First Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Prototype

We’ve featured some pretty rare and awesome vehicles on the pages of The Coolector but probably none as rare nor awesome as this First Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Prototype that is going under the hammer in one of Sotheby’s Sealed Auctions. Understandably, Sotheby’s Sealed is pretty delighted to be able to offer the very first prototype of the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona.

Completed in early 1967, this prototype expertly bridges the gap between the 275 GTB/4 and the 365 GTB/4 and is one of the rarest vehicles to have gone under the hammer with the auction house. It is powered by a completely unique 4.4-litre Tipo 243 V-12 engine and has an impressive visual impact courtesy of its Pininfarina-designed bodywork. This lot was used extensively for testing by Ferrari in 1967 before being sold privately.

Offered for sale after twenty years of single-family ownership, this very first Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Prototype has been painstakingly restored by Dutch-based Ferrari specialists, subsequently being awarded Best of Show at the 2016 Concours d’Elegance Paleis Het Loo Apeldoorn. Classiche certified and previously shown at Museo Ferrari, this is a significant piece of Ferrari lore that would be the fundamental piece in any Ferrari collector’s line up.

This historically important lot was the genesis of that new model of Ferraris and the Scuderia’s fighting back against the Lamborghini and the Miura. To the casual observer, the car on offer here seems to tread the line between a 275 GTB/4 and a 365 GTB/4 Daytona but subtle visual cues to both can be seen and some design elements seem to have blended together, but this car is far more than a design study to determine Ferrari’s future and excitement surrounding this lot is pretty high.

Chassis number 10287 sits slap bang in the middle of two of Ferrari’s most iconic models; the 275 GTB/4 and the 365 GTB/4. Both mechanically and visually, it remains unique yet instantly recognizable as the transition between the two models. Combining a one-off powerplant and styling that echoes elements of both the standard production 275 GTB/4 and 365 GTB/4, it offers the very best of both cars with its own fascinating story to tell.

see more at sotheby’s sealed