Lot 322: 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

When introduced at the 1968 Paris Salon the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was received with rapturous applause by the Press and Ferrari enthusiasts alike. Everyone immediately dubbed the new car the 'Daytona' after Ferrari's 1-2-3 victory at the circuit's 24 Hours race in 1967, and the name has stuck ever since. Indeed, the car went on to become one of the most significant models in the history of the world's most famous car company, the last of the long line of traditional race-bred front-engined berlinettas to come from Maranello. The Pininfarina designed, Scaglietti-built body of the 365 GTB/4 was deliberately styled to look aggressive, but despite this it still managed to convey an aura of unsurpassed elegance even in Ferrari terms. As well as revolutionising the company's styling, the Daytona was the most powerful road car Ferrari had produced at that time and it would sell in large numbers around the world. Even today, the car is an icon in performance car terms, and one to which Ferrari owes much of its reputation as the builder of the greatest road cars. The Daytona came at a time when Ferrari was dominant in sports car racing with its sports prototypes, and the road cars the company developed were increasingly distanced from the racing cars with their associated improvements in reliability and creature comforts. In the word of one enthusiast: "There is no greater adrenaline pump". With its brutally aggressive yet somehow classically elegant lines and such a wonderful 4.4 litre four-camshaft V12 under its bonnet, there was nothing that could challenge it when new, and precious little that can do so today. True, such cars have never been considered easy to drive, but then again the best things in life always demand a little more commitment. Indeed a motor car such as the Daytona, once mastered, can provide thrills beyond its owner's wildest expectations. First registered on the 1st August 1973, it is believed that this car was delivered to a first owner in Switzerland. Subsequently, in the late 1980s, it was exported to California before returning to Switzerland in the 1990s where it was used in and around Zurich. At the end of the '90s the Ferrari was sold to a Dr Bischof and today it still has only 46,358km on the odometer, which the overall condition suggests is correct. Recently benefiting from a cosmetic restoration, for which invoices are supplied in the history file, the car is in good condition throughout and it has been noted by the vendor that there are very good panel gaps all round. Finished in red with a black leather interior which is in very good condition, this GTB/4 Daytona is also supplied with a specialist engineer's report, American title papers and Swiss registration documents; however please note all European taxes are paid. A great example of one of the most highly prized front engined Ferraris.Es wird angenommen, da? dieser hervorragende 365 GTB/4 Daytona zuerst an einen Besitzer in der Schweiz ausgeliefert wurde, bevor er in den 80er Jahren seinen Weg in die USA fand. In den 90er Jahren dann wurde er wieder in die Schweiz importiert und dort in und um Zrich bewegt. Der letzte Schweizer Besitzer war ein Dr Bischof aus K?nacht. Der Kilometerstand von nur knapp unter 47.000 km ist wahrscheinlich korrekt, was der gute Zustand dieses letzten gro?en Ferrari mit V12-Frontmotor der 70er Jahre besttigt. Erst vor kurzem wurde dieser Daytona einer kosmetischen Restaurierung unterzogen, bei der die wenigen Roststellen professionell beseitigt wurden. Die dazugehrigen Rechnungen sind Teil der Dokumentation, zu der auch ein TV-Gutachten, der amerikanische Titel, der Schweizer Fahrzeugbrief und die Zoll-Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung gehren.