www.QV500.com - Ferrari Daytona Part 1: 365 GTB/4 & GTS/4
 
The 365 Daytona is generally regarded as one of Ferrari's greatest ever GT's. A combination of its enormous performance, stunning Pininfarina bodywork and a place in history as the last front-engined Ferrari GT that Fiat had no hand in means it occupies a special place in Maranello history. The world famous Daytona name was unofficially conjured up by the press in recognition of the firms stunning 1-2-3 victory at 1967's Daytona 24 Hours. Rumours persist though that Ferrari were actually intending to name their new model as such, but having been beaten to it, they never officially used this evocative title themselves.
   
The Daytona was a stopgap model between Ferrari's outgoing 275 GTB/4 and their mid-engined 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, the development of which was running well behind schedule. Also influenced by the fact they were beginning to suffer a number of financial problems, Ferrari decided to produce what was essentially an updated version of an existing model. However, despite the troubled background to its inception, Daytona's themselves were in no way affected, Ferrari producing what became the definitive GT of its time. A traditional welded tubular steel chassis designated Tipo 605 bore many similarities to the Tipo 596 of the 275 GTB/4, including its 2400mm wheelbase. Some important developments were made though, Tipo 605 frames most obviously having their inner tub now formed from glassfibre. A family lineage extended to the engine, Daytona's running what was essentially an enlarged Tipo 226 60° V12 from the outgoing 275. Designated Tipo 251, displacement was up from 3.3 to 4.4-litres, 4390cc to be exact thanks to a bore and stroke of 81 x 71mm respectively. Unsurprisingly then, output was also significantly higher with 352bhp at 7500rpm, compression being set at 8.8:1 and six twin-choke Weber 40 DCN 20/21 downdraught carburettors fitted (US spec cars running 40 DCN 21A's).
 
This meant that, despite being an undoubted heavyweight at over 1600kg, the Daytona became the world’s fastest production car. A top speed of 175mph and 0-60 in 5.3 seconds were enough to eclipse every other manufacturer, even Lamborghini. Meanwhile, as had become normal practice since the mid fifties, Ferrari commissioned Turinese carrozzeria Pininfarina to design the Daytona's bodywork. Exuding power from every angle, the Daytona remains one of the most jaw-dropping GT's to this day. Panels were fabricated by Scaglietti of Modena who used pressed steel for everything other than opening parts that were themselves in alloy.
   
The effortlessly long bonnet and chiselled nose housed a full width Plexiglas cover for the headlights. The rakish cabin was set well back and accentuated the wild front end, both cockpit and wings leading seamlessly into the taught, muscular tail. But for a pair of engine vents carved into the hood, Pininfarina kept the Daytona free of ducts, louvres and blisters, its exceptionally clean profile undoubtedly minimising the effects of age. Inside, the cabin was just as impressive and despite featuring nothing revolutionary, was nevertheless wonderfully styled. Finished in the finest Connolly leather, all-round visibility proved to be very good. The dash covering on the earliest Daytona's was black vinyl, but this was soon replaced by brushed alcantara suede. Complemented by a wood-rimmed steering wheel, leather-trimmed bucket seats and electric windows, the new model was launched during October 1968's Paris Salon and won enormous praise. It was the fastest production road car available and would be the last of Ferrari's front-engined GT's, a fact not lost on writers at the time. Relatively few official options were available, just wider Cromodora alloys, spoked Borrani wires, front bumper bars and air conditioning having been on the upgrade list. A handful of cars destined for important customers did make it to the Servizio Assistenza Clienti though, their Tipo 251 motors being breathed upon to produce around 380bhp.
 
The next Daytona variant was launched twelve months after the Berlinetta, October 1969's Frankfurt Motor Show signalling the arrival of Ferrari's 365 GTS/4. An absolutely stunning drop top Spyder, Ferrari would no doubt have envisaged it bringing considerably more customers through the doors at Maranello. However, less than one in ten Daytona's were eventually completed to this ultra desirable configuration. Additional chassis bracing increased rigidity and compensated for the roofs removal but besides this and the obvious bodywork changes, the Spyder was otherwise largely identical to its Berlinetta sibling.
   
Shortly after debuting the gorgeous GTS/4, a number of important revisions were introduced on both versions. These changes came about as a result of the newly imposed Federal safety legislation in the USA that deemed covered headlights illegal. Thus, Pininfarina were forced into carrying out a mild front-end make-over. Their answer was to fit the Daytona with retractable headlights in early-1971, also initially decorating the nose with a distinctive aluminium strip (see illustration above). As a consequence of these lighting requirements, only one genuine GTS/4 Daytona Spyder (the Frankfurt Show car, chassis 12851) was ever built with the plexiglas front-end, all subsequent examples featuring retractable headlights. As production went on, Ferrari made changes to the indicator lenses, later cars more often than not coming with exclusively orange items whereas earlier examples tended to get combination lenses. There was also a switch from aluminium to steel doors (these providing a little more side impact protection) and the arrival of a smaller-diameter leather-rimmed steering wheel. Production continued in both Berlinetta and Spyder forms until late 1973 when both were discontinued to make way for the overdue mid-Flat-12-engined 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer. By this time, Ferrari had completed 1284 GTB/4's, 149 of which were right-hand drive, just 125 Spyder's being manufactured, seven of which were right-hookers.