a one-make racing series dedicated specifically to the Venturi 400 Trophy. In total, the Gentleman’s driver Troply series lasted 4 season and races took place at historic tracks such as Le Mans, Pau, Paul Ricard, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours and Dijon. This particular 400 Trophy example was recently offered for sale by @thecultivatedcollector and it’s one that actually hasn’t seen that much racing use. This car was 1 of 73 cars built for the 1993 racing season, and it was subsequently campaigned in the Venturi Trophy series, however, the car did not actually finish the season due to financial difficulties between the owner and Venturi, and Venturi eventually wound up taking ownership of this car. The car was then sold to a second owner who participated minimally in track day events. After this the car was sold to three other owners over the years, and most recently, this car was raced at the 2017 Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or.
How many made? 73 cars total race-spec cars built by Venturi between 1992-1994.
Engine: All 400 Trophy examples were built mechanically identical, equipped with a 408hp 3.0L PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) mid-mounted twin-turbo V6 and weighs only 2425lbs.
Debut: 1992 Gentlemen Drivers Trophy
Top Speed: around 181mph
0-60mph: just about 4.7 seconds.
Photo Credit: @enzoadam
Research: @rarecarsonly