The allure of a four-seat grand tourer fitted with a V-12 engine proved irresistible to a certain niche of enthusiasts. For those seeking Italian panache and sports car characteristics, all combined with the functionality of a practical interior layout, the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 was chief among those family-friendly and slightly more practical V-12 GTs.

Approximately 525 of these cars are believed to have been made before the Maranello marque replaced it with the 400-series models. Unlike its successors, which were notably the first Ferraris to offer an automatic transmission, the 365 GT4 2+2 was offered only with a five-speed manual gearbox paired with its 4.4-litre V-12—an engaging feature especially desired by today’s collectors. Factory data rated the Ferrari with a top speed of 152 mph—a fair return for a four-seater, and positioning the model as a premium grand tourer of its era for any long-distance road trip that should be traversed in comfort and style.

The example offered here, chassis 17545, was ordered in late-1973 for delivery to the UK, via importer Maranello Concessionaires and its partner dealership, HR Owen of London. As verified by copies of the car’s original factory order paperwork (available to view on file), the 365 GT4 2+2 was built in Grigio Argento over a Dark Blue interior and is noted by a Ferrari dispatch form to have reached the UK by January 1974, while by the July of that year it had reached its first owner.

By 1978, the Ferrari is reported to have been owned by a C. D. Yapp of Cardiff, Wales, registered as “383 YNY” and subsequently acquired by a Miss C. Bodie in the 1980s, wearing the registration “CDT 400T”. The car sold at auction in 1997, at which point it was noted to be presented in black with a magnolia interior, thought to have been restored in the late-1980s. At this point the Ferrari was registered with the UK plates “24 NYB”. The Ferrari was later taken to Greece, where it formed part of the Hellenic Motor Museum in Athens, before being presented at auction by its consigning owner. The car is offered out of a prolonged period of static display; the engine runs but the car requires mechanical inspection prior to being driven.

Whether seeking a stylish grand tourer for the next adventure, or for those simply in the market for an increasingly rare Ferrari model, the 365 GT 2+2 will appeal to many.