The 365 GTB/4 was introduced at the 1968 Paris Salon as the replacement to the legendary 275 GTB/4. It featured dramatic new lines penned by Leonardi Fioravanti at Pininfarina, and it quickly picked up the nickname “Daytona” from Ferrari’s dramatic 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. While it looked remarkably different from the outgoing 275, the design was considered to be nothing short of groundbreaking, and it would set the tone for Ferrari styling for years to come. At that time, Lamborghini had already introduced the mid-engine Miura to great acclaim, and many believed that all high-performance supercars of the future would be mid-engined. With the introduction of the Daytona, it was clear that Ferrari decided to stick to what made them famous for their next V-12 road car, asserting that the front engine/rear drive layout could still produce cutting-edge performance.

Lurking under the car’s hood was an all-new 4.4-liter, V-12 engine that gave the Daytona more than enough performance to back up its breathtaking looks. The engine was topped with six Weber carburetors, allowing for the Daytona to produce 352 horsepower with 315 foot-pounds of torque at 7,500 rpm. Its performance was incredible, as it could rocket to a top speed of 174 mph after reaching 60 mph in 5.4 seconds from a standstill. That top speed was 3 mph faster than the Miura P400, making it the world’s fastest production car at the time of its unveiling.

When new, the Daytona was praised by both customers and the motoring press alike, and perhaps one of the most well-known quotes about the Daytona’s performance came from noted racing driver and later automotive journalist Paul Frere. After reportedly taking the Daytona to 176 mph on the Italian autostrada in 1969, he commented that the radio was useless past 120 mph. He further noted that “if you go faster, it’s the engine that makes the music, the finest music of all to the ears of the enthusiast, and the music he can enjoy in a well-sprung car, fitted with such amenities as electric window lifters, air conditioning…and a really capacious luggage locker—a grand touring car par excellence.” This was great praise from a man who was certainly very familiar with Ferraris, as he took 1st overall, with Olivier Gendenbien, for Scuderia in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he drove a 250 TR 59/60.

The Daytona remained in production through 1973, and 1,284 examples were produced in total, making it one of the most successful models the company had ever produced. Sadly, this would be the traditional Ferrari grand tourer for quite some time, as it was replaced by the 365 GT4 BB, which bore a mid-mounted, flat 12-cylinder engine.

According to noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, chassis number 16571 was completed on July 4, 1973, and was finished in Argento Auteuil (106-E-1) over a Pelle Nera interior (VM 8500), as it exists to this very day. In October of that year, it was delivered to the United States and Ferrari’s West Coast distributor, William Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada. Two months later, it was purchased and subsequently delivered to James A Carelli, a dentist living in Coral Springs, Florida. Just nine months into Carelli’s ownership, it is noted that 16571’s original engine was replaced under warranty in August 1974. While the specific reason for the engine replacement is unknown, it is believed that the replacement was performed with under 7,000 miles on both the chassis and engine.

Carelli kept and continued to use his Daytona until 1974, when he decided to finally part ways with it. He listed the car for sale in his local newspaper in March 1975, and at that time, Roger Jones, of Newport Beach, California, was on a business trip in Coral Springs and saw Carelli’s listing for his Daytona, which stated an asking price of $20,000 and listed 7,300 miles on the car’s odometer. Jones negotiated a purchase price of $19,900 with Carelli, and he came back to Florida the following month to formally pick up and purchase the car.

Instead of opting to have the car shipped home to Laguna Beach, Jones and his fiancée decided to drive the car some 2,750 miles home, making a stop in Las Vegas on the way and enjoying their new Daytona exactly as its creators would have wanted. For the next 33 years, the car resided with Jones in lovely Southern California. By the time Jones finally sold chassis number 16571, the car had just over 20,500 miles showing on the odometer, and all have been precisely documented.

In December 2008, the car was purchased, and it received a minor mechanical service in early 2009. In April of last year, Ferrari Classiche certified chassis number 16571 as being fully authentic. At the same time, they stamped the car’s current original-type engine with the original numbers the car was delivered with, providing their seal of approval and authenticity, as it is identical to the unit delivered with the car in all respects and has been with the car for the vast majority of its life. The car is accompanied by its Classiche certification and a very extensive history file, which features service records that date back to 1973 and a letter from Carelli to Jones, documenting the purchase of the car. In July 2013, the car was treated to a 100-point inspection and complete service by Ferrari of Beverly Hills. At that time, the starter and alternator were both rebuilt. According to Graziano Negroni, respected shop foreman at the service department of Ferrari of Beverly Hills, “16571 is the most pure and preserved Daytona I have had the chance to experience.” Additionally, the car was recently road-tested to 120 mph, and it performed flawlessly at speed.

The Daytona is without a doubt one of the most iconic Ferraris of all time. It is renowned for its speed, power, and its reputation of being one of the marque’s finest grand tourers. With only three owners, under 22,000 miles on its odometer, and Ferrari Classiche certification to its name (including the important Red Book), this Daytona would be an excellent candidate for concours events or long-distance, high-speed touring. Compared to the 275 GTB/4, which regularly commands million-dollar prices, such a superb Daytona represents outstanding value.