1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 made its debut at the Paris Salon in October of 1968 and served as a successor to the 275 GTB/4. It was Ferrari's new two-seat Grand Tourer that almost immediately became known as the 'Daytona' in honor of the company's one-tow-three podium sweep at the 1967 edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona. It was the last of the front-engine, V-12 Ferrari GT model design and accounted prior to the Italian industrial giant Fiat's takeover of Ferrari road-car production in 1969. The 365 GTB/4 was also the last 12-cylinder Ferrari to be officially sold new (as compared to a gray market model) in the United States until the announcement of the Testarossa in 1984.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 had a tubular-steel chassis with a 94.5-inch wheelbase length, fully independent underpinnings, and a rear-mounted transaxle of its predecessor. It's styling, however, was dramatically different, modern, and edgy. It was penned by Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti with production handled by Carrozzeria Scaglietti. The prototype had been styled and built by Pininfarina in Turin, with the production version being entrusted to Ferrari's subsidiary Scaglietti in Moden.

With the exception of the lightweight aluminum-alloy doors, hood, and trunk lid, the steel panel work was hand-formed and hammer-welded. The headlamps were initially covered in clear Perspex, though retractable units were later introduced in 1971 in compliance with U.S. safety regulations. In the back were an aero-efficient Kamm tail, quad round tail lamps, four chrome tailpipes, and quarter-bumpers.

Power was from the enlarged Tipo 251 version of the basic 60-degree V-12 engine of the outgoing 275 GTB/4, now enlarged to 4.4-liters. The twin-cam cylinder heads were developed by Franco Rocchi, a Ferrari engineer since 1949. The new engine was designated Tipo 251 and delivered 352 horsepower and 315 pounds-feet of torque at 7,500 RPM through six 40-millimeter Weber twin-choke carburetors. Dry-sump lubrication enabled it to be installed low in the oval-tube chassis. The five-speed manual gearbox formed part of a rear-mounted transaxle for perfect 50/50 weight distribution which offered excellent handling and road-holding.

Air conditioning was optional.

The factory claimed a top speed of 174 mph, which made it slightly faster than the Lamborghini Miura. Zero-to-sixty took 5.9 seconds and a 13.8-second quarter-mile time with a 107.5 mph trap speed.

The 365 GTB/4 was built as a road-going grand tourer, with the racing version dubbed the 'Competizione.' Between 1970 and 1979, 18 'Daytonas' contested their namesake 24-hour race, resulting in five Top-10 finishes and two second-place podiums. In 1979, it scored a GTO class win by the Modena Sports Car entry driven by John Morton and Tony Adamowicz.

During its production lifespan, 1,383 (some sources state 1,406) examples of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta were constructed from 1968 to 1974, plus 121 of the open 'Daytona Spider.' The Ferrari Daytona Spider made its debut in September 1969 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

At the time of its introduction, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was the world's fastest production car. Deliveries began in the second half of 1969 and the Daytona remained in production for just four years, until the arrival of the 456 GT in 1992.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019