What was the first production car to exceed 200 mph?

The 1987 Ferrari F40 was the first production road car widely credited with exceeding 200 mph. Ferrari claimed a top speed of about 201 mph, or 324 km/h, making the F40 a landmark in supercar history.

The F40 was created to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary and was the last new Ferrari personally approved by company founder Enzo Ferrari. Its design focused relentlessly on speed and low weight. Carbon-fibre and Kevlar-reinforced bodywork, a tubular steel structure, minimal interior equipment, and extensive wind-tunnel development all served that goal.

Power came from a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing roughly 478 horsepower in European specification. Unlike many modern supercars, the F40 had no traction control, anti-lock brakes, power steering, or electronic driving aids. Its performance depended heavily on the driver’s skill.

Some discussions distinguish between officially claimed, independently measured, modified, and road-legal cars, which can produce different historical claims. The F40 remains the standard quiz answer because it was the first series-production road car generally recognized for breaking the 200-mph barrier.