German title

Chassis no. 13343 Engine no. B304

- Superb original Verde Medio colour

- Major body and mechanical work overseen by Fritz Neuser in Italy

- Lighter, all-aluminium bodywork

- Superb overall condition

- The last front-engined V12 berlinetta from this period

- No reserve

 

This car left the factory in April 1970 and was delivered in the same magnificent shade of Verde Medio it sports today. One of its most distinctive features is its body, which is entirely in aluminium. What happened is that after its bodywork was partially damaged following the start of a fire in the 2000s, the car was put up for sale in Germany and bought by a Dutch enthusiast who took the opportunity to restore it, not exactly as it had been, but by rebuilding the entire body in aluminium. This substantial job, executed to a high standard, was probably carried out by a workshop in the Netherlands.

The car next showed up around 2010 in England, when it was painted black and registered UDV 173H. In April 2011, it was shown at the Auto Italia Italian Car Day at Brooklands, and then took part the following year in the event ‘Retro Classics meets Barock’ at Ludwigsburg in Germany. In 2012, it was to be found at Eberlein Automobile in Kassel, an official Ferrari dealer in the country, and it was there that Fritz Neuser bought it the following year.

 

With close connections to Ferrari, Neuser knew who to contact to get the best results. He sent the Daytona to Italy to be restored to as-new condition, and extensive work was carried out on its mechanical components (shock absorbers, electrical system ...), as well as on the bodywork and upholstery. Its history file includes several invoices for this work, which amounted to a total in 2013 and 2014 of more than 85,000 €, from several well-known workshops in the Modena area, such as Giusti, Luppi, SG Racing di Gianni Sala and the Carrozzeria Cristallo.

 

Today, its odometer is reading 4,339km and the car has reverted to its original colour, ‘Verde Medio 106-G-29’, an unusual and distinctive shade for a Daytona. The aluminium bodywork is in very good condition, with well-aligned panels and beautifully applied paint, and is set off by lovely Borrani chrome wire wheels. It is the first version of the Daytona, with the headlamps behind an acrylic glass cover running the whole width of the car, a more novel arrangement than the later pop-up headlamps.

The interior is just as beautifully finished, with virtually new seats in black leather (‘Pelle Nera N/P’) with the shape and perforated design typical of the model. The dashboard with its eight dials is perfect, as are the carpets and the faultless trim. Electric windows are fitted, and the car has Ferrari’s lovely gearlever with a round knob emerging from its metal gate. Ahead of the driver, the steering wheel with three drilled spokes adds to the sporting atmosphere of this high-quality cabin.

 

Taking its unofficial name from the fantastic victory of three Ferrari P-series prototypes at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, ahead of Ford’s GT40s, the 365 GTB/4 was Ferrari’s last front-engined V12 berlinetta in this period. Styled by Leonardo Fioravanti, it has an impressively long bonnet running into a set-back cabin, a design that wonderfully conjures up its outstanding performance, its 352bhp and its top speed of 280km/h. The ultimate expression of the Italian GT of the 1970s, the example presented here also has the advantage of a lighter body, adding to its exclusivity and sporting edge, as well as a superb original colour, points which will not be lost on connoisseurs.