1969 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 'DAYTONA' BERLINETTA COMPETIZIONE

1969 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 'DAYTONA' BERLINETTA COMPETIZIONE
Sold for US$ 935,000 Including Commission
Bonhams Auction, Carmel, CA. 2014
Chassis no. 12765
Engine no. 12765
*1970s Competition conversion on fine production 365GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta
*Tremednous future potential as Vintage racing classic 4-cam V12 Ferrari
*Offered from 34 years within one ownership
*Starred in the Collezione Maranello Rosso from its 1991 foundation to 2014
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 'DAYTONA' COMPETIZIONE
The concept of manufacturing a 4-cam V12-engined Berlinetta with considerably greater power output than the successful 275 GTB/4 model emerged in 1967, as soon as the 3.3-litre variant was being launched upon a receptive market. The new model would have to meet newly-developed US Federal regulations, which meant a tremendous amount of time-consuming development work before the new design could be introduced.
Ferrari's first known prototype for such a car emerged during the winter of 1967 with bodywork presaging the final design that would be adopted, although its front-end treatment looked back towards that of the 275 GTB. It used a three-valve per cylinder 4-litre V12 engine that was not taken further. Instead a Tipo 251 power unit would be adopted which was a more conventional 4.4-litre with hemispherical combustion chambers in its twin-cam heads, and single-plug ignition. The block had been lengthened to accommodate a bore and stroke of 81mm x 71mm, identical to the Tipo 245 engine's which already powered the 365 GT 2-plus-2, GTC and GTS models.
The new 4.4-litre unit was lubricated by a dry-sump system with a 14-litre separate tank. Compression ratio was 8.8:1 and with six Weber 40DCN carburettors the unit delivered a muscular 352bhp at 7,500rpm, with 318lbs/ft torque at 5,500rpm – enough – indeed, as one English technical writer of the time described as being "...more than enough to pull your house down".
The mechanical ensemble, comprising engine, torque tube and rear-mounted five-speed transaxle was attached to the tube chassis at four points – two on the engine and two on the transaxle – and the familiar 2.4-metre wheelbase was retained, which dated back in unbroken line to the 250 GT SWB.
To clothe the new 365 GTB/4, Pininfarina created a classical and now legendary design which combined Maranello tradition with modernity. Only the prototype body was actually built by Pininfarina and as with the preceding Berlinettas it was Scaglietti who actually made the bodies in steel (with opening panels in aluminium) for the production examples.
Venue for the new model's launch was the October 1968 Paris Salon, and its immediately successful reception saw it being nicknamed the 'Daytona' in honour of the Ferrari factory team's 1-2-3 defeat of the mighty Ford GT fleet in the 1967 Daytona 24-Hour race.
Capable of achieving 278km/h (172mph) in standard form, the new Ferrari was the fastest production car in the world at that time. It also displayed the quickest acceleration when pitted against the Lamborghini Miura, Mercedes-Benz 350SL, Jaguar V12 E-Type and the De Tomaso Pantera.
Over 400 metres from a standing start the Daytona clocked just 13.8 seconds.
By the end of August 1971, Daytona production had reached the 500 examples demanded for FIA homologation in the International Group 4 Special Grand Touring car racing category. Initially Maranello had no plans to exploit this opportunity. However, several valued clients demanded a competition version with which to go racing at any level, and it was Chinetti's North American Racing Team which first took the plunge – running a car in the 1969 Le Mans 24-Hours.
Manufacture of Competizione versions for customer use then began at the Assistenza Clienti department of the factory in Modena and a succession of three main Competition series of 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinettas would emerge into 1973. For homologation purposes, the later Daytona Competizione cars of Series 2 and 3 had to retain steel-panelled bodywork.
It was to compensate for their additional weight, and therefore more problematic vehicle dynamics, that the Series 3 cars of 1973 were equipped with the ultimate in competition 365 GTB/4 engines. These power units featured high-compression pistons, reprofiled cams, re-choked carburettors and 9.9:1 high-compression cylinder heads. They developed an awesome 450bhp, with the additional spread of torque over an extremely wide rev range. Since even this engine was tailored absolutely to the demands of 24-hour endurance racing - as at Daytona and Le Mans - even this state of tune retained such practicable, easily serviced features as standard-sized valves, and even the standard connecting rods were strong enough for safe use.
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Robert Myrick Photography