Ferrari F1-90 (641/2) - Mexico GP - Mansell - Race Weathered

We have created a special race weathered Limited Edition of five Ferrari F1-90 (641/2) models, precisely as the car was raced by Nigel Mansell at the 1990 Mexico Grand Prix on the 24th of June 1990. This unique edition of five 1:8 scale models has been meticulously hand-painted and detailed by our artisans in Bristol precisely show every detail of the race dirt that adorned the car as it crossed the finish line. Each model is accompanied by an archive quality Giclée print of the car mid-race, selected by the curator at Motorsport Images.

The artistry applied to these five models underlines our commitment to creating beautiful hand-made pieces which fully capture both the spirit and precise appearance of iconic race cars. The base model was developed using data from a meticulous digital scan of the original car. The resulting prototype underwent strict scrutiny by Ferrari to ensure complete accuracy of the model.

This edition has now sold out. 

Considered one of the most beautiful Formula 1 cars of all time, the F1-90 (also known as the 641) was Ferrari’s entry for the 1990 FIA Formula 1 World Championship® season. An evolution of the previous year’s 640 (F1-89), the 641 is officially a work of art: it is the only racing car to be part of the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s permanent collection. Driven by Nigel Mansell and newly signed reigning World Champion Alain Prost, the F1-90 came close to landing Ferrari their first Championship title for seven years and played a key role in the year’s bitter Prost/Ferrari-Senna/McLaren rivalry.

The F1-90 was originally the brainchild of Englishman John Barnard, whom Enzo Ferrari was so keen to employ from arch-rivals McLaren that the Scuderia agreed to let him set up the Ferrari Guildford Technical Office, rather than move to Maranello in 1987. However, Barnard quit Ferrari after the 1989 season, so the F1-90 was overseen by another former McLaren designer Steve Nichols as well as Argentinean Chief Designer Enrique Scalabroni. The general lines of the car remained largely unchanged apart from a few subtle modifications to the flanks. However, the engine’s cooling and “breathing” systems were improved, and it had also been attached to a new, more efficient version of revolutionary sequential semi-automatic paddleshift gearbox of the F1-89. A new shorter version of the racing engine also debuted at Imola and proved significantly more powerful. A larger fuel tank also made up for the fact that it was thirstier than the previous version. The F1-90 was powered by a 3.5 litre 680 bhp V12 engine, which was only just short of the 690 bhp offered by the McLaren-Honda V10 power units of their closest rivals. It was not quite as flexible or as good at delivering power out of slow corners as the Honda nor the Williams-Renault V10 or the Ford-Cosworth HB V8 used by Benetton. Despite its heavier engine, the 641 was among the best handling cars on the grid; Prost would later declare it the best car of the year.

Prost worked wonders with the F1-90, winning in Brazil, and taking back-to-back wins in Mexico, France, and again at Silverstone. Mansell, meanwhile, took a podium in Canada and completed the 1-2 in Mexico, before finally scoring his sole victory that season in Portugal. Prost was triumphant again a week later in Spain, after an impressive trio of podiums in Belgium, Italy and Portugal. Six wins was enough to comfortably give Ferrari second place in the Constructor’s Championship, while Prost finished seven points adrift of Ayrton Senna in the Drivers’ title; the battle came to an abrupt end at the penultimate race in Suzuka, when both the Brazilian and French driver ended up off the track just after the start. Prost’s French victory was particularly significant as it was also Ferrari’s 100th Formula 1 win.

Overall, the Ferrari F1-90 won six of the 16 races it competed in, as well as eight further podiums, earning three pole positions, five fastest laps and 110 points for the Scuderia, claiming them second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

This 1:8 scale model is of the Ferrari F1-90 (641) as raced by Nigel Mansell at the 1990 Mexican Grand Prix. Mansell qualified fourth in changeable conditions alongside Senna on the second row. An intense race followed at the high altitude and notoriously bumpy Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Mansell lost two places at the start as his V12 Ferrari was surprisingly humbled by Jean Alesi’s V8-powered Tyrrell on the second lap. Mansell reclaimed the place on the eighth, and by lap 25 had picked off the Williams drivers as well. Mansell was then passed by his teammate Prost, who was running with less downforce to aid overtaking on the straights, after being held up by Alboreto Arrows in the Peraltada. The duo then proceeded to hunt Senna in the lead, Mansell joining his colleague in the top two with eight laps left. On lap 64, Mansell, vigorously pursuing Prost, took a spin, giving the McLaren of Gerhard Berger a sniff of second place. With three laps to go, Berger made his move, throwing his car down the inside of the first corner, barging Mansell aside. Mansell refused to be beaten and was immediately back on the tail of the McLaren. On the penultimate lap, Mansell daringly passed around the outside of Berger going into the ultra-fast 180-degree Peraltada corner, stealing back second place and securing the Scuderia’s first 1-2 victory for two years.

This model has been handcrafted and finished in our workshops with the co-operation and assistance of Ferrari regarding original finishes, materials, archive imagery and drawings. The use of supremely accurate digital scanning of the original car has allowed us to perfectly recreate every detail at scale. Furthermore, it has undergone detailed scrutiny by both engineering and design teams to ensure complete accuracy of representation. Every Amalgam 1:8 scale model is supplied in a luxury black presentation box and mounted on a carbon fibre or leather base protected by a clear acrylic dust cover. The model title, original branding and edition number are displayed on polished stainless steel plaques mounted at the front end of the base.

The Race Weathered Ferrari F1-90 – Mexico GP is limited to just 5 pieces.

Please note that the images above contain blurred sponsor graphics due to licensing restrictions agreed with the manufacturer. The logos are not blurred on the physical model. Please contact our sales team to see fully detailed photos of the Race Weathered Ferrari F1-90.

Handling Race Weathered Models

Please note that Amalgam’s weathered models are incredibly fragile and require careful handling. We recommend you keep handling to a minimum to avoid removing the weathered effects from the model. When handling the model, please adhere to the instructions included with the product when purchased. The brush featured in the gallery is included purely for demonstrating the scale of the model. We do not advise any cleaning of our weathered models as this may remove some of the weathering applications.

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