conceptcarz.com

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4

As the 1960s were coming to a close, horsepower and the so-called 'muscle car era' were reaching a pinnacle in the United States. Across the Atlantic, the European market was enjoying a similar euphoric era as styling and horsepower were taken to new heights, with wedge-shaped styling rampant throughout the industry and mid-engine placement being the hot new thing.

For Ferrari, the early part of the decade began with the sporty 250 GTO, the luxurious 250 GT/L 'Lusso', and the convenience of 2+2 seating with the 330 America, built alongside the 400 Superamerica. Ferrari reluctantly embraced the mid-engine 'movement,' first with a series of racing prototypes and eventually with the Dino 206 and 246. Encapsulating every aspect that was 'traditional' Ferrari was the 365 GTB/4, introduced in 1968 and produced through 1973. It was a front-engine exotic beauty penned by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and built atop a (traditional) oval tube ladder-type frame. Its heart was a Tipo 251 Colombo-designed V12 engine with a 60-degree bank angle, hemispherical combustion chambers, single-plug ignition, and a displacement size of 4,390cc. It had a bore and stroke of 81mm x 71 mm, dual overhead camshafts with two valves per cylinder, and 6x2 barrel 40 DCN/20 Weber carburetors. With a compression ratio of 9.3:1, the engine offered approximately 350 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and a maximum torque of 318 lb-ft at 5500 RPM. The engine had an identical bore and stroke to the Tipo 245 engines installed in the 365 GT 2-plus-2, GTC and GTS models. It was lubricated by a dry-sump system with a 14-liter separate tank.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 could race from zero-to-sixty mph in 5.4 seconds and had a top speed of 174 mph.

The engine was backed by a five-speed manual transmission that was mounted in the rear for optimal weight distribution. The suspension was independent at the front and rear with wishbones and coil springs. The wheelbase measured 94.5 inches and its overall length was 174.2 inches.

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 photo
Coupe
Chassis #: 12301
Auction entries : 2
The styling, penned by Pininfarina and executed by Scaglietti (on all examples except the first Pininfarina prototype), was fashionable, elegant, and athletic. The company's traditional rounded designs were shed in favor of a more contemporary, shared-edged appearance. Early examples had fixed headlights behind an acrylic glass cover. This design became obsolete when a new U.S. safety regulation banned headlights behind covers, prompting Ferrari to replace the design with retractable pop-up twin headlights in 1971.

Ferrari introduced its new model in 1968 at the Paris Auto Salon and the name was expected to be the 'Daytona' in celebration of the company's 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hour race. Instead, Ferrari dubbed it the 365 GTB/4 but is commonly known as the 'Daytona.'

The bulk of production focused on the GTB/4 Berlinetta with 1,284 examples built between 1968 and 1973. Just 122 examples of the GTS/4 Spider were built from 1971 through 1973. A unique example (chassis number 15275) was delivered new to Philadelphia-area Ferrari dealer Chinetti-Garthwaite Motors and later given a 'Shooting Brake' body in England by Panther Westwinds according to Luigi Chinetti Jr.'s design.

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 photo
Coupe
Chassis #: 12301
Auction entries : 2
Ferrari road-going models are often raced, and this was true of the 365 GTB/4. A specially prepared aluminum-bodied example was entered in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1969 but failed to 'toe' the starting line after it was crashed during practice. This was followed by three batches of 'official' racing variants with five examples built of each 'batch.' The first batch was built in 1970, the second in 1972, and the final in 1973. Unique to these cars was lightweight bodywork comprised of aluminum and fiberglass panels and Plexiglas windows. The first batch of five cars used the same engine powering the road-going examples. The second and third batches of vehicles received modifications with outputs of 400 bhp (2nd batch) and 450 bhp (3rd batch). These cars were raced by privateers with accolades including a 5th overall at the 1971 24 Hours of LeMans, and GT class victories in 1972, 1973, and 1974. A 365 GTB/4 took the first five places of the GT Class in 1972. A 1973 car captured a class victory and 2nd overall in the 1979 24 Hours of Daytona.

The Ferrari 'Daytona' was the fastest production car in the world at that time and had the quickest acceleration when pitted against the Lamborghini Miura, Mercedes-Benz 350SL, Jaguar V12 E-Type and the De Tomaso Pantera.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2021

Related Reading : Ferrari 365 History

The 365 Series was introduced in the late 1960s and stayed in production until the early 1970s. The 365s 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 22 had an independent with transverse parallelograms....
Continue Reading >>

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Vehicle Profiles

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 vehicle information
Coupe

Chassis #: 12699
Engine #: B202
1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 vehicle information
Coupe

Chassis #: 12925

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$1,300-$19,700
1969 365 GTB/4
$19,700-$25,580
1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Base Price : $19,700

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1969 Ferrari Models

365 GTB/4 Daytona

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 267.89 CID., 352.00hp
$19,700 - $19,700
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 267.89 CID., 352.00hp
$19,700 - $19,700
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 267.89 CID., 325.00hp
$19,695 - $19,700
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 268.00 CID., 352.00hp
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 268.00 CID., 352.00hp
$25,350 - $25,350
94.50 in.
12 cyl., 267.89 CID., 352.00hp
$23,950 - $23,950

Related Automotive News

The best specialists and finest collector cars sign up for Salon Privé London

The best specialists and finest collector cars sign up for Salon Privé London

Girardo %26 Co enters Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica with amazing race history Classic Motor Hub to showcase Mille Miglia class-winning OSCA MT4 The Octane Collection enters an iconic BMW CSL Rare TVR Trident prototype presented by DT Vintage Salon...
Maserati Celebrates The 50Th Anniversary Of The First Indy Coupé Delivery

Maserati Celebrates The 50Th Anniversary Of The First Indy Coupé Delivery

Modena, 1 July 2019 – The 1st of July 1969 is an important day in the history of Maserati, since the first Indy built for a customer left the Trident Brands historic headquarters at via Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena, heading for delivery in Switzerland....
THE McLAREN F1

THE McLAREN F1

FOR THE DRIVER VITALLY – AS IN ONE OF McLARENS WORLD CHAMPION RACING CARS – DRIVER AND VEHICLE BECOME ENTIRELY AS ONE The primary design consideration for the McLaren F1 has been to make it without reserve a drivers car, an extremely high-performance...
Celebrity Owned 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso Set to Take Center Stage at Russo and Steele Monterey 2015!

Celebrity Owned 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso Set to Take Center Stage at Russo and Steele Monterey 2015!

Scottsdale, Arizona (April 15, 2015) – By the early 1960s, Ferraris racing and street cars began to diverge in basic essence, with the Scuderias competition cars quickly becoming more specialized and the road cars reflecting the growing demand...
Squaring the circle: even more efficient and even cleaner – the new Fuso Canter with Ecofficiency

Squaring the circle: even more efficient and even cleaner – the new Fuso Canter with Ecofficiency

Ecofficiency the Canter is both cleaner and more economical Engine 2000 bar injection pressure boosts efficiency Longer axle ratios reduce fuel consumption Emission control optimised for different weight categories ESP as standard for all mode...