Although the factory never had any intentions to campaign the Daytona at the outset of the car’s production run, there were a number of privateers who had other plans with Ferrari’s newest grand tourer. As the fastest production car the world had ever seen, there was little doubt that the Daytona would succeed on the track, but apparently that fell on deaf ears at Maranello. That list of privateers reads like a proverbial “who’s who” of Ferrari distributors of the 1960s and 1970s, including Charles Pozzi, Colonel R.J. Hoare, Jacques Swaters, Georges Filipinetti, and Luigi Chinetti, all with decades of motorsport experience and saw the Daytona’s incredible potential on the track. If the Daytona would not be raced by the factory itself, these men certainly had the experience, connections, and wherewithal to bring the Daytona to the track and compete at the highest levels of international motorsport.

History proved that the Daytona would be a formidable contender in endurance racing. Chinetti ran a Daytona that year, finishing 12th overall, 5th in class, with Harley Cluxton and Bob Grossman at the wheel. The Daytona would fare even better the following year for N.A.R.T., finishing 2nd and 3rd in class at Sebring, and 2nd and 5th in class at the 24 hours of Le Mans, part of a 5th through 9th overall sweep for the model, hammering home the Daytona’s performance credentials.

Chassis 14115 falls firmly within the range of competition-specification Daytonas that were campaigned during the 1972 racing season. Original documentation tracked down by the consignor confirms this Daytona’s fascinating story. It was ordered by racing driver and Ferrari dealer Gordon Tatum and delivered though Luigi Chinetti with the intention of competing at Sebring, as evidenced by the factory invoice and shipping and order form, noting “Chinetti Sebring” and “special preparation for competition,” respectively. The car was purchased by Tatum on behalf of his client, Gregory Richter. However, when the car arrived stateside, it was never delivered to Richter and instead kept by Tatum, who began additional preparation for competition.

Upon placing his order, Richter had been allocated chassis 14115 as a standard, U.S.-specification road-going Daytona, a car which he intended on keeping for himself. Needless to say, Richter was furious when he discovered that his car was not only on U.S. soil, but also retained by Tatum for his own use in racing, and not the road car he had specifically ordered. As a result, he immediately took Tatum to court over his undelivered Daytona. Unfortunately, as a result of being tied up in legal proceedings, our subject car would never see a day on the track.

It can be argued that if this Daytona saw competition with Chinetti’s team, it could very well have produced similar results to the other cars campaigned by Chinetti and his European contemporaries. Of course, the rarity of these competition-specification Daytonas is not something that can be understated. Out of the 1,383 examples built by the time Daytona production had concluded, only 15 cars were prepared for competition within three different series by the factory, while an additional nine cars were recognized as being converted for competition in period.

Richter sold the car and it remained on the east coast with two more owners until 1981, when it was sold to Peter J. Van Dyck of Los Gatos, California. By 1984, the car passed to Mansour Ojjeh, the CEO of the TAG group, which told owns 25 percent of the McLaren Group and has always remained actively involved in motorsports. Ojjeh allegedly kept the car in California and it remained with him until 2001, when it was sold to Simon Rubin of Belair.

Chassis 14115 was imported into Canada in 2004 when it was purchased by Kevan Dutchak of Toronto, and was then purchased by its current Canadian custodian. Restored over the course of five years to “as-intended” competition specifications, it presents just as it would have if it were to compete at Sebring, an opportunity that the car unfortunately never had. Festooned in N.A.R.T. livery and fitted with side pipes, a rollbar, racing harnesses, and Plexiglas headlight covers, but without flared fenders, the car now beckons its next owner to finally take it to the track, where it was intended to spend its early days. Furthermore, the car is offered with a tool roll.

Undoubtedly one of the most interesting Daytonas offered in recent memory, 14115’s status as a competition-specification Daytona is bulletproof, as a handful of original documents from Ferrari and Luigi Chinetti are present within the file, confirming its intended build specifications. It remains highly eligible for a number of motorsport events worldwide where it would certainly be the center of attention, for not only its startling performance, but also for its fascinating and unique story.

This Daytona is offered with a significant and extensive history file. Interested parties are encouraged to refer to an RM Sotheby’s specialist as well as visit our Access the Knowledge desk onsite to inspect the documentation prior to the sale.