This Is the Car That Started the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Dynasty, and It's for Sale

Among its attractive features, the 365 GTB/4 sports retractable headlamps – a detail that became a reality by force more than by choice. Because Ferrari's most significant market was across the Atlantic, the Italian carmaker had to subdue to American automobile-building standards and restrictions of the seventies.

One of those imperatives stated that a solid encasing could not obstruct the lights – so the pop-up alternative popped up. That was from 1971, but the first 365 GTB/4s had a clear Plexiglas wraparound cover over the entire front section – including the headlights.

However, the car was initially designed with a more conservative visual identity for the front end. The prototypes were very much like the 275 GTB/4 they were meant to replace. The design was deemed outdated – and the pressure from Lamborghini's Miura only made the choice easier. Ferrari had to develop something new to beat the mid-engined supercar of their newly arrived archrivals.

Different, but not by much – after all, its clients liked the Prancing Horse for what it was, not for what it wasn't. So the Italian icon set about doing what they did best: a front-engined, rear-wheel drive sensation.

The first prototype was finished in early 1967 and immediately sent to the test track. The changes were numerous, and Ferrari needed time to make all the adjustments to launch the car in time. The original test mule was quite a sensation, both visually and mechanically.

It received chassis 10287, a race-derived engine, and a five-speed transaxle. It became the founding father of the 365 GTB/4 dynasty. It had a long and adventurous life, with multiple owners from both sides of the Atlantic. It won beauty contests, took a two-time powerboat world champion for a ride, and it never got replicated.

What sets this car apart from its descendants – apart from the visual elements – is the engine. Unlike the regular 365s, this prototype received a more sophisticated V12. The foundation was the time-proven Lampredi powerhouse, but race-derived internals fundamentally altered the architecture.

For starters, how many 36-valve twelve-cylinder engines are known to power road cars? Not that many; the overwhelming majority is built with either 24 or 48 taps. But the 24 hours of Daytona winners had a different design – two intake valves, one exhaust, and perfectly flat heads.

The pistons' concave shape defined the combustion chamber. To make the track lineage even more evident, the V12 got a twin spark ignition system. Instead of one spark plug, two were fitted into the already-odd-designed heads.

The engine is a 4.38-liter / 267-cubes plant (with each cylinder having a 365-CC displacement, hence the model's name) with dual camshafts over each bank and six two-barrel carburetors. The experimental engine relied on a dry-sump lubrication system to rev up to almost 8,000 RPM.

Because it was a one-off V12, exact performance specs are unknown – the estimated power is around 352 PS (347 hp) at 7,500 RPM. No performance data is available – because it is a prototype, the car didn't get the rigorous bureaucratic treatment the mass-produced versions did.

Scaglieti built the body after Pininfarina designs, which is remarkably unlike the other 365 GTB/4 Ferraris. Apart from the distinct headlights and rounded front, the rear sports dual triple-light optical units – something that wasn't found in the production version.

This car was registered in 1968 and sold to its first owner. But before that, it was loaned by Enzo Ferrari himself to an Italian boat racing champion, Vincenzo Balestrieri. The Italian had become the first non-American powerboat world champion.

That feat that must have fueled Enzo's pride – and wanted to buy the Spyder version of the 365 "Daytona." Enzo Ferrari loaned the car to Balestrieri until the GTS/4 became available to show appreciation for his client's racing achievement.

Between 1968 and 2003, the particular prototype changed hands (a dozen times) and its livery - from original grey to Ferrari Red - until the current owner bought it. The man undertook the arduous task of restoring the car to factory specifications – a project that lasted eight years.

When the work was done, the proud owner went to Ferrari Classiche to get the ultimate approval, only to learn that the taillights were incorrectly restored. The workshop took a regular Daytona as a reference and fitted twin round lights on the back. Another renovation session corrected the mishap, and now the machine is ready for its next owner. The auction takes place between 22 and 26 of May.