Photo: Silverstone Auctions
When talking classic Ferrari models, it’s hard to ignore the 250 series of legendary machines. Born in the ‘50s, the 250 was eventually superseded by the 365 breed in the 1960s, whose crowning achievement is the downright gorgeous Daytona.
The replacement for the 275 GTB/4, the 365 GTB/4 was a bit of a gamble for the Prancing Horse considering that Lamborghini upped the ante with the Miura’s mid-engine configuration. A traditional grand tourer as opposed to the Sant’Agata Bolognese supercar, the Daytona was right from the get-go thanks, in particular, to two elements: bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful design and a free-breathing 4.4-liter Colombo V12.
The Daytona became an instant hit with the rich and famous, with one of its most prominent owners being none other than Sir Elton John. A living legend of pop and rock music, the 70-year-old musician had owned chassis number 15977 from 1973 to 1975. According to Silverstone Auctions, he purchased the car “off the back of his single success and release of his famed album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” You know, the 17-track album that went off to sell over 30 million copies on a worldwide scale.
Compared to the Dino 246 GT he used to own in the same period, the red-painted Daytona was a clear upgrade as far as Ferrari hierarchy is concerned. The last owner of chassis number 15977 kept the car in tip-top condition for the better part of 16 years, and the vehicle benefits from a complete history file that even includes copies of the original build sheets.
Showing 81,675 miles on the odometer, freshly serviced, and complemented by a MoT certificate, the old-school Fezza is scheduled to cross the block at the Silverstone Classic Sale 2017 for a sizable amount of pounds sterling. The estimate for this blast from the past ranges from £525,000 to £575,000, partly because it is a rare right-hand-drive example.
“The Daytona was billed as the fastest road car in the world in its day, faster than the Lamborghini Miura released two years earlier,” commented Will Smith, classics car specialist at Silverstone Auctions. “The car presents in exceptional condition having been very well maintained by its previous owners, including Sir Elton John, adding extra appeal and distinction to this rare and collectible classic car.”
The Daytona became an instant hit with the rich and famous, with one of its most prominent owners being none other than Sir Elton John. A living legend of pop and rock music, the 70-year-old musician had owned chassis number 15977 from 1973 to 1975. According to Silverstone Auctions, he purchased the car “off the back of his single success and release of his famed album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” You know, the 17-track album that went off to sell over 30 million copies on a worldwide scale.
Compared to the Dino 246 GT he used to own in the same period, the red-painted Daytona was a clear upgrade as far as Ferrari hierarchy is concerned. The last owner of chassis number 15977 kept the car in tip-top condition for the better part of 16 years, and the vehicle benefits from a complete history file that even includes copies of the original build sheets.
Showing 81,675 miles on the odometer, freshly serviced, and complemented by a MoT certificate, the old-school Fezza is scheduled to cross the block at the Silverstone Classic Sale 2017 for a sizable amount of pounds sterling. The estimate for this blast from the past ranges from £525,000 to £575,000, partly because it is a rare right-hand-drive example.
“The Daytona was billed as the fastest road car in the world in its day, faster than the Lamborghini Miura released two years earlier,” commented Will Smith, classics car specialist at Silverstone Auctions. “The car presents in exceptional condition having been very well maintained by its previous owners, including Sir Elton John, adding extra appeal and distinction to this rare and collectible classic car.”
Google News