1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider, Design by Pininfarina Coachwork by Scaglietti

1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider
Coachwork by Scaglietti - Design by Pininfarina
Chassis no. 16473
Engine no. B2332
4,390cc DOHC V12 Engine
6 Weber Carburetors
352bhp at 7,500rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*Superb restoration by Junior Conway and Junior's House of Color
*Matching numbers example with Ferrari Classiche red book certification
*Believed to have been in California from new until 2015, with just two owners from 1982-2014
*One of the 123 haloed factory Spider models of the iconic Daytona
*Ferrari Club of America Platinum Award winning example

THE FERRARI 365 GTS/4 DAYTONA SPIDER

"The Daytona has been called the last great front-engined supercar. For one who has thought about it, it is not difficult to see why; for one who has driven it, it is very easy to see why... A supercar must prove its superiority on ordinary roads; the Daytona did." - L J K Setright, Supercar Classics, autumn 1983.

The ultimate expression of Ferrari's fabulous line of V12 front-engined sports cars, the 365 GTB/4 debuted at the Paris Salon in 1968, soon gaining the unofficial name 'Daytona' in honor of the sweeping 1, 2, 3 finish by the Ferrari 330P4 sports prototype at that circuit in 1967. Pininfarina's Leonardo Fioravanti, later the famed carrozzeria's director of research and development, was responsible for the influential shark-nosed styling, creating a package that restated the traditional "long bonnet, small cabin, short tail" look in a manner suggesting muscular horsepower while retaining all the elegance associated with the Italian coachbuilder's work for Maranello. An unusual feature was a full-width transparent panel covering the headlamps, though this was replaced by electrically operated pop-up lights to meet US requirements soon after the start of production in the second half of 1969. Fioravanti later revealed that the Daytona was his favorite among the many Ferraris he designed.

In response to Lamborghini's 350GT, Ferrari's road-car V12 had gained four overhead camshafts during production of the 275 GTB (cars thus equipped acquiring a '/4' suffix) and in the Daytona displaced 4,390cc. Power output was 352bhp at 7,500rpm, with maximum torque of 318lb/ft available at 5,500rpm. Dry-sump lubrication permitted a low engine installation, while a five-speed transaxle enabled 50/50 front/rear weight distribution to be achieved. The chassis embodied long-standing Ferrari practice - being comprised of oval-section tubing - the all-independent wishbone and coil-spring suspension was a more recent development though, having originated in the preceding 275 GTB.

Unlike the contemporary 365GTC/4, the Daytona was not available with power steering, a feature then deemed inappropriate for a 'real' sports car. There was, however, servo assistance for the four-wheel, ventilated disc brakes. Air conditioning - vital for the US market - was optional, but elsewhere the Daytona remained uncompromisingly focused on delivering nothing less than superlative high performance.

Although there had been no official open-top versions of its predecessor, the favorable reception of Luigi Chinetti's 275 GTB-based NART Spider no doubt influenced Ferrari's decision to produce a convertible Daytona. Again, the work of Pininfarina, the latter was first seen at the Paris Salon in 1969, deliveries commencing in 1971. Although the rear end had been extensively reworked, so successful was Pininfarina's surgery that it was hard to credit that the Daytona had not initially been conceived as a Spider.

The most powerful two-seater, road-going GT and the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch, the Daytona was capable of over 170mph (274km/h) and is surely destined to remain a top-ranking supercar for eternity. Some 1,400 Berlinetta Coupe models and just 123 Spider convertibles had been constructed when production ceased in 1973.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The history of this phenomenal Daytona Spider, chassis no. 16473, starts in the fall of 1972. The new Spider was the 72nd example built in the assembly sequence of the 123-car total production. Configured as a left-hand-drive Spider destined for the US, the Daytona was optioned with air conditioning and US-market instruments. 16473 was painted in the same color it wears today, the classic 20-R190 Rosso Chiaro red, and trimmed in VM 8500 Pelle Nera black.

As was the case with many of the world's expensive super cars of the era, the new Daytona Spider took months to complete and it wasn't until June of 1973 that 16473 was shipped off to the Western US Ferrari importer, Modern Classic Motors, owned by Nevada gambling pioneer and renowned collector William F. Harrah. However, 16473 was not to be sold through Modern Classic Motors, but instead found its first owner at one of California's most prominent and influential dealerships at the time, Chuck Vandagriff's Hollywood Sports Cars, at the time the oldest Ferrari dealer in the US. This was the place to buy and service the finest in European sports cars and exotica during the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's, and where racing legends such as Pedro Rodriguez, Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Dan Gurney were often seen checking out the latest arrivals.

In February the following year, the Daytona Spider was offered for sale in the Los Angeles area with 6,600 miles on the odometer. 16473 is believed to have remained in the Los Angeles basin for the next eight years, when it was purchased in 1982 by Encino, California resident Steven Nanny through S & A Italia Sports Cars of Los Angeles. The mileage recorded at the time was 25,000 miles. Mr. Nanny would keep 16473 in his collection until the mid-1990s, although the car was stolen (to be recovered two years later) while at Michael Sheehan's European Auto Sales, Inc in Costa Mesa, California in 1992.

The next caretaker of this splendid Daytona Spider became Mr. Gerald Barnes of Anaheim Hills, California. Soon after acquiring the rare Ferrari, Mr. Barnes embarked on a complete restoration, to make the nearly thirty-year-old car a show winner at Concours events. Seeking the most talented restorer for the job, Mr. Barnes entrusted 16473 to automotive paint legend Junior Conway and his Bell Gardens, California based facility, Junior's House of Color. Here the rare Ferrari was completely dismantled, and all cosmetics and the bodywork and undercarriage stripped and re-finished to an exceptional quality in the car's original red hue. The Daytona's mechanicals were also thoroughly restored, with its original, matching numbers engine and transaxle refurbished by Norbert Hofer's Gran Touring Classics.

Once completed, 16473 was shown by Mr. Barnes at the 1999 Concorso Italiano, and again at the 2002 Ferrari Club of America National meet in Los Angeles, where the exceptional Spider was bestowed with the coveted Platinum Award. In 2007, 16473 was enrolled into Ferrari Classiche's certification program, and boasts its red book certification, acknowledging that it still retains its original, factory delivered chassis, engine, transaxle and body. In recent years, this Platinum Daytona Spider has formed part of an exceptional classic and supercar collection, with Maranello stable mates of similar excellence.

Today, 16473 remains in exceptionally well restored condition throughout. Close inspection reveals the superb job performed by Junior Conway, and meticulous maintenance and careful custodianship since. Fitted with Michelin XWX tires and a period Becker radio, 16473 is accompanied by many desirable original items, including a set of manuals and books in pouch, tools, convertible top cover, emergency triangle, radiator blind, spare light bulb set, and a matching Borrani spare wheel and tire. The car's history file includes Ferrari Classiche's red certification book, Marcel Massini's history report, and an abundance of restoration receipts. A legendary Ferrari model in its rarest form, this exquisitely presented Daytona Spider is an outstanding example of the rare breed.