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| Ferrari Daytona Part 3: 365 GTB/4 Competizione Prototipo & 'NART Competizione' |
 365 GTB/4 'NART Competizione' chassis 14107 |
The first Daytona competition car was built up in Maranello for Luigi Chinetti, head of the North American Ferrari concessionaires and NART. Chinetti convinced Ferrari to build him a lightweight GTB/4 for 1969's Le Mans 24 Hour race, preparation of which began around chassis 12547 at the customer racing department during early 1969. However, seeing as the Daytona had not passed the all-important 500 production units required for homologation into Group 4, 12547 and subsequent pre-series GTB/4C's built by NART were initially prepared to Group 5 trim where relatively few modifications were permitted. |
| This not only meant that these early Daytona competition cars would be forced to race in the same class as crack sports prototype machinery, but they would have to do it in more or less standard trim. There was a lightweight all-aluminium body that was visually almost identical to the stock GTB/4, only slightly wider rear wheels, an externally mounted quick fuel filler cap and beefy side exit exhausts identifying 12547 as something a little out of the ordinary. Mechanical revisions were minor as well, just bigger carburettors and velocity stacks being surrounded by an aluminium cold air box, the interior featuring a crackle black dash, roll cage and fire extinguishing system. None of the luxuries you would normally find on the stock Daytona remained, every possible bit of sound insulation being removed while the air-conditioning got junked as well. Although the Competizione Prototipo (12547) crashed during Le Mans qualifying (into another NART entry no less) its potential was clear to see and before long, Ferrari would cave into the immense pressure from customers and concessionaires for a small batch of factory-built Daytona Competizione's. Before that happened, two more cars were prepared by NART on chassis 14107 and 12467, both of which went on to race successfully at the highest level. |
| Chassis | Details |
| 12547 | 365 GTB/4 Competizione Prototipo Sold to Luigi Chinetti for NART 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours (Posey / Grossman) DNQ - accident in practice 1970 Daytona 24 Hours (Bucknum / Pickett) DNF 1970 Sebring 12 Hours (Cluxton / Pickett) Withdrawn |
| 12467 | 365 GTB/4 'NART Competizione' Built by NART in 1971 on a 1969 GTB/4 for Luigi Chinetti's NART 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours (Grossman / Chinetti Jr.) 5th overall, 5th in Sport class 1972 Daytona 24 Hours (Reynolds Baker) 15th overall, 2nd in GT2.5+ class 1972 Sebring 12 Hours (Reynolds / Ingle) 19th overall, 5th in GT2.5+ class 1972 Watkins Glen 6 Hours (Reynolds / de Lorenzo) 11th overall, 3rd in GT2.5+ class |
| 14107 | 365 GTB/4 'NART Competizione' Built by NART in 1971 on a 1971 GTB/4 for Harley Cluxton 1971 Sebring 12 Hours (Cluxton / Grossman) 12th overall, 5th in Sport class |