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1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4C Competition

The Road to the Ferrari 365

The World Sportscar Championship was sanctioned in 1953 by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) for sports car racing and quickly became as important and popular as Grand Prix competition. Initially, the major races were contested by road-going sports cars, but by the close of the 1950s, podiums were filled with dedicated competition cars. In 1962, the FIA replaced the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers, with sports cars temporarily being displaced by GT cars. Each racing class now had its own championship rather than a single overall title. Ferrari won the 2.0-liter GT class award in 1963 with its 250 GT Berlinetta SWB and 250 GTO.

The Ferrari 250 GTO grand tourer was produced from 1962 to 1964 and was homologated for FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. When the 250 GTO's successor, the 250 LM, was denied homologation for GT-class racing, Ferrari developed an updated 250 GTO (known as the Series II or GT064) and a competition version of the 275 GTB. Three distinct series of the 275 GTB-based competition cars were built between 1964 and 1966, and these purpose-built cars were known as the 275 GTB Competizione Speciale (or 275 GTB/C Speciale).

Designed under the supervision of Mauro Forghieri, the 275 GTB/C Speciale was equipped with Tipo 213 engines tuned to 250 LM specification, offering upwards of 305 horsepower. Four cars of this type were built, each wearing streamlined coachwork designed by Pininfarina and built from extra-thing gauge alloy by Scaglietti. Since they were hand-built, each of the four cars had slightly differing bodywork. At first, the FIA refused to homologate the model for the GT class, but when Enzo Ferrari threatened to cease competing in the GT class, the FIA reversed its decision.

Only one 275 GTB/C Speciale competed during the 1965 season, with notable finishes including a 3rd overall in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans (piloted by Willy Mairesse and Jean Blaton) and winning the Nassau Tourist Trophy.

Less extreme versions of the 275 GTB/C Speciale were built for privateers, and these were known as 275 GTB Competizione Clienti models. Similar to the production 275 GTB, they were powered by a Tipo 213 engine breathing through six carburetors. They differed via the alloy coachwork, larger fuel tanks, additional exterior fuel fillers, and more venting.

Twelve lightweight 275 GTB/C racing cars were built for the 1966 season, with substantial modifications to the mechanical components and the body panels. Several independent racing teams competed with the 275 GTB/C during the 1966 season, including Ecurie Francorchamps, Maranello Concessionaires, Scuderia Filipinetti, and NART. Roy Pike and Piers Courage drove the Maranello Concessionaires-entered 275 GTB/C at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 8th overall and 1st in class. Claude Dubois and Pierre Noblet driving for Ecurie Francorchamps finished 10th overall and 2nd in class. Other accolades included a 1st in class at the 1967 Targa Florio by Tullio Sergio Marchesi, and Marchesi won the 1966 and 1967 Italian GT Championship with a 275 GTB/C (chassis number 09007).

The 365 GTB/4 'Daytona'

The replacement for the 275 GTB emerged during the winter of 1967 in prototype form. Beneath its bonnet was a three-valve per cylinder four-liter V12 engine that would not be used on the production version. Instead, a Tipo 251 power unit was used with a 4.4-liter (4390cc) displacement size, hemispherical combustion chambers in its twin-cam heads, and single-plug ignition. With a lengthened block, the bore and stroke grew to 81mm and 71mm, respectively, identical to the Tipo 245 engine, which already powered the 365 GT 2-plus-2, GTC, and GTS models.

The 4.4-liter engine had a dry-sump system with a 14-liter separate tank, 8.8:1 compression, and six Weber 40DCN carburetors. In this configuration, the engine offered 352 horsepower at 7,500 RPM and 318 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 RPM.

A five-speed manual transmission was mounted at the rear of the engine for optimal weight distribution in a chassis that had a 94.5-inch wheelbase. The engine, torque tube, and five-speed transaxle were attached to the tub chassis at four points (two on the transaxle and two on the engine). The suspension was independent all round with wishbones and coil springs.

