| Ferrari 365 GTB/4 and GTS/4 "Daytona" | |
|---|---|
 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ferrari |
| Production |
|
| Assembly | Italy:Maranello |
| Designer | Leonardo Fioravanti atPininfarina[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Grand tourer |
| Body style |
|
| Layout | Front-mid engine, rear wheel drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4.4 L (4390.35 cc)Tipo 251ColomboV12 |
| Transmission | 5-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in)[2] |
| Length | 4,425 mm (174.2 in)[2] |
| Width | 1,760 mm (69.3 in)[2] |
| Height | 1,245 mm (49.0 in)[2] |
| Kerb weight | 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) (GTB/4, dry)[2] |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor |
|
| Successor |
|
TheFerrari Daytona is a two-seatgrand tourer produced byFerrari from 1968 to 1973. It was introduced at theParis Auto Salon in 1968 to replace the275 GTB/4, and featured the 275'sColombo V12 with a larger cylinder bore for 4,390 cc (4.4 L; 267.9 cu in). It was offered inberlinetta andspyder forms. The car came in two variants: the365 GTB/4 coupe, and the365 GTS/4 convertible.
The Daytona was succeeded by themid-engined365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer in 1973.
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The unofficial Daytona name is reported to have been applied by the media rather than Ferrari and commemorates Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish[3] in the February 196724 Hours of Daytona with a330 P3/4, a330 P4 and a412 P.[4] To this day, Ferrari itself only rarely refers to the 365 as the "Daytona", and refers to it as an "unofficial" name.[5]
Unlike Lamborghini's then-new,mid-enginedMiura, the Daytona was a traditionalfront-engined, rear-drive car. The engine, known as theTipo 251 and developed from the earlierColomboV12 with a 60° bank angle used in the 275 GTB/4, was aDOHC 2 valves percylinder 4,390 cc (4.4 L; 267.9 cu in),[2] 365 cc (22.3 cu in) per cylinder,bore xstroke 81 mm × 71 mm (3.19 in × 2.80 in), featuring 6X2 barrel 40 DCN/20Weber carburetors (40 mmSolex twin carburettors were used alternatively). At acompression ratio of 9.3:1, it produced 259 kW (352 PS; 347 hp) at 7500 rpm and a maximumtorque of 431 N⋅m; 318 lbf⋅ft (44 kg⋅m) at 5500 rpm, could reach 280 km/h (174 mph). 0-60 mph (97 km/h)acceleration was just 5.4 seconds.[6] For the American version, slight modifications were made—the compression ratio was reduced to 8.8:1 and theexhaust system was equipped with a large centralsilencer, necessitating visible alterations to the primary pipes.
The five-speedmanual transmission (of thetransaxle concept) was mounted in the rear for optimalweight distribution, and a four-wheelindependent suspension[6] featuredwishbones andcoil springs.
Pininfarina designerLeonardo Fioravanti, who had previously worked on theDino Ferrari's styling, was responsible for the 365 GTB/4.[7] It reflected a movement from Ferrari's traditional rounded designs to a more contemporary, sharp-edged look.[8]
Early Daytonas featured fixedheadlights behind anacrylic glass cover. A new U.S. safety regulation banning headlights behind covers resulted in retractable pop-up twin headlights in 1971.
The generally accepted total number of Daytonas from the Ferrari club historians is 1,406 over the life of the model. This figure includes 156[9] UK right-hand-drive coupés, 122 factory-made spyders (of which 7 are right hand drive), and 15 competition cars. The competition cars are divided into three series, all with modified lightweight bodies and in various degrees of engine tune. All bodies except the first Pininfarina prototype were produced by Italian coachbuilderScaglietti, which already had a well established record of working with Ferrari.[10]
Historically, and especially since the mid-1980s and early 1990s, there has mostly been a considerable market price difference between a real berlinetta and a real spyder. Many berlinettas were turned into spyders by aftermarket mechanics, often to increase the car's monetary value or simply because of the owner's preference for an open car. Differences in value have typically remained, however, even after the most skillful conversions.[citation needed]
The stock 365 GTB/4 was delivered new to Philadelphia-area Ferrari dealer Chinetti-Garthwaite Motors as the 805th 365 GTB/4 produced with chassis no. 15275. It was there that architect Bob Gittleman asked Luigi Chinetti Jr. to design a unique car for him. Mr. Chinetti had already designed aFerrari 330 GT 2+2 modified byVignale and decided to design ashooting brake. The car was then sent to Surrey in England where Panther Westwinds built the car according to Mr. Chinetti's designs. The car was listed at Gooding and Co's 2016 Pebble Beach auction with less than 4,500 miles and an $750,000 - $1,000,000 estimate. The car didn't sell then.[11]
The first racing version of the 365GTB/4 was prepared in 1969: an aluminium bodied car was built and entered in the Le Mans 24-hour race that year (the car crashed in practice). Ferrari did not produce an official competition car until late in 1970.[12]
The official cars were built in three batches of five cars each, in 1970–1, 1972 and 1973. They all featured a lightweight body making use of aluminium and fibreglass panels, with plexiglas windows. The engine was unchanged from the road car in the first batch of competition cars, but tuned in the latter two batches (to 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) in 1972 and then around 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS) in 1973).
The cars were not raced by the officialScuderia Ferrari team, but by a range of private entrants. They enjoyed particular success in the24 Hours of Le Mans, with results including a 5th overall in 1971, followed by GT class wins in 1972, 1973 and 1974. In 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4s took the first 5 places of the GT class.
The final major success of the car was in 1979 (five years after production ended), when a 1973 car achieved a class victory (2nd overall) in the24 Hours of Daytona.
In 1971, the Daytona gained fame when one was driven byDan Gurney andBrock Yates in the inauguralCannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Showcasing the car's potential for sustained high speed travel, the pair won with an average speed of 80.1 miles per hour (129 km/h), completing the distance fromNew York City toL.A.—2,876 miles (4,628 km)—in 35 hours 54 minutes. Gurney was later quoted as saying "We never once exceeded 175 miles per hour."
It appears on the cover of 1973'sNow & Then, the fifth studio album of the American pop bandThe Carpenters.
It is driven (and crashed) by the "Kris Kristofferson" character in the 1976 version of the movieA Star is Born.
A Ferrari Daytona is used in anAcross America race by the team of Steve Smith (Tim McIntire) and Franco Bertollini (Raul Julia) in the 1976 movie,The Gumball Rally
In the 1980s, a Daytona replica was prominently featured on the first two seasons ofNBC's hit television seriesMiami Vice. The black car seen in early episodes was a kit car built on aCorvette C3 chassis. Altogether, two nearly identical cars were used simultaneously in the production of the TV series. Ferrari was not pleased that its company and one of their products was represented on TV by an imitation car and sued[13] the manufacturer of the kit for trademark infringement and trademark dilution. The Daytona replicas were retired at the beginning of the show's third season and replaced by two Ferrari-donatedTestarossas, the company's newest flagship model at the time.
In 2004, the Daytona was voted top sports car of the 1970s bySports Car International magazine. Similarly,Motor Trend Classic named the 365 GTB/4 and GTS/4 as number two in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".
In 2024, Ferrari unveiled theFerrari 12Cilindri, the design of which was a tribute to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
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