The 365 GTC/4 marked a sharp change in design ideology for Ferrari when it debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Its wedge shape, penned by Filippo Sapino of Pininfarina, was a significant departure from the outgoing 365 GTC’s more traditional profile. Proportioned like a two-seater coupe, the body was mostly steel, with the hood and trunk lid made of lighter aluminum. Clever use of interior space allowed for the inclusion of two, fold-down, rear seats, though they were more suited to carrying luggage or children than adults. Thus, although the new GTC/4 effectively replaced two models—the 365 GTC and 365 GT 2+2—it was not quite an equivalent replacement for the larger 2+2 model, which ceased production in 1971.

Both in design and performance, the new 365 GTC/4 was more subdued than the aggressive 365 GTB/4, its two-seater contemporary whose chassis it shared. Though still high-revving, its 4.4-liter V-12 engine—the “4” in GTC/4 designating quad overhead camshafts—was slightly detuned and less high-strung by comparison, making it torquier and more tractable at lower speeds. The engine also lacked the dry-sump lubrication system of its race-bred GTB/4 counterpart, while the carburetors were side-draft rather than down-draft, to accommodate the lower hood line. Meanwhile, the suspension was also softer than that of the GTB/4, and creature comforts like power steering, power windows, and air conditioning came standard, along with a five-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and self-leveling hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear. Boasting a top speed of 163 mph, the GTC/4 was not only comfortable but quick, carrying on the well-established tradition of eminently capable Ferrari grand tourers. A lengthened version of the 365 GTC/4 chassis would underpin the succeeding 365 GTC 2+2.

Notable for being the first new 12-cylinder to launch after Fiat announced in 1969 that it would assume control of Ferrari road-car production, the GTC/4 was available from the outset in Europe and the United States. With an uncharacteristically short production run of less than two years, Ferrari produced only 500 models, the bulk of which were sold in the United States. U.S.-specification cars are visually distinguished by their rectangular side-markers and chromed, center-lock wheel nuts in place of knock-off spinners.

The U.S.-spec example offered here was completed in May 1972 and delivered new to the Chinetti-Garthwaite Ferrari dealership in Pennsylvania. According to a report by marque expert Marcel Massini, the car’s first owner was a Mexican newspaper publisher named Rodolfo Junco de la Vega, Jr. of San Antonio, Texas. Remarkably, he retained ownership of this beloved GTC/4 up until his unfortunate passing in October of 2020, after which it was inherited by his son, the consignor. Mr. de la Vega was a passionate Ferrari collector who, according to the consignor, met Enzo Ferrari himself at the factory in 1954 after acquiring a 1952 Ferrari 212 in Italy—a car which, like the GTC/4, he also kept until his passing.

Finished in factory-correct Rosso Nearco over Beige Connolly leather, the car features a correct Blaupunkt AM/FM radio with cassette player and factory, star-pattern, alloy wheels. In November 2021, a new MSD Ignition and spark plugs were installed, according to a service invoice that accompanies the sale. Also included are a center-lock wrench, knock-off hammer, and the Massini report.