Body styles included a Berlinetta and Spider. The styling was courtesy of Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti, with a sharp-edge aerodynamic appearance and fixed headlights resting behind an acrylic glass cover. Only the prototype body was actually built by Pininfarina, and as with the preceding Berlinettas, it was Scaglietti who actually made the bodies in steel.

In honor of the Ferrari factory team's 1-2-3 victory in the 1967 Daytona 24-Hour race, the new model was nicknamed the 'Daytona.'

At the time, the new Ferrari was the fastest production car in the world, capable of achieving 172 mph in standard guise.

Ferrari 365 GTB production reached 500 units by the end of August 1971, satisfying FIA homologation in the International Group 4 Special Grand Touring car racing category. Initially, Ferrari had no plans to race the 365 GTB, but following several valued clients' demands for a competition version, production of Competizione versions for customer use commenced at the Assistenza Clienti department of the factory in Modena.

Early Competition Examples

The first 'Competizione' version, Daytona number 12547, was sold in 1969 to Luigi Chinetti at N.A.R.T. to participate in the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours. Its exterior was painted red with a black stripe down the side. Although it wore lightweight aluminum coachwork, it did have glass windows, a standard rear exhaust, and air conditioning. Due to being damaged during testing, it never raced at Le Mans, but it did compete in 1970 at the Daytona 24 Hours.

The second 365 GTB/4 Group 4 prototype, chassis number 12467, was purchased by Chinetti on June 10th, 1971. The factory delivered it directly to the Le Mans circuit by Ferrari. With assistance from Carrozzeria Sports Cars, the car was fully prepared to Group 4 specification, with a battery cut-out, an FIA-compliant roll-bar, an adjustment to prevent the use of reverse gear, and various other minor details. It had a steel body, a side exhaust, and the windows (except for the windscreen) were plexiglass. Larger headlights rested behind vertical plexiglass, with switches on the roof and the front right-hand wing. The fuel cap was set in the center of the rear boot lid, and small spoilers were added to the front. With 120 liters of fuel, the car weighed 1,514kg despite having an air-conditioning system.

At Le Mans, chassis number 12467 was driven by 'Coco' Chinetti (Luigi's son) and Bob Grossman. The test session revealed that the ATE brakes were inadequate, so they were replaced with soft Abex pads.

During the race, chassis 12467 was in 25th position after three hours, 15th place after 12 hours, and 5th place by the 19th hour. At the conclusion of the race, chassis 12467 was in 5th place overall and won the Energy Index with an average consumption of 40 litres per 100 kms for the 4.218,752 km covered. After the race, the car was sold to Clive Baker, who raced it under the Baker Motor Co. team banner at the 1972 Daytona Six Hours, driven by Grossman and Reynolds to a 15th-place finish. At the Sebring 12 Hours, Grossman and Reynolds finished 19th; at Watkins Glen, Reynolds and De Lorenzo finished 11th. The final racing outing for chassis 12467 was at the 1973 Sebring 12 Hours, but a mechanical problem prevented it from taking the start.

Ferrari's Assistenza Clienti division

Development of factory competition Daytonas by Ferrari's Assistenza Clienti division began in the summer of 1971. Fifteen examples were built between 1971 and 1973 in three batches of five cars. The Series III specification was the final and most evolved of the three batches.

The engines of the first batch of competition cars (the first five cars built) had the same engines as the road cars. The latter two batches had their engines tuned; the Series II cars produced approximately 400 horsepower, and the Series III developed around 450 horsepower. The latter had high-compression pistons, 9.9:1 high-compression cylinder heads, re-choked carburetors, and reprofiled cams. It retained practicable, easily serviced features such as standard connecting rods and standard-sized valves.

These competition versions of the 365 GTB/4 Daytona were raced by privateers and not by the official Scuderia Ferrari team. Among the accolades achieved were class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972, 1973, and 1974. They took the top five places in the GT class at the 1972 Le Mans. In 1979, a 1973 car placed 2nd overall in the 24 Hours of Daytona and first in class.

