The Ferrari factory might not have initially realised the potential of the Daytona as a GT competition car, but fortunately Luigi Chinetti did…
Out of the box
Ahead of the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours, Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) set about converting a regular Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona into a brutal GT racing car. With no time to test or develop the car, it arrived at La Sarthe unproven, but with a strong chassis and an enormous V12, there was certainly potential. A begrudging ‘Coco’ Chinetti drove the car (he’d expected to drive a five-litre 512 S) with Bob Grossman, and the pair amazingly finished fifth overall, behind only the more powerful and aerodynamic prototypes. Ferrari soon recognised the achievement, and began to prepare a number of cars at the factory for privateer teams.
Now, this significant Ferrari is being offered for sale by the Keno Brothers at their Rolling Sculpture sale, taking place on 19 November in New York. The thought of returning the car to Le Mans for the Classic (for which it is eligible) is tantalising. Estimated at an impressive 4.9-5.9m US dollars, we think it might be worth it for the spine-tingling roar of the V12 alone. Watch the video above and you’ll know exactly where we’re coming from.
Photos and video: Keno Brothers
You can find the full catalogue for the Keno Brothers' Rolling Sculpture Sale, taking place on 19 November in New York, listed in the Classic Driver Market.
