The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, universally known as the Daytona, is one of the most important front-engined V12 grand tourers ever produced by Maranello. With its 4.4-litre Colombo V12, six Weber carburettors, five-speed transaxle and dramatic Pininfarina styling, it represents the culmination of Ferrari’s great front-engine berlinettas of the 1960s and early 1970s.
This particular Ferrari has been sold and remains in the Giro Classico archive as part of our experience with important twelve-cylinder collector cars.
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Ferrari introduced the 365 GTB/4 at the 1968 Paris Motor Show as the successor to the 275 GTB/4.
Its engineering followed a classic Ferrari formula:
- front-mounted 4.4-litre V12
- six twin-choke Weber carburettors
- five-speed manual transaxle
- rear-wheel drive
- four-wheel independent suspension
- ventilated disc brakes
- Pininfarina-designed berlinetta body
With approximately 350 hp and a top speed approaching 280 km/h, the Daytona was among the fastest road cars of its generation.
Yet the model’s importance goes beyond performance. It represents the final great expression of Ferrari’s traditional front-engine V12 berlinetta philosophy before the company moved its flagship twelve-cylinder road cars to a mid-engine layout.
Why is it called the Ferrari Daytona?
“Daytona” was never the official Ferrari model designation.
The correct factory name is Ferrari 365 GTB/4, but the Daytona nickname became permanently associated with the car following Ferrari’s famous 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona.
Today, both searches are highly relevant:
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 for technical and collector accuracy, and Ferrari Daytona because it is the name most enthusiasts and buyers use internationally.
The 4.4-litre Colombo V12
At the heart of the Daytona is a development of Gioachino Colombo’s legendary V12 architecture.
The 4,390 cc engine uses:
- twelve cylinders
- four overhead camshafts
- six Weber carburettors
- dry-sump lubrication
- approximately 350 hp
Its character is fundamental to the Daytona experience: substantial torque at lower speeds followed by the increasingly urgent response and mechanical sound of a large naturally aspirated Ferrari V12.
The engine is paired with a rear-mounted five-speed transaxle, helping improve weight distribution and giving the Daytona the balanced high-speed behaviour expected from a serious Grand Tourer.
Pininfarina design by Leonardo Fioravanti
The Daytona was designed at Pininfarina under Leonardo Fioravanti, with bodies constructed by Scaglietti.
Its proportions remain immediately recognisable:
- extremely long bonnet
- compact passenger compartment
- muscular rear haunches
- fastback tail
- retractable headlights on later cars
Unlike many contemporary supercars that were moving toward a mid-engine wedge shape, the Daytona retained traditional front-engine proportions while making them dramatically more modern.
That combination has helped the design age exceptionally well.
A Ferrari built for long-distance driving
Despite its supercar performance, the Daytona was conceived as a genuine Gran Turismo.
Its qualities included:
- powerful naturally aspirated V12
- substantial luggage capacity
- stable high-speed handling
- comfortable two-seat cabin
- long gearing
- strong cross-country performance
This dual personality remains central to its appeal. A correctly prepared Daytona can feel equally appropriate on a mountain road, an international tour or in a significant Ferrari collection.
Why the Ferrari Daytona is highly collectible
The Daytona brings together almost every characteristic associated with investment-grade classic Ferrari collecting:
- naturally aspirated Colombo V12
- manual gearbox
- six Weber carburettors
- Pininfarina design
- Scaglietti construction
- limited production
- front-engine/rear-drive layout
- transaxle engineering
- major place in Ferrari history
Most importantly, the Daytona represents an end-of-an-era Ferrari.
After the 365 GTB/4, Ferrari’s twelve-cylinder flagship architecture moved toward the rear-mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer family. It would take more than two decades before a front-engined V12 berlinetta again occupied the heart of Ferrari’s road-car range.
What to inspect before buying a Ferrari Daytona
A Daytona should always receive specialist due diligence before purchase.
Important checks include:
- chassis number and identity
- engine and gearbox numbers
- factory build specification
- body originality
- previous accident repairs
- aluminium and steel panel condition
- corrosion
- Weber carburettors
- dry-sump system
- cooling system
- transaxle
- differential
- suspension and brakes
- Borrani or alloy-wheel specification
- interior originality
- books and tools
- service and restoration documentation
- Ferrari factory or specialist historical records
At this level of the market, provenance, originality and quality of restoration can materially change value.
A cosmetically attractive Daytona with uncertain identity or poor structural repairs can be far less desirable than an honest, properly documented car.
Matching numbers and factory specification
Matching-number status is particularly important on a Ferrari 365 GTB/4.
Engine, gearbox and chassis information should be checked against available Ferrari records, while colours, interior trim and factory equipment should also be researched.
Equally important is understanding any work completed during the car’s life.
