1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona NART Spider

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona NART Spider
Body by Michelotti; S/N 14299; Metallic Blue, Grey/Cognac leather; Blue cloth top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $654,545 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $720,000. -- Chrome spoke polished rim Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XWX tires, Alpine CD stereo, brown leather rim Momo steering wheel, A/C, two tops, tools, 1980 Turin show car, Ferrari Classiche attested -- An expensive exercise that resulted in making a Daytona look like a Corvette, commissioned in 1976 by Luigi Chinetti for his wife Marion. Restored to like new with excellent paint and very good lightly worn and creased interior. -- It's easy to be conflicted by the coachwork on this Ferrari one-off. Its lines suggest a C4 Corvette, but they are intrinsically sleek and aerodynamic. The wide grille below the front bumper foreshadows the frontal treatment of recent front-engined Ferraris. The angular rear deck and fenders could have come right off a Pontiac Fiero. So, an open Daytona with one-off coachwork and Chinetti family history at a post-block transaction price just under 3/4 million dollars. Not a bad thing.
The 365 GTB/4 presented here is a remarkable example of the coachbuilt Ferrari.
Completed at the Ferrari factory on May 19, 1971, 14299 was originally built as a US-specification 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta and finished in the elegant color scheme of Grigio Ferro with red leather upholstery. The Daytona was delivered new to official North American distributor Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut, and subsequently sold to its first owner, Dr. Silva.
After several years of use, Dr. Silva returned 14299 to Luigi Chinetti; and, in 1976, he shipped the lightly used Daytona to Carrozzeria Giovanni Michelotti in Torino, Italy, for a special project.
Of the very few custom-bodied Daytonas ever built, Luigi Chinetti was responsible for the vast majority, commissioning five highly individualized examples between 1974 and 1976.
Working in cooperation with Carrozzeria Michelotti, Chinetti commissioned his first coachbuilt Daytona in 1974. Unveiled at the Torino Motor Show, the one-off design featured a Targa top, dramatic cut-down doors and molded bumpers.
For the 1975 NART Le Mans effort, Chinetti ordered a Daytona Competizione (15965) with Michelotti coachwork. Similar to the original 1974 design, this body featured clean modern lines and a Targa top.
In 1976, Chinetti ordered three Michelotti Spiders of the same design based on chassis 14299, 15003, and 16467. In fact, Michelotti built all three cars using the same wooden body buck, incorporating minor differences in trim, color, and specification. When Marion Chinetti passed away in December 1982, her coachbuilt Ferrari remained in France and, in 1984, it was shown at the La Baule Concours d'Elegance.
In 1985, the Ferrari made its return to the US and was sold to Los Angeles classic car dealer Marty Yacobian. In November 1986, Mr. Yacobian displayed the special Michelotti Daytona at the Palm Springs Concours d'Elegance.
In January 1990, 14299 was offered at the annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction and sold to Richard Gorman of Vantage Motorworks in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, the Michelotti Spider was sold to Marv Tonkin, brother of famed Por tland Ferrari dealer Ron Tonkin.
In September 1991, the current owner acquired 14299 from Al Mohr Imported Cars of Seaside, California. Today, the Michelotti Spider remains in exceptionally original condition and, at the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed just 1,568 miles. It is believed that this figure represents the total mileage since the Carrozzeria Michelotti rebuild in 1976 and not the total mileage from new.
As would be expected of a well-preserved original Ferrari, the Michelotti Spider retains the correct tool kit and jack as well as its original accessory hardtop. In addition to these features, the Ferrari Classiche Attestation Certificate of Historical Interest and a history report compiled by Swiss historian Marcel Massini are included in the sale.

Robert Myrick Photography