THE FERRARI 365 GTB/4 “DAYTONA”

Ferrari first pulled the cover off the new 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta at the Paris Salon in 1968 to great acclaim. Equipped with an all-new 4.4-liter V-12 engine that was capable of producing 352 horsepower and 315 foot-pounds of torque at 7,500 rpm, the 365 GTB/4 was capable of a top speed of 174 mph, making it the fastest production car the world had ever seen. After its introduction, the car quickly gained the nickname “Daytona” from Ferrari’s incredible 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona the year before.

In terms of styling, the Daytona was a drastic step forward from the 275 GTB/4. Gone were the voluptuous curves of the car’s Pininfarina design for Ferrari in the 1950s and 1960s. Leonardo Fioravanti’s design for the Daytona was much more angular and aggressive than the car it replaced, yet it still resonated with Ferrari’s existing customers and proved to be an instant hit.

While Daytonas were becoming more frequently seen out and about in Europe toward the beginning of the 1970s, American enthusiasts were still waiting for their chance to own Ferrari’s next great V-12 grand tourer, and it wasn’t until the spring of 1970 that the Daytona would finally make its way to the new world.

BILL HARRAH’S OWN DAYTONA

Ferrari cognoscenti will be quick to note that chassis number 13361 is a very early chassis number in the overall scheme of U.S.-specification Daytona production. That is because the very car pictured here was the U.S.-specification prototype. As such, it was the second Daytona imported into the United States (following chassis number 13205). It was completed by the factory on April 20, 1970, finished in Rosso Chiaro (20-R-190) over a Nero (VM 8500) leather interior. As such, it is also important to note that it was fitted with Plexiglas-covered headlamps and without the requisite emissions or safety equipment fitted to later Daytonas sold new in the U.S.

While chassis number 13205 was delivered to Chinetti Motors on the East Coast, chassis 13361 would head further west to Bill Harrah’s West Coast distributorship, Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada.

Of course, as a major car collector himself, it was only natural that Harrah opted to keep the first Daytona that arrived at his dealership for himself. It is believed that Harrah used this Daytona as his personal car for a period of time. Not only did chassis number 13361 capture Harrah’s heart, but it also undoubtedly wowed enthusiasts all over the United States when it was featured on the cover of Road & Track magazine in October 1970. In the magazine, it is seen fitted with Harrah’s personal Nevada -2- license plate, and the magazine notes its Harrah ownership.

After leaving Harrah’s ownership, the car was retrofitted with the later and more desirable flip-up headlamps, and it is believed that it then remained on the West Coast for its entire life. In the early 1990s, the car was purchased by Ferrari collector William H. Tilley, of Los Angeles, California. The car was occasionally used on the road by Tilley and was maintained by Fast Cars Ltd., of Redondo Beach.

Following Tilley’s passing in November 2012, the car was sold the following year to its current owner, who opted to fully restore the car to its original, historic, as-delivered configuration. Most importantly, its later hidden headlamps were replaced with correct Plexiglas headlight coverings. Refinished in its original color combination of Rosso Chiaro over a Nero leather interior, the car is accompanied by a complete set of books and tools, as well as a full restoration file complete with receipts and photographs of the restoration process. Furthermore, it is a matching-numbers example and has been submitted for Ferrari Classiche certification.

Simply put, chassis number 13361 is truly one of the most important and special Daytonas in existence, due to its status as the U.S.-specification prototype, provenance with renowned American tifosi Bill Harrah, and appearance on the cover of Road & Track. Boasting a recently completed concours-level restoration that brought the car back to its original standards, it is undoubtedly one of the very best Daytonas that money can buy—as impressive today as when it crossed the Nevada deserts and appeared on newsstands nationwide.