A quality restoration does not diminish a Daytona when it is:
- properly documented
- historically correct
- carried out by recognised specialists
- respectful of the original body and mechanical components
Transparency is essential.
An important note regarding the year of this car
Before making major changes to this page, I would verify the production year from the chassis number and Ferrari documentation.
The indexed URL identifies the car as a 1973 Ferrari 365 Daytona, while Giro Classico’s current company archive lists a previously handled 1972 Ferrari 365 Daytona.
This may simply reflect a difference between production date, registration year or an older editorial entry, but for a Ferrari of this importance the year should be completely consistent across:
- H1
- SEO Title
- specifications
- body copy
- structured data
For now, retaining 1973 in the page H1 and SEO metadata protects continuity with the existing URL, while avoiding unsupported chassis-specific statements until the records are checked.
This Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona has been sold
This specific Ferrari Daytona is no longer available.
The page should remain indexed because it can attract valuable searches around:
- Ferrari Daytona for sale
- Ferrari 365 GTB/4
- Ferrari Daytona value
- Ferrari Daytona buying guide
- classic Ferrari V12
- Ferrari Daytona restoration
- Ferrari Daytona sourcing
Rather than treating a sold car as a dead inventory page, it should work as an authority page capable of generating high-value Ferrari acquisition and brokerage enquiries.
Looking for a front-engined V12 Ferrari currently available?
For a collector attracted by the Daytona’s fundamental formula, the strongest current Giro Classico alternative is the 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello.
Discover the 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello currently available at Giro Classico
The connection is historically significant.
When Ferrari introduced the 550 Maranello in 1996, it returned its major twelve-cylinder berlinetta to the classic:
front-engine + rear-wheel drive + manual gearbox
layout for which cars such as the 365 GTB/4 had become famous.
The current Giro Classico 550 Maranello is finished in rare Nero DS 1250 over Grigio Scuro 4302, uses the desirable gated six-speed manual gearbox and has a documented ownership and Ferrari service history. It is currently offered on a Price on Request basis.
For a collector who loves the Daytona philosophy but wants considerably greater usability, the 550 is one of the most logical modern-classic Ferraris to consider.
Daytona or Ferrari 550 Maranello?
Separated by more than twenty years, they nevertheless share an unusually strong conceptual relationship.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona offers:
- 4.4-litre carburettor V12
- five-speed manual transaxle
- classic Pininfarina design
- minimal driver assistance
- established blue-chip collector status
The Ferrari 550 Maranello offers:
- naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V12
- gated six-speed manual gearbox
- front-engine/rear-drive architecture
- substantially greater usability
- analogue modern-classic character
- increasing collector recognition
The 550 should therefore be one of the principal commercial links on this page, not merely an unrelated Ferrari recommendation.
From Daytona to Berlinetta Boxer
The other essential Ferrari link is the 1979 Ferrari 512 BB Carburettor currently available at Giro Classico.
Discover the 1979 Ferrari 512 BB Carburettor currently available at Giro Classico
The historical sequence is important:
365 GTB/4 Daytona → 365 GT4 BB → 512 BB → 512 BBi
The Berlinetta Boxer era marked Ferrari’s move from the Daytona’s traditional front-engine architecture to a rear-mid-engined twelve-cylinder flagship.
Giro Classico’s current 1979 512 BB is one of 929 carburettor-equipped examples, retaining its matching-numbers engine and gearbox, original first-equipment Nero leather interior and original steering wheel. A Ferrari Car Expertise completed in May 2026 further documents the car’s mechanical and structural integrity. It is offered on a Price on Request basis.
Read the Giro Classico Ferrari 512 BB guide
This creates an exceptionally strong internal Ferrari V12 cluster:
Daytona → 512 BB → 550 Maranello
covering the evolution from classic front-engine GT, through the mid-engine Boxer era, to Ferrari’s return to the front-engined V12 berlinetta.
Looking specifically for another Ferrari Daytona?
Finding the right 365 GTB/4 requires considerably more than searching advertised cars.
Giro Classico can assist with:
- Ferrari Daytona private sourcing
- off-market opportunities
- chassis and drivetrain verification
- provenance research
- restoration assessment
- Ferrari historical documentation
- market valuation
- pre-purchase inspection
- negotiation
- discreet brokerage
- international import and export
For high-value Ferraris, this due-diligence process can be particularly important because authenticity, provenance and restoration history may represent substantial differences in both purchase price and future collector value. Giro Classico’s advisory and brokerage services specifically cover acquisition strategy, provenance research, inspections, valuation, discreet transactions and international logistics.
Discover Giro Classico’s Private Brokerage service for important collector cars
For further information regarding sourcing a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, evaluating an individual car, verifying provenance or arranging a confidential acquisition, or regarding the Ferrari 550 Maranello and Ferrari 512 BB currently available, please contact us directly.
Because in the end, we never truly own these cars, we simply preserve them for the next generation.
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