Ferrari Daytona

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Ferrari 365 GTB/4
and GTS/4 "Daytona"
1971 Ferrari GTB4 Daytona.jpg
Ferrari 365 GTB/4
Manufacturer Ferrari
  • GTB/4: 1968–1973
  •             1,284 produced
  • GTS/4: 1971–1973
  •             122 produced
Designer Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina[1]
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine 4,390 cc Colombo V12
Transmission 5-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,400 mm (94.5 in)[2]
Length 4,425 mm (174.2 in)[2]
Width 1,760 mm (69.3 in)[2]
Height 1,245 mm (49.0 in)[2]
Kerb weight 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) (GTB/4, dry)[2]
Successor GTB/4: Ferrari 365 GT4 BB
See also Ferrari 365 for the 365 California, GT 2+2, GTC and GTS

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a grand tourer automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4. The Daytona was replaced by the mid-engined 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer in 1973.


The unofficial Daytona name is reported to have been applied by the media rather than Ferrari and commemorates Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish[3] in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with a 330 P3/4, a 330 P4 and a 412 P.[4]

Vehicle specifications

Unlike Lamborghini's then-new, mid-engined Miura, the Daytona was a traditional front-engined, rear-drive car.

The engine, known as the Tipo 251 and developed from the earlier Colombo V12 used in the 275 GTB/4, was a 4.4 L (4,390.35 cc, 267.9 cid)[2] DOHC V12 with a 60° bank angle, 365 cc per cylinder, 81 mm (3.2 in) bore and 71 mm (2.8 in) stroke, featuring six Weber twin carburettors (40 mm Solex twin carburettors were used alternatively). At a compression ratio of 9.3:1, it produced 357 PS (263 kW; 352 hp) and could reach 280 km/h (174 mph). 0-60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration was just 5.4 seconds.[5] For the American version, slight modifications were made - the compression ratio was reduced to 8.8:1 and the exhaust system was equipped with a large central silencer, necessitating visible alterations to the primary pipes.

The five-speed manual transmission (of the transaxle concept) was mounted in the rear for optimal weight distribution, and a four-wheel independent suspension[5] featured wishbones and coil springs.


Although it was also a Pininfarina design, as with many previous Ferrari road cars (by Leonardo Fioravanti),[6] the 365 GTB/4 was radically different. Its sharp-edged styling resembled a Lamborghini more than a traditional Pininfarina Ferrari.

Early Daytonas featured fixed headlights behind an acrylic glass cover. This particular setup was completely abandoned in 1971 favor of retractable pop-up twin headlights due to new safety regulations in the U.S., which outlawed headlights behind covers. Leonardo Fioravanti, designer, interviewed on TV car show had confirmed a popular rumor that it took him 7 days to design a Daytona.

Model variations

365 GTB/4 and GTS/4

A UK 1972 Daytona Coupe

The generally accepted total number of Daytonas from the Ferrari club historians is 1,406 over the life of the model. This figure includes 158 UK right-hand-drive coupés, 122 factory-made spyders (of which 7 are right hand drive), and 15 competition cars in three series with modified lightweight bodies and in various degrees of engine tune. All bodies except the first Pininfarina prototype were produced by Italian coachbuilder Scaglietti, which at the time already had a reputable record of working with Ferrari.[7]

Historically, and especially since the mid-1980s and early 1990s, there has mostly been a considerable market price difference between a real berlinetta and a real spyder. Many berlinettas were turned into spyders by aftermarket mechanics, often to increase the car's monetary value or simply because of the owner's preference for an open car. Differences in value have typically remained, however, even after the most skillful conversions. No Berlinettas were converted into Spyders by Scaglietti, Ferrari would not allow this, then or now.[citation needed]

Competition versions

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competizione

The first racing version of the 365GTB/4 was prepared in 1