Pioneered by NART and other privateers of the early 1970s, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione added to the legacy of the Maranello-built GT racing car. Even though it was built by the client assistance department and not in the competition department, it secured several impressive class victories, including at Le Mans. Late in 1973, the first of the replacement rear-engined 365 GT4/Boxer Berlinetta cars were delivered, ushering in a new era of Ferrari GT competition cars. Like its predecessor, the 365 GT4 BB was never officially raced by Scuderia Ferrari. Modified street versions were raced by NART with some factory support. Purpose-built competition versions of the BB 512 arrived in 1978, known as the 512 BB LM (a.k.a. 512 BB/LM or 512 BBLM).

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 12467
Engine number: 251

This Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was the third example completed and its original destination was 'Chinetti, Sebring.' It is believed that the Daytona was equipped as a European-specification road car, finished in Rosso Chiaro, upholstered in black leather, and fitted with air-conditioning and a Voxson radio. Little history is known of the car between 1969 and 1971. It is believed that the car may have remained the property of Ferrari during this period, as it was not road registered or even issues a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin until November 1971.

The car may have been destined by the factory for a special purpose as the chassis is dated as April 28, 1969, yet the engine was not installed until September 2, 1969 - well after that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which Luigi Chinetti's NART team campaigned a specially prepared Daytona Competizione, chassis 12547.

In April 1971, the Daytona was serviced at the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Clienti and then sent to Autofficina Sport Auto in Modena, where it was prepared for competition use. The car was given a special electrical system, fire-suppression system, different carburetor jets, aerodynamic diffusers, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

On June 5th of 1971, Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc. paid Ferrari SEFAC $11,630 for the 365 GTB/4 Competizione, which was delivered to Le Mans the following week. At the time, the car had windows made of Plexiglas, standard steel bodywork with aluminum bonnet and boot, and the wings had been extended outwards to accommodate 8-inch wheels at the front and 10-inch wheels at the back. The bumpers were replaced with a transparent cowl and the headlights had grown in diameter. It had a 120-litre fuel tank, stiffer suspension setup, and a specially tuned engine that featured polished ports and its moving parts were lightened and balanced.

The car was driven during practice and qualifying and endured the typical teething problems, earning it a position near the back of the grid. During the race, it was driven by Luigi Chinetti Jr. and Bob Grossman to a 5th place overall finish in its competition debut. By this point in history, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 had not yet been homologated for Group 4 competition and was instead classified as a Group 5 entry. Thus, the NART-entered Daytona was awarded the Index of Thermal Efficiency.

The Ferrari 365 had proven its potential as a GT-class winner. Three series of purpose-built Daytonas soon followed for endurance racing. Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team – which had commissioned the first two competition-prepared Daytonas (12547 and 12467) – campaigned approximately one-third of the factory-built and independently converted Comp Daytonas that raced between 1971 and 1980.

Chinetti Motors sold 12467 was sold to Grossman Motor Car Corporation of Nyack, New York, in November 1971. Just five days later, Grossman sold the car to Jima and Clive Baker of Atlanta, who repainted the Ferrari orange and prepared to race it under the Baker Motors Ring-Free Oil team banner.

Baker entered the car in the FIA-sanctioned 1972 6 Hours of Daytona, where it was driven by Bob Grossman and Charles Reynolds. During the race, two Scuderia Ferrari 312 PBs took a 1-2 victory. Chassis number 12467 was the only Comp Daytona to finish, with a 15th overall and 2nd in the 2.5-liter plus GT category.

In March, 12467 was one of four Comp Daytonas entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring along with two cars entered by NART and one by Kirk F. White. After twelve hours of racing, Harry Ingle and Charles Reynolds had driven 12467 to 19th overall and 5th in the 2.5-liter plus GT category. The final race for 12467 took place on July 22, 1972, at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen in New York – Round 11 in the FIA World Championship for Makes. By this point in history, the car had been given larger rear wheel arches and finished in Castrol Oil-sponsored white, red, and green livery. The car finished the race 11th overall, finishing 3rd in the over 2.5-liter GT class.

