Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Fails To Reach Its Reserve At Online Auction

A Ferrari is, undoubtedly, thought as the pinnacle of the automotive world, but not all of them are equal. This 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta is an example of the latter and it could go for a whole lot of money.

The 365 GTB/4 was unveiled for the first time at the Paris Auto Salon back in 1968. At the time, it was Ferrari’s priciest and fastest road car ever built with a top speed of 170 mph and a reported price tag of $20,000 ($142,452 by today’s standards). The car was a replacement for the prettier 275 GTB/4 and was developed to take the fight to Lamborghini, which was just beginning to come into its own.

As the 275 GTB/4’s successor, it only made sense that Ferrari utilized the same wheelbase for the 365 GTB/4. The supercar was styled by Pininfarina and the coachwork was the work of Scaglietti, because styling was more important back then.

Ferrari – just like it is today – was known for its high-performance machines and stuffed a quad-cam 4.4-liter V12 engine that cranked out 352 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque. The motor was nuzzled as far back into the engine bay as possible, giving the long-nosed couple a near-perfect 52/48 weight distribution.

Power is routed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, while an all-independent suspension setup insured the supercar could handle itself around corners when pushed. When it debuted, the company claimed the 365 GTB/4 could hit 60 mph (98 km/h) in just 5.5 seconds, while getting to 100 mph (160 km/h) from a standstill would take just 12.5 seconds.

That’s not impressive today, as the Ford Focus RS is a little quicker, but just imagine being able to outrun everything else in the early ‘70s with this thing. While the 365 GTB/4 boasted some impressive figures, it really excelled at being a grand tourer. Still, the machine did impeccably on the track and the name “Daytona” is believed to be derived from the media after Ferrari scored a 1-2-3 victory at the ’67 Daytona 24-Hour Race.

When it came to Le Mans, racing-variants of the 365 GTB/4 finished 5th in 1971, 5th and 9th in 1972, and 9th in 1973. Off the track, the 365 GTB/4 gained fame when Dan Gurney and Brock Yates drove an example from New York City to Redondo Beach, Calif. in just 35 hours and 54 minutes.

This specific example on Bring a Trailer is chassis #14203 and is believed to be one of just 12 examples finished in Giallo Dino over Nero (light yellow over black). The car was delivered new in March 1971 to a Ferrari dealership in Toronto, Canada and has traveled 53,035 miles since then.

This example has been something of a traveler, going from Illinois to Oklahoma and then to California. It also completed a rally in Arizona before moving to New York and spending some time in New Jersey. Now, its latest owner is selling the vehicle in Texas. When in New Jersey, the vehicle had a repaint, which makes the car look almost brand new.

The body panels, according to the listing, still have the correct stamps and all of the car’s Securit glass is present. The supercar is wearing period-correct 15-inch wire wheels, but they are supposedly knock-offs – though they could have fooled anyone.

On the inside, the cabin shows minimal wear and is mostly original, besides the outer seat bolsters, which have been redone. The exterior of the Daytona is truly timeless, but when you look inside, you can tell it’s 47 years old.

Still, for a middle-aged car, this thing looks gorgeous. The auction ended on March 14, and the highest bid was $592,500, which did not meet the car’s reserve. Seeing as 365 GTB/4’s usually go for around $1 million, we would expect someone to nab it up.

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