365 GTB/4 Daytona Prototype (1967) for sale

When Ferrari created the 365 GTB/4, Lamborghini had already redefined the super sports car with the Miura. Ferrari needed an answer to the mid-engine flounder, but decided the engine should still be placed long up front.

This had the advantage that the frame and wheels of the 275 GTB/4 were suitable for example: the Tipo 596 chassis measures 2.40 meters between the axles. The Type 243 Colombo 12-cylinder engine was mounted on a tubular steel frame, with a Scaglietti body on top. Both are unique.

Engine: 4.4-liter V12

But first to the engine. The 12-cylinder received dry sump lubrication, so that all moving parts receive the necessary oil even under high acceleration. Unusual: The engine has three valves per cylinder. Six Weber 40 DCN18 carburetors mix fuel and air, two spark plugs per cylinder provide the spark. The volume of individual cylinders of 365 cubic centimeters increases to 4.38 liters. A reported performance of 6.2 seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint and a top speed of around 268 km/h indicate that performance may be on par with the 350 hp of the standard 365 GTB/4 Daytona.

Body: a distant one

Down to the windshield, the first 365 model resembles the 275 GTB/4 with a slightly flatter nose. The headlights are covered, the hood has a strong hump. The styling on the sides is Daytona-like, as is the view from the rear at an angle. However, unlike the production car, the model has three round headlights on each side. The Daytona has two round headlights on each side.

Car history

After the prototype with chassis number 10287 was completed in the spring of 1967, test drives at the Modena Autodrome were on the agenda. On May 8, 1968, Ferrari got its first road registration with the registration number “Roma B 85391”. It was sold through a Ferrari dealer in Rome for eight million lire, which was around the price of a new 275 GTB/4.

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After a Ferrari customer lost himself to the model while waiting for his Daytona Spider, two more ownership changes followed in Italy and shipped to the US in May 1972. Several ownership changes followed in the US before the car returned to Europe in 1989; first the car was owned by a Dutchman, then an Italian. In September 2003, Ferrari arrived at the father of the young owner. According to his own statement, the car needed a lot of work at the time. After finding out what type of Ferrari he owns, the technology, bodywork and interior were restored by experts in the Netherlands.

The finished car went around: in 2012 it could be seen at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Villa d’Este and from February 2015 to March 2016 at the Ferrari Museum. The model was Best of Show at three Dutch beauty contests: at Plais Het Loo in Apeldoorn, at Zoute and during the MECC in Maastricht to celebrate 70 years of Ferrari in the Netherlands.

RM Sotheby’s does not disclose prices. The 365 GTB/4 Daytona model will be auctioned online from May 22 to 26, 2023.

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