This 1993 Venturi 400 Trophy is one of just 73 total units built (chassis 040), 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. Venturi subsequently gave clients the option to convert their cars to ‘road-specification’ after the series was over, which really just meant a few slight cosmetic changes to make the car more ‘practical’. It’s said that around 13 trophy-spec cars were converted. This particular 400 Trophy example was photographed by @classictorque on a racing track in Le Vigeant, France in 2022 and is finished in white with red and blue striping on the roof, and various decals. All 400 Trophy examples were built mechanically identical, and were equipped with a 408hp 3.0L PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) mid-mounted twin-turbo V6. Each car weighs at approximately 2425lbs, making the experience behind the wheel of one of these cars to be both nimble, and completely performance-focused.
How many made? 73 cars total race-spec cars built by Venturi between 1992-1994.
Engine: 408hp 3.0L PRV (Peugeot-Renault-Volvo) mid-mounted twin-turbo V6
Debut: 1992 Gentlemen Drivers Trophy
Top Speed: around 181mph
0-60mph: just about 4.7 seconds.
Photo Credit: @classictorque
Research: @rarecarsonly
1993 Venturi 400 Trophy
07.01.2025
Venturi