A noted paragon of 20th-century sportscar design, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona set a new benchmark for engineering and styling. With a singular exterior shape that was unlike anything else in Ferrari’s design history, the model instantly established a special cachet amongst the marque’s vintage front-engine V-12 berlinettas, and it remains highly celebrated today.

Announced in 1968, the 365 GTB/4 marked Ferrari’s first use of a 4.3-liter dual-overhead-cam engine in a road car. That the model was nicknamed “Daytona” in honor of Ferrari’s dominating 1-2-3 podium sweep at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona has become a point of legend, even if the name was not officially sanctioned by Enzo Ferrari.

Clothed in Leonardo Fioravanti’s revolutionary shark-nose coachwork, the 365 GTB/4 was actually a stopgap effort that surprised everyone with its sheer success while a forthcoming rear-engine flat-12 model remained in development. It would be the last of Ferrari’s great front-engine grand touring machines for over 20 years, an exclamatory statement of power and style that capped a now-legendary tradition.

With a staggering output of 352 horsepower, the 365 GTB/4 dethroned the Lamborghini Miura as the world’s fastest production car. Utilizing dry-sump lubrication that enabled a lower placement of the engine, a five-speed transaxle that provided ideal 50/50 weight distribution, and all-wheel independent suspension, the Daytona offered crisp handling characteristics at speed. Wide wheels with superior tire contact and four-wheel disc brakes rounded out a superb all-around package that eventually proved worthy of competition applications. As the final front-engine Ferrari to feature a derivation of Gioacchino Colombo’s classic short-block V-12, the Daytona was the ultimate evolution of 20 years of development, constituting the triumphant conclusion of a generation of vintage Ferraris.

Boasting a comprehensive restoration by one of the world’s most respected marque specialists, including a refinish in its rare original paint color of Blu Dino, this Berlinetta is a particularly striking example of the venerable Daytona model. According to the research of marque expert Marcel Massini, chassis number 15229 completed assembly in March 1972, specified for the European market with left-hand drive and instruments in kilometers. The car is notably one of only 116 examples that were factory-finished in Blu Dino paint.

After being distributed to SVEA, an official Ferrari dealer in Bari, Italy, the GTB/4 was purchased by William Valentini of nearby Cosenza. In 1974 the Ferrari was exported to the United States, and two years later it was offered by Elvidio Grande’s Pittsburgh-based Auto Palace. The Daytona was then sold to Dr. Elias Saadi, a cardiologist residing in Youngstown, Ohio. Dr. Saadi retained possession until 1999, accounting for an impressive 23-year period of single-owner care, and during his custody the coachwork was refinished in rosso.

In January 1999, the Ferrari passed into a short chain of two California-based owners before being sold to an enthusiast in Virginia in February 2004. By this time the car had undergone some mechanical freshening, including a rebuild of the carburetors, transaxle, and rear suspension. In 2012 the owner commissioned Rod Drew of Francorchamps in America to rebuild the engine and transaxle.

After six years of steady care, the owner offered the Ferrari at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale in March 2018, and it was then acquired by the consignor. The owner quickly commissioned

a comprehensive restoration by the specialists at the highly esteemed GTO Engineering that was performed at the company’s locations in both Los Angeles and Great Britain, as demonstrated by invoices on file. At GTO Los Angeles in 2018, the Ferrari received an upgraded electric steering kit, and the carburetors, rear shock absorbers, and brake booster were rebuilt. A new engine mount was installed, the exhaust manifolds were repaired, and the camshafts were adjusted. Most importantly, the matching-numbers V-12 engine was rebuilt, including the installation of new pistons.

In 2019 the GTB/4 was shipped to the United Kingdom for work by Mark Lyon, the late founder of GTO Engineering. This bout of restoration included a full chassis rebuild, during which the removed body was treated to a refinish in the original factory color of Blu Dino. The interior was re-trimmed at great expense in proper tan hides with black Daytona seat inserts, the leather components being sourced from the highly reputable HVL in the Netherlands, known for producing the highest quality period-correct reproduction leather.

A handful of tasteful upgrades were undertaken for enhanced drivability, including the installation of LED bulbs in the instruments and a conversion to Xenon high-intensity-discharge headlamps, which vastly improve usability at night. Since this masterful restoration, the Daytona has barely been driven, solely being admired in the confines of the consignor’s private collection.

It is important to note that mechanical stampings confirm that this Ferrari retains its factory-equipped matching-numbers V-12 engine and transaxle. With the proper mechanical equipment in place and having been expertly refinished in the rare original paint color of Blu Dino with the HVL-sourced leather interior, this uniquely beautiful Daytona would surely make a strong impression at Ferrari Club of America gatherings and regional concours d’elegance. Or the future caretaker can enjoy the powerful V-12 at speed, where the Daytona’s legendary drive characteristics are sure to provide countless thrills.