Introduced to great fanfare and considered by many today to be one of Ferrari’s most iconic automobiles, the 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe proved to be so popular that the development of an open variant was inevitable. Unveiled at the 1969 Frankfurt International Auto Show the 365 GTS/4 was the ultimate expression of Ferrari’s longstanding grand touring tradition, and produced in very limited numbers, with just 121 examples built in total. These crown jewels of Daytona production now stand as the centerpieces of many Ferrari collections, offering exhilarating performance and beautiful open-air styling in the last, and most highly developed, variant of the manufacturer’s great tradition of front-engine V-12 touring models.

Once owned by a famous Hollywood director, and later the center of a cross-border drama worthy of a Hollywood plot itself, this exceptional Platinum Award-winning 365 GTS/4 is one of the most desirable examples of Maranello’s celebrated spider. Factory-equipped with air conditioning, and specified with instruments in miles, chassis number 14779 was originally finished in Argento Metallizzato paint over a Nero interior, exactly as the car presents today. It is important to note that only 9 US specification Daytona Spiders were finished in Argento Metallizzato, and in a field of cars often dominated by rosso or giallo, this distinguishing feature endows the car with significant rarity and distinctive character.

Completed in December 1971, the Ferrari was distributed by Luigi Chinetti Motors in June 1972 to Carl A. Haas Automobile Imports of Highland Park, Illinois. In July of 1972 the car was displayed in the paddock during a racing weekend at Road America, the famed circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where color photos on file document its original delivery condition still on Illinois dealer plates. Shortly thereafter the 365 GTS/4 was purchased by its first owner, H.J. Hoff, an enthusiast residing in Norfolk, Virginia. Three years later the Daytona Spider was sold to Sydney Pollack, the famed Hollywood director whose 50-year resume included numerous Oscar nominations, as well as Academy Awards for best picture and best director for the 1985 film Out of Africa.

A MOVIE WORTHY SCRIPT FOR 14779

In 1979 the Ferrari was purchased by Alberto Amezcua of Mexico City, and over the subsequent years, a series of events played out which could have been crafted straight from a Hollywood script. Upon acquisition, Amezcua reportedly evaded import tariffs by paying an American tourist from Texas to drive the car over the border. Unfortunately, Amezcua encountered more serious trouble a few years later in 1981 when the car was essentially stolen after he was forced to sign over the title in a strong-arm tactic by a powerful local pawn shop owner with ties to the Mexican president. In spring 1983 the Daytona was smuggled back into the United States via Miami which resulted in transport damage to the car. Subsequently, the car was submitted for repairs to European Auto Restoration in Costa Mesa, California. In a final plot twist, the car sustained similar transport damage 40 years later, and 14779 has recently had its front nose repaired by renown shop Motion Products in Neenah, Wisconsin.

By 1984 the Ferrari was purchased in good faith by the Ohio-based collector Ed Zamarelli, and two years later he advertised it for sale, at which point the odometer showed 34,000 miles. After becoming aware that his stolen Ferrari was being offered on the open market, Amezcua took legal action and successfully sued Mr. Zamarelli to regain possession of the fine Daytona Spider. Amezcua went on to keep the car for at least ten more years, refinishing the coachwork in black, and presenting the car at the 1993 FCA Vintage Ferrari Concours d’Elegance at the Quail Lodge and the 1996 Vintage Ferrari Concours d’Elegance, held in concert with Concorso Italiano.

After passing through three California-based collections over the following two years, the Ferrari was purchased in 1999 by Ron Bridges of Longwood, Florida, and he commissioned a show-quality restoration by Vantage Motor Works, including a repaint in the original factory color of Argento Metallizzato. In 2004 Mr. Bridges sold the car to David Nagle of Oakland Park, Florida, and when Nagle offered the Daytona a year later the odometer still displayed a desirably low figure of 39,306 miles—an indication of how sparingly the car was driven.

In 2006 the Daytona was acquired by the noted collector Gordon Apker of Scottsdale, Arizona, and he presented the car at the 2007 Concorso Arizona, winning an FCA Platinum Award. The 365 was then sold in January 2008 to Chris Cox of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, before being purchased in 2009 by the esteemed collector Steve Adler of New Vernon, New Jersey. Mr. Adler retained Steve Babinsky’s Pebble Beach award-winning firm Automotive Restorations to further restore the car, including reconditioning the interior to concours standards. In 2011, the spider passed to Haines “Chip” Marshall of Broussard, Louisiana, who retained it in his collection through January 2020. Currently displaying 40,150 miles, this modestly driven 365 GTS/4 is accompanied by a tool roll and owner’s manuals.

It bears repeating that this subtle and attractive Argento Metallizzato paintwork, 1-of-9 US cars finished as such, bolsters the car’s rarity and distinctive character. Most Maranello-focused collectors, whether they are just beginning their journey or have assembled a deep collection over the course of many years, have seen fit to build around a Daytona Spider, as it is undeniably a quintessential blue-chip Ferrari. For the collector in search of a dynamic and exceptional example, chassis number 14779 offers a nearly unparalleled opportunity. Importantly, the car still retains its original chassis, engine, and gearbox.

The Daytona Spider is one of the iconic supercars of the 1970s, a true ‘poster car’ from that era. When first launched, the Daytona was proclaimed the fastest production car in the world, and the more desirable Spider was the lowest production open-top Ferrari of the decade. The Daytona Spider’s looks were so striking that it was used in a variety of Hollywood and TV productions, including Miami Vice and Gumball Rally, among a number of others. Furthermore, they are cars that have real “histories,” from colorful owners to exciting or wild adventures, their provenance offers more to the owner than most modern supercars which can be limited to spec and miles. With the increase in popularity of “poster supercars” from the 1980s and 90s, the Daytona Spiders are receiving renewed interest and great examples have been on the rise. Checking all of the above boxes from Hollywood to fascinating and colorful owners to a rare specification, this example is inviting serious tifosi to indulge in a living legend which proudly stands among Maranello’s greatest GT cars.