Ferrari 365 GTB/4 History

365 GTB4 COMP: ​​1971-1973 ​​| SN12467-SN16717​ | 16 Factory Comps
365 Michelotti: ​​1971​​ | SN14299-SN16467 | ​ 5 NART Spyder

The Ferrari Daytona is a two-seat grand tourer produced by Ferrari from 1968 to 1973. It was introduced at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 to replace the 275 GTB/4, and featured the 275’s Colombo V12 with a larger cylinder bore for 4,390 cc (4.4 L; 267.9 cu in). It was offered in Berlinetta and Spyder forms. The car came in two variants: the 365 GTB/4 coupe, and the 365 GTS/4 convertible.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, for the Gran Turismo Berlinetta (but popularly known as the Daytona) was as much a sensation at its introduction as the Dino had been just a year earlier. Both machines represented the evolving boundary between the era of the front engine, rear wheel drive design and the new era of mid-engine rear drive machines. The 365 represented the pinnacle of technology and design. It was the artful conception of Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, who was fresh off the success of the Dino. The 365 GTB/4, like the Dino, features the interplay of curves and sharp edges.

Road and Track Magazine in September 1970 summed up its findings as: “The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is the best sports car in the world…. It should be clear that the 365GTB/4 is a man’s car. There is nothing crude about the machinery, mind you, but the efforts needed to push the clutch, shift the gearbox, or turn the steering wheel take it clearly out of the go-to-market class.” This machine created a physical experience that was led by aesthetics but also demanded the full attention of the driver.