Lot 334: 1971 Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona Group 4 competitionEx Phill Scragg, FIA Papers

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' is one of the most significant models in the history of the World's most famous car company. As well as revolutionising the company's styling, the Daytona was the most powerful road car the company had produced at that time, and would sell in large numbers around the world. Even today, the car is an icon in performance car terms, and one to which Ferrari owe much of their reputation as the builders of the greatest road cars. The Daytona came at a time when Ferrari were dominant in Sports car racing with their sports prototypes, and the road cars the company developed were increasingly distanced from their racing cars, with the 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-cam 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.Ferrari Daytona's also made their mark in competition at the highest level with strong results at Le Mans and indeed, Daytona. These competition specification cars obviously have even more formidable performance. As the factory built so few competition spec cars, it is perhaps unsurprising that a limited number of road cars have been brought up to racing specification.Few have been built to such a high standard as this example which was originally owned by noted Ferrari exponent Phil Scragg. The car was uprated to racing specification in the mid 1990's and the preparation work carried out included the suspension, the fitment of the roll cage, the addition of perspex headlamp covers and widened rear wheel arches to cover the competition knock off wheels. The engine was also modified in line with the other race preparation work. This work was carried out for entry in European Group 4 racing events, in which it has been successfully run in many of the more prestigious tracks in Europe, including the Nrburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix and at Spa, where it won the V12 class in 1995 and more recently, the Angouleme Circuit de Ramparts and the Le Mans Classic, both in 2004. Throughout this active racing life, the car has been maintained to the highest standard both mechanically and cosmetically, and as a result won the Ferrari Owners Club Concours Connoisseurs Class in June 2000.Without doubt one of the most enjoyable and well prepared competition Ferrari's which, as well as offering fantastic track performance, can also be enjoyed on the road. Having covered less than 40,000 miles from new the car is accompanied with both competition side exhausts and a straight road system as well as a file of documentation detailing the work carried out on the car at the hands of many of Britain's leading marque specialists and presented here with full FIA papers.