To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Arizona event, 17 - 18
January 2019.
Estimate:
$2,200,000 - $2,600,000
- Ferrari Classiche certified; retains its original engine and
gearbox
- The 90th of only 121 examples built
- Restored in its original color combination by a marque
expert
- Odometer currently displaying less than 34,500 miles
- Documented by marque historian Marcel Massini
- Striking example of Maranello's iconic front-engine V-12
spider
Without a doubt, the 365 GTS/4 spider holds a unique cachet among
Ferrari's vintage front-engine V-12 roadsters, combining rarity and
beautiful design with an important perch in the manufacturer's
engineering genealogy.
Ferrari announced the 365 GTB/4 berlinetta in 1968, introducing
Leonardo Fioravanti's famed shark-nose design in a stop-gap effort
while the forthcoming rear-engine flat-12 remained a work in
progress. That the model was nicknamed "Daytona" in honor of the
company's dominating 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona
has become a point of legend, even if the name was not officially
sanctioned by Enzo Ferrari.
But the Daytona, the marque's first 4.3-liter dual-overhead cam
road car, took on a particularly handsome visage when the top was
removed. The striking GTS/4 spider was introduced at the 1969
Frankfurt Salon. Endowed with a purity of line and stance, the new
spider's collectability was instantly assured when only 121
examples were produced. As the final front-engine open Ferrari to
feature a derivation of Giaocchino Colombo's classic short-block
V-12, the Daytona spider was the ultimate evolution of 20 years of
development, the final hereditary successor of an entire generation
of vintage Ferraris.
Chassis no. 16839 is the 90th of those few 121 spiders built, and
the 65th example of 96 cars specified for retail in the U.S.
Equipped with air conditioning, a Becker radio, and instruments in
miles, as well as American-specification safety and emissions
components, the Daytona was finished in Giallo Fly and upholstered
in Nero vaumol leather. The car is believed to be one of just 16
examples sold in the U.S. to feature the striking combination.
The Ferrari completed factory assembly in March 1973 and was
distributed to William Harrah's Modern Classic Motors in Reno,
Nevada. Purchased new by James Nute of Dearborn, Michigan, the
Daytona was presented in May 1974 at the 12th Annual FCA Meet held
at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia. In 1976 the car was sold to
Atlanta-based dealer Jim Southard, and from there it passed to two
more dealers before being purchased in 1978 by Fred Johl, a German
living in California. His brother, Armin Johl, was a marque
collector better known for a successful leather manufacturing
business.
Fred Johl registered the Ferrari with California tags bearing his
nickname, "ITZER," but imported the car to Germany, where it
participated in the Ferrari Owners Club meet at the N�rburgring in
June 1980, and the AvD-Oldtimer-Grand Prix at the N�rburgring in
August 1982. In 1986 the spider was acquired by Kay Bradford of
Villanova, Pennsylvania, and he retained possession for three years
before selling the car to Gerald Bowes of Philadelphia, at which
point the odometer displayed 29,132 miles. Mr. Bowes presented the
Daytona in June 1990 at the Sixth Annual Reading Concours
d'Elegance at Reading, Pennsylvania, winning a class award, and
kept the car for three more years before selling.
Gary Schaevitz of Katonah, New York, then bought the Daytona in
1993, and two years later it passed to Dean Becker, the owner of an
eponymous beeper company. Chassis 16839 was briefly owned by at
least one more American owner before being purchased in April 1999
by the world-renowned collector Sir Anthony Bamford of
Stoke-on-Trent, England, and he commissioned the esteemed marque
expert Terry Hoyle to conduct a full cosmetic restoration that
included repainting and reupholstering the car in its original
factory color scheme. The opportunity was also taken to convert the
coachwork and safety equipment to European specifications, which
included modifying the lamps, removing the emissions components,
and adjusting the front and rear bumpers. The air conditioner was
also replaced with a correct factory-specification unit.
Though the beautifully restored Daytona remained in the UK for some
time, it was purchased in 2001 by Los Angeles Times publisher Otis
Chandler for inclusion in his local museum, and then traded to Joel
Finn of Connecticut, to whom it was then delivered from England. In
2006, the minimally driven spider was sold to the consignor. During
his ownership the car has continued to enjoy a life of modest use
and dutiful maintenance as needed while being domiciled in a
climate-controlled garage.
In November 2007 the spider was authenticated by Ferrari Classiche
(in original U.S. specification) confirming that all major
mechanical equipment remains intact and original. The car has
experienced almost no significant activity of note over the past 13
years, with the exception of presentation at the Concorso Italiano
in Seaside, California, in August 2018. Two months later the
Daytona was treated to a thorough inspection and servicing by
Ferrari of Beverly Hills, at which time the air, cabin, and oil
filters were replaced, and the fluids were flushed and
replaced.
Currently displaying approximately 34,302 miles, less than 4,500
miles over the last 26 years, this breathtaking 365 GTS/4 offers an
outstanding degree of originality as confirmed by the factory
authentication. Daytona Spiders do not frequently become publicly
available, and this example is further distinguished by the rare
fly giallo on nero combination, which was featured on only 16
U.S.-delivery examples. Currently presented in European
specification, the minimally driven Daytona Spider displays
outstanding fit and finish, and is ideal for presentation at major
concours d'elegance and marque events, a superlative acquisition
for any sports car enthusiast.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az19.
