#MyDreamGarage #44: Ferrari Pininfarina FX

It is 1994. Prince Abdul Hakeem of Brunei has decided that he wants a new car. And that his new car will be a Ferrari with a semi-automatic transmission. A technology which had never been put into a road going vehicle before.

The project was taken on by Pininfarina, who had already built 50 cars for him. They decided to use a Ferrari Testarossa as a base, and then add a transmission from Prodrive. The car was then bodied in carbon fibre.

Three cars were delivered, and the Prince was very happy with them. But he had already ordered more, this time based on the newer Ferrari F512M. These cars would be sent to Williams to further develop the transmission. But only one ever arrived.

The transmission was still being tuned when the Asian markets crashed.

An investigation led to the discovery that millions had been taken by a relation, and in the ensuing scandal, the order was cancelled.

The car, FX no.4, was eventually sold to an American businessman. The other five are still in Brunei, apparently left to rot in the middle of a rainforest.

This car was years ahead of its time. Slightly too far ahead though, because the gearbox still wasn’t perfect. But it’s still one of the more interesting Ferraris.