1971 Ferrari 365 Daytona GTS/4 Spyder

Even among the already rare Daytona Spiders there are some even more exclusive. Having built a total of just 25 European spec Dayton Spiders, Ferrari would make a privileged line within the Daytona Spiders. This chassis would be one of those select few.

Just the 16th of 25 European Daytona Spiders, this chassis, 14537, would be completed in September of 1971. Considered the last great front-engined supercar, the Daytona Spider would be the most powerful two-seater of its day and would be capable of speeds in excess of 170mph.

This particular chassis would be ordered by the German Ferrari importer Auto Becker based in Dusseldorf. Complete with left-hand drive and a Rosso Chiaro livery over black leather interior, the car would come complete with such extras as air conditioning and metric instruments.

Rainer Haas, a resident of Hamburg, would purchase the car from Auto Becker a short time after delivery and would actually have one more extra added to the car. Per Haas' request, a silver band was painted across the nose of the car. This was a popular addition among European Daytona's and remains on the car to this very day.

Haas would own the car for just a short time before selling it. The person who had purchased the car from Haas would turn around and sell it back to Auto Decker. Decker would then feature the car in their book Ferrari-Faszination auf Radern.

Auto Becker would sell the Ferrari again, this time to a Dusseldorf Ferrari collector, Mr. Hartmut Ibing. Over the course of Ibing's ownership of the Daytona there would be signs of rust, which was common of Italian cars of the era as there was no rust-proofing done during the production process. Therefore, Ibing would order body panels from Scaglietti through Becker and would have them galvanized.

Surprisingly, these rust repairs would not be completed before Ibing sold the car in 1980 to a Mr. A.P. Van der Velden if Tilburg, Holland. A Ferrari aficionado, Van der Velden would turn around and have Autofficina Franco Toni, based in Maranello, Italy, repair and restore the car.

Interestingly, the restoration efforts would result in a refinishing of the car to dark blue and a red interior. It would remain with Van der Velden's collection for about half a decade before it would be sold to Swedish collector Leif Nilsson. He, in turn, would sell the car to Fritz Kroymans of Hilversum, Holland.

Over the next decade or so the car would change hands a few times. It would be with Kroymans into the early 1990s, and then with real estate developer Gildo Pastor before making its way into Alain Rouhaud's hands in 2004.

Rouhaud would have the car on hand for Ferrari's 60th Anniversary celebrations at Fiorano and then, in 2011, would undergo cosmetic restoration by Carrosserie Lecoq. Around this time the car would receive its Red Book, Ferrari Classiche, certification and a repaint to its original Rosso Chiaro livery.

Following mechanical refurbishment by Dutch Ferrari specialist Piet Roelo the car would be sold, in 2012, to David Holder of Geneva, Switzerland.

Highly original, and therefore, highly collectible, 14537 offers its owner an opportunity to own one of the most rare Ferraris of the 1970s.

Complete with its Ferrari Classiche certification and correct straight from production livery, 14537 would draw a great deal of attention as part of Bonham's 2015 Quail Lodge auction. After some very spirited bidding, the 1971 Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spider would sell for an impressive $2,640,000.

By Jeremy McMullen