Baker Motors sold the Daytona to Harley E. Cluxton III in January of 1973. Six months later, the car was sold to New York racer Herb Wetanson and retained it until April 1974, when it was sold to Daniel P. Kingsford of Princeton, New Jersey. In the summer of 1975, the car was acquired by Bill Kontes and it remained in his care for two years before being sold to David Gunn of Sufeld, Connecticut. Mr. Gunn intended to campaign the car in IMSA events, so he had it sent to Wide World of Cars in New York where it was upgraded to Series III specifications. Despite being upgraded to compete with the latest Comp Daytonas, 12467 never raced competitively again. The car was maintained in Mr. Gunn's care until August 1984, when it was sold back to Mr. Kontes.

For the next decade, Mr. Kontes showed the car on rare occasions at East Coast concours events. In 1993, it was acquired by an American collector. During his ownership, the Comp Daytona was raced in vintage events, during which time the engine block developed a crack. A new block was sourced and completely rebuilt to Series III speciation, offering approximately 430 horsepower. The new block used many components from the original unit. The original engine block, internal number B162, remains with the car.

Under the current owner's care, the car has been used at private track events at Pocono, Watkins Glen, and Summit Point.

The car is currently in its original 1971 NART Le Mans livery, though it retains the larger Series III fares, wheels, and aerodynamic aids that were added by Alberto Pedretti during David Gunn's ownership.

After the car's impressive finish at the 24 Hours of Lemans in 1971, the Ferrari factory subsequently built 15 Comp Daytonas between 1971 and 1973. The success of NART's two prototypes and the factory's Series I, II, and III cars inspired many other private teams to convert road-going Daytonas for competition use.

Comp Daytonas were run solely by private teams and received little, if any, factory support. They were very competitive in Group 4 GT racing throughout the 1970s. The records include an overall win at the Tour de France and class wins at important venues, such as The success of NART's two prototypes and the factory's Series I, II, and III cars inspired many other private teams to convert road-going Daytonas for competition use. At Bonneville, one example set a land-speed record which still stands after four decades.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 12467
Engine number: 251

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione with chassis number 12467 is a N.A.R.T. competition car. It is eligible for the Ferrari Shell Challenge competition.

In 1971 it was entered into the 24 Hours of LeMans and driven by Bob Grossman and Coco Chinetti. It wore number 58, the same number it has today. It finished fifth overall.

In 1972 it was entered in the Daytona race where it was driven by Grossman and Reynolds. The number was changed to 18. It finished 15th overall and 6th in Class. It was later entered in the 12 Hours of Sebring race where it was piloted by Ingle and Reynolds. The car finished in 19th place overall and 5th in class.

At the 1972 Watkins Glen event, Di Lorenzo and Reynolds drove the car to an 11th place finish and 5th in its class.

In 1976 it was purchased by William Kontes of New Jersey. It was later purchased by Dave Gunn in 1977. It was offered for sale again in 1985 and sold for $165,000.

In 1989 William Kontes brought the car to the FCA Concours Lake event where it finished third in class.

In 1991 the car was purchased by Allen Taylor of College Park, Maryland. It was reposed by the bank a year later.

In 1993 it was purchased by Harley Cluxton III of Arizona. Later that year it was sold to Robson S. Walton. In February of 2005 it was sold to Len M. Rusiewicz of Pennsylvania.

It is seen here at the 2006 Le Belle Macchine d'Italia and the 2005 Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States. It is a brilliant car with excellent heritage.

by Dan Vaughan

Two prototype competition versions of the 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' were campaigned by Luigi Chinetti and his North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) before Ferrari lent their support. Fifteen 'Competition' versions were eventually built in three series of five cars each. Rather than being built by Ferrari's competition department, they were constructed by the Assistenza Clienti division.

The first series of five cars were equipped with unmodified engines from the road-going cars. The second batch of five cars was tuned to produce 400 horsepower, and the third batch of five had 450 horsepower engines.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competition models were not campaigned by the factory team; rather, they were raced by privateers. Among the accolades achieved was a 5th overall in 1971 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and GT class victories at Le Mans in 1972, 1973 and 1974. During the 1972 Le Mans race, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4s captured the top five places in the GT category.

by Dan Vaughan