The Ferrari 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’ celebrates 50 years
One of the most representative Ferrari touring cars has come to celebrate half a century.
It was, in fact, 50 years ago,that the Ferrari 365 GTB4 made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show (1968).
This supercar is commonly recognized as “Daytona”, a name obtained thanks to Ferrari’s victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967 in the United States of America, where the horse cars conquered the first 3 places.
What makes Daytona unique? This amazing supercar, replaced the 275 GTB4 and was certainly much faster, equipped with a front engine that marked a real leap forward in terms of performance and modernity.
The engine of the Daytona was a 4.4-liter engine displacement developed by a first Ferrari V12 engine. Its 325 hp of power, in those days, made this machine one of the fastest on the planet. And with the transaxle transmission mounted at the rear, the car had an ideal weight distribution, which guaranteed an optimal balance for handling. Exactly one year after its debut, in 1969, a spider version came out: the 365 GTS4 but did not find much success and in 1973 production ceased.The Daytona, despite being conceived as a car for roads, was also used in the field of competitions where it was very successful.The ’24 ore di Le Mans’ in 1972 saw the 365 GTB4 achieve a fantastic victory in the category, seeing the Daytona in the first five places in their class.The category victories at Le Mans were also repeated the following year and in 1974.
Today we can say that the 365 GTB4 has become a very sought-after car in the circles of collectors: recently a rare example, kept in very bad condition, was sold at the auction at a price of 1,807,000 Euros.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Daytona was celebrated this year at the 23rd Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
Bill Warner, founder and president of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, said: “The Daytona is the last of the real ‘Enzo’ Ferraris created before the influence of Fiat arrived in Maranello in 1969. The rumble of that great V12 should be part of the national anthem of Mameli, the Italian national anthem The great Daytona is a car, a name and a heritage that deserve to be celebrated in big style “.
