A story about a racing Daytona in Cavallino magazine expressed the spirit of the car eloquently: “A Daytona at full clip was a sight to behold, mean looking and muscled, weaving dramatically on its overworked suspension, shaking and darting under heavy braking in a corner, literally pushing air and dirt aside, leaving a wake and making its own weather, loud as hell and scattering birds to the four winds.”

Only the prototype Daytona Coupe was built by Pininfarina, with the rest bodied by Scaglietti. The Spider was introduced at the Frankfurt Salon of 1969. Ferrari historians agree that there were 1,406 Daytonas built between 1968 and 1973, including 121 factory-built spiders. Seven of the spiders were right-hand drive, as were 158 of the coupes. There were 15 factory competition cars and five others built to similar specifications for private owners.

The late Dean Batchelor, automotive historian and author, once wrote, “When the Daytona first came out, Ferrari enthusiasts and the motoring press seemed divided about its appearance. Ten years later, those who liked it love it, and those who didn't like it, do so now.”

Ferrari expert Steve Ahlgrim expands on that opinion. He says, “I think that statement can be taken a step further by adding that many enthusiasts who are just lukewarm to the Daytona Coupe love the Daytona Spider, and those who love the Coupe can be pushed over the edge by the Spider.”

Chassis 16857 is the 92nd of 121 factory-built Daytona Spiders. It is Ferrari Classiche certified, and it has documented service history to 21,054 miles, with Classiche documents and binder included in the sale. This Spider was delivered new to the Chinetti-Garthwaite Organization on July 17, 1974, and then it was sold to Ben H. Bryant, a fight promoter in Shaker Heights, Ohio, who paid $30,000 for it. Chassis 16857 was finished in Blu Dino 106-A-72 with Beige interior VM 3234.

Bryant kept 16857 until April 26, 1986, having it repainted in red and fitted with a tan leather interior. It was eventually acquired by Cochran Water Mill Properties in Oklahoma City. While under restoration, the car subsequently sold to Sid Ferris in Portland, Oregon, before it was acquired by Eiichi Ida in Tokyo.

By 1992, the car is known to have acquired about 20,000 miles and was purchased by Jerome Sullivan, of Vero Beach, California. The next spring, on February 12, 1994, Sullivan showed 16857 at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic Concours at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, where it won its class. The Cavallino Classic is widely recognized as North America’s preeminent Ferrari event, with a select number of the world’s finest vintage Ferraris on display annually. As such, a class-win by this Daytona Spider may be considered a tremendous achievement.

In the late-1990s, the car was sent to Wayne Obry’s shop in Wisconsin, where it was taken down to bare metal and completely restored to be correct and laser straight. Despite the car’s excellent condition, modern restoration standards have never been higher, and Mr. Obry was perfectly suited to the task. The chrome was re-plated, all lights and lenses were replaced with NOS parts, the Borrani wire wheels were refinished, and correct Michelin XWX tires were fitted.

The interior was reupholstered in its original tan leather with black leather seat inserts, the dash was disassembled and rebuilt, and the door panels and carpets were replaced. The V-12 engine was completely rebuilt, and all of the finished underhood details were done to factory standards and still present as such today. The ATE brake system, Magnetti Marelli ignition, and FIAMM horns were correctly restored and rebuilt to be delivery fresh. Underneath, every suspension part was re-plated or recoated. In September 1998, 16857 was sold by Sullivan to Adrian Hamilton in the UK. Subsequent ownership in Chicago followed, as did a freshening at Autosprint Limited in 2006. Now showing 21,077 miles on the odometer, 16857 was acquired by Don Davis around 2008 and has been properly maintained in his world-class collection ever since, with a very crisp, clean overall presentation that shows barely any sign of age.

Chassis 16857 comes with its original factory-supplied leather book pouch, handbook, U.S.A. supplement, warranty card, service book, delivery card, and consumer information booklet. Also included are the original leather tool roll with correct tools, the jack bag, and the jack. The Ferrari Classiche Program Inspection report accompanies the car and confirms that the body, engine, transaxle, and all other major parts are original and undamaged.

As one of only a handful of 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spiders to have been built, this car confers on its owner the exclusivity reflected by a car whose looks and performance remain world class. Coupled with complete records and Ferrari’s own seal of approval, it’s hard to imagine a more desirable example available anywhere.