April 3, 1973, is a historic date for humanity; on that day, the first mobile telephone call was made in Manhattan, New York, USA. Half a century later, you're probably reading this article on one of the billions of devices resulting from that single act of telecom engineering. Oh, and on that same day, one of the last Ferrari 365 GTS/4 would meet its first owner. The two have never parted ways until now.
$25,800 – or thereabouts – was the price of a new Ferrari 365 GTS/4 in 1973, the last year for the model. Famously nicknamed `Daytona` after the 1967 all-Ferrari podium at the famous 24-hour endurance race, the car was built in two body styles: the Berlinetta – hence the B in 365 GTB/4 – and the convertible (or Spider).
The hardtop would outnumber the drophead 10:1, with just 122 ragtops built between 1969 and 1973. With such low production figures, it's no wonder the car became an instant classic and a true holy grail for collectors. All the more so if the example happens to be in top-notch condition.
Here's an alleged one: a 365 GTS/4 sold new on April 3, 1973, in Switzerland, it kept the original buyer to this day. And it's not just the proprietor that's original: everything else on the car is factory stock. Engine, transaxle, chassis, body, paint, you name it. Considering that it only has 3,862 miles / 6,213 km on the clock since that spring day half a century ago, it shouldn't be a surprise.
Let's play with numbers a little: on average, this glorious Ferrari drove a distance of 0.21 miles every day. That's 1,108 feet, 369 yards, or 338 meters. Although it isn't explicitly stated, we can safely assume that the precious automobile was kept in climate-controlled storage and maintained with Swiss accuracy.
The 365 GTS/4 was the ragtop variant of the 365 GTB/4, and rumor has it that, before the release of the original version, Enzo Ferrari approved the moniker `Daytona` for the car. However, the news slipped to the press before the official announcement had been made, and the Italian ego was enraged.
Consequently, the car was launched under the less catchy name derived from the displacement of one of its 12 vee-oriented cylinders (365 cubic centimeters, or 22.27 cubic inches). Nonetheless, despite official distancing from the "Daytona” eponym, the name stuck over the years.
Ironically, the car was named after a race it never ran – it was launched as a series model a year after the famous 1967 Ferrari triple on American ground. But in its final production year, the 365 GTB/4 scored a double endurance victory, taking first in its class at Le Mans and, quite fatefully, at Daytona.
To boast its magnificent engineering, the '73 Le Mans winner (raced by Vic Elford and Claude Ballot-Lena) was driven back to Paris after the checkered flag. It is probably one of the best `Win on Sunday` moments that testified to the car's stunning reliability and splendid engineering.
The 365 GTS/4 was mechanically identical to its Berlinetta sibling. A six double-barrel carburetors 4.4-liter V12 producing 352 PS (347 hp) was deemed the fastest production sportscar engine in the world at its time, with a manufacturer-reported speed of 174 mph / 280 kph.
However, a famous motoring journalist had famously reported a 176 mph / 283 kph top speed on a highway in Italy in a 1969 GTB. But we'll go with the official number since that incident lacks a proper time endorsement from an official speed authority.
With such performance and heritage under its belt, the Daytona is a hypercar-price-tag level automobile in 2023. For example, the previously mentioned example aims at a €3 million selling price at an auction.
In all fairness, the car is probably the lowest-mileage 365 GTS/4 left in the world, and the single ownership makes it even more desirable, not just intriguing. How and why the car collected so few miles on its odometer is a mystery. Built as the 113th out of the total 122 convertibles, this unit was also spec'd for the US market.
It sports air conditioning and a Voxson stereo, and the speedometer reads MPH instead of the regular KPH. Also, all instruments and buttons have English scripting, as does the door tag. About that last detail – there is an inconsistency between the tag build date - see the photo above this paragraph - and this Massini report on the vehicle.
The document states that this vehicle, chassis 17055, was delivered and sold new in April 1973. The little metal plate riveted on the passenger door, however, indicates July 1973 as the date of manufacture.
Even without the prohibitive asking price, this four-month gap would raise suspicion among educated buyers, collectors, and enthusiasts. But when a rare 1-of-122 classic Ferrari is involved and $3.3 million is at stake, the questions are more than simple curiosity. The sale will occur on May 20 during the Villa Erba auction in Italy.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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