The Sultan of Brunei's secret Ferrari F90s: the supercars Pininfarina built behind Ferrari's back

In the history of FerrariSome cars fascinate by their beauty, others by their mystery. And then there's the Ferrari F90 Speciale, a project so secret that not even Ferrari knew about it for sixteen years. Designed in the shadows for the Sultan of Brunei, this supercar born of a royal whim and a famous Italian coachbuilder represents one of the most incredible stories in automotive design.

A Ferrari born in absolute secrecy

In the late 1980s, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei, decided to add several unique Ferraris to his royal collection, already the most extravagant in the world. In 1989, he contacted Ferrari's coachbuilder Pininfarina directly, but imposed one condition: not to tell Maranello. The project had to remain top secret.

Under the direction of Enrico Fumia, then head of Pininfarina's Research and Development department, the project took shape under the code name "F90", for Ferrari of the 1990s. Rumor has it that the Sultan paid a colossal sum for these six cars, enough to get Pininfarina through a difficult financial period. In exchange, the coachbuilder was to deliver six identical examples of the F90, built in total anonymity, each based on a Ferrari Testarossa.

Under the hood, the 4.9-liter flat-block V12 engine develops 390 hp. But apart from the engine, wheels and mirrors, everything else has been redesigned: body, interior, roof, windows, even the design philosophy.

Pininfarina's most difficult project

According to Enrico Fumia, the F90 was "the most complex and sophisticated prototype ever built by Pininfarina". One of the most astonishing features: its sliding roof, a sort of targa sliding over the rear window, totally unprecedented at the time.

"The most complicated detail is the roof. It's one of a kind. It's a sort of sliding targa roof that overlaps the rear window," Fumia explained. "Without a doubt, the F90 was the most difficult and dramatic project we've done."

The passenger compartment is a glass cocoon: a continuous panoramic roof bathes the interior in light. An almost unreasonable technical exercise, but typical of the era when the Sultan could command anything, including the impossible.

Phantom F90s

The six Ferrari F90 Speciale were delivered directly to Brunei, tested in secret and then locked away in the royal collection. For over ten years, their existence remained unknown, until the first photos appeared in 2002. Ferrari only learned of their existence in 2005, long after everything had been completed.

In 2006, the brand would finally recognize the F90 as a Ferrari in its own right, under the name Ferrari Testarossa F90 Speciale, although it was never officially approved. Today, four colors are known: black, gray, red and green, the others having never been photographed. None has left the collection.

The mystery continues

Since the partial publication of the Sultan's collection in 2024, a few images have resurfaced on Instagram, confirming the intact existence of several examples. But no F90 has yet left Brunei: no sale, no exhibition. So the F90 remains an automotive fantasy, halfway between art, engineering and state secrecy. A Ferrari born without Ferrari's approval, and yet undoubtedly one of the most fascinating ever designed.

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