1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Competizione

This Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Competizione with chassis number 18139 was constrcuted near the close of 1974. In November it was sent to Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, CT where it was modified by Francois Sicard and prepared for racing under the N.A.R.T banner. Its first race was at the 1975 24 Hours of Daytona where it was piloted by Claude Ballot-Lena and Milt Minter. In March it contested the 12 Hours of Sebring with Minter as the driver and Wietzes as the co-pilot.

At Daytona the car had failed to finish but at Sebring it finished in 6th. It's next race was at Lime Rock in May where Minter and the car was unable to finish the race. At Road Atlanta it DNS'ed. It was sent to the 24 Hours of LeMans in June of 1977 where Guitteny and Migault were given the honors of driving. It finished fourth in class and 16th overall.

In 1978 it re-appeared at the 24 Hours of Daytona where it finished in 22nd. It managed a 21st place finish in the hands of Migault at Road Atlanta a few months later.

From here, it would be used in vintage events and change hands on several occasions. In September of 1983 it was sold to Michael Sheehan for $55,000. In October of 1985 it sold for $80,000 to Pieter Boel. Sheehan re-acquired the car in 1987 for the sum of $230,000. It was offered for sale in 1988 for the sum of $350,000. The following year the asking price rose to $575,000. David Livingston of Seattle, WA became the cars next owner. He kept it for a brief amount of time. In 1992 it was offered for sale at the sum of $1,000,000. The following year the price was $400,000. In April of 1993 the price was $225,000. The cars next owner, Robert Coates, purchased the car for the sum of $185,000.

While in Coates care, the car has been shown at the FCA National Concours in Watkins Glen, at Cavallino Classis in 1998 and 2000, and at the Ferrari Historic Challenge in Lime Rock, Moroso, Atlanta, and Elkhart Lake. In 2008 it was brought to the Le Belle Macchine d'Italia.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2008

The 365 Series was introduced in the late 1960's and stayed in production until the early 1970's. The 365's were often powered by a Columbo SOHC 4390 cc V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors capable of producing around 300 horsepower. The front and rear suspension for most of the series was independent with double wishbones and coil springs. The 365 GT4 2+2 had an independent with transverse parallelograms and coil springs suspension. The 365 California had a live axle with coil springs rear suspension. The chassis was an oval tube ladder-type frame layout.

Disc brakes were standard on all the vehicles, as was the five-speed manual gearbox. Many of the series received standard options such as power steering and air conditioning, uncommon at the time. When most manufacturers such as Lamborghini and DeTomaso were creating vehicles with mid-engined design, Ferrari continued to use their tried-and-true front-engined, rear-wheel design.

In 1967 Ferrari dominated the Daytona 24 Hours race with a first, second, and third-place finish. At the 1968 Paris Auto Show, the public and press were expecting Ferrari's new Berlinetta to be dubbed 'Daytona'. They were proven wrong when Ferrari dubbed the vehicle the 365 GTB/4, however, the name Daytona is a common reference to the vehicle even to this day. Ferrari had intended on using 'Daytona' but it was revealed prematurely so the traditional Ferrari naming sequence was used.

The famous coachbuilder Pininfarina was tasked with creating many of the designs for the 365 Series. The designs were not new, rather they borrowed many of the styling cues of the prior 330 GTC and 275 GTS models. The headlights were courtesy of the 500 Superfast. The result was a visually stunning automobile with proven Ferrari mechanics and performance.

GT represented Gran Turismo. GTB represented Berlinetta or coupe. GTS stood for open models which were either a Targa roof or a full convertible. '4' represented four-cam engines. 'C' represented 'Competizione' or 'Corsa' meaning 'to race'.

365 California
In 1966 Ferrari introduced the 365 California at the Geneva Auto Show as a replacement for the Ferrari 500 Superfast. The famous coachbuilder, Pininfarina, had been tasked with creating the body for the vehicle. The result was a two-door, two-seat, convertible. The 365 borrowed many of the mechanics of its predecessor including the five-speed manual gearbox, chassis, and suspension. The front of the vehicle was similar in design to the 500 with the remaining portions all new. With a top speed of 240 km/h, it was the fastest convertible in the world at the time. Disc brakes provided excellent stopping power for the 1300 kg vehicle. Production continued for only a year with a total of fourteen examples being created.

365 GT2+2
In 1967 Ferrari introduced the 365 GT2+2, only its second production four-seater vehicle. The vehicle would stay in production until 1971 during which around 800 examples being created.

The rear passengers had limited headroom but there was sufficient legroom for most passengers. The purpose of the vehicle was to provided performance and comfort. As a result, the vehicle was outfitted with electric windows, leather interior, power-assisted brakes, full carpeting, and optional air conditioning.

365 GTC
Near the close of 1968, Ferrari introduced the 365 GTC which stayed in production until 1970. During the production lifespan, 168 examples were produced. The 365 GTC was basically a 330 GTC with a SOHC 4390 cc V-12 engine. Visually, the vehicle was very similar to its predecessor except for the air vents in the front wings had been removed. In their place were black vents placed in the back corners of the hood.

365 GTS
The 365 GTS was a replacement for the 330 GTS. It featured a 4390 cc SOHC engine and had its cooling vents removed in favor of vents in the hood. Only twenty examples were created.

The design was once again handled by Pininfarina. The two-door, 2+2 coupe had pop-up headlights and five-spoke alloy wheels. During its production lifespan lasting until 1972, around 500 examples were produced. Strict American safety and emission regulations were partly responsible for the demise of the GTC/4.

365 GT4 2+2
The 365 GT4 2+2 was debuted to the public at the 1972 Paris Auto Show as a replacement for the 365 GT 2+2 and the 365 GTC/4. It sat atop an enlarged 365 GTC/4 chassis and given the same mechanics. The larger chassis meant more interior room for the passengers, especially the rear passengers, and their luggage. The styling was once again assigned to Pininfarina. The design was different from the prior 365 models.

During its production lifespan lasting until 1976, 524 examples were created.

365 GT4 BB
The 365 GT4 BB, meaning Berlinetta Boxer, was introduced to the public at the 1971 Turin Auto Show. Its styling was similar to the P6 show car built in 1968. The engine was a flat-12 cylinder power-plant mounted longitudinally. The gearbox was mounted under the engine. This was a great design but ultimately created an unbalanced weight distribution with most of the weight over the rear axle. The weight distribution problem and the fact that the engine was mounted high in the vehicle resulted in a car that had poor handling and never achieved successful racing status.

The 365 GT4 BB was replaced by the 512 BB in 1976. The 512 BB was similar in design but featured a five-liter engine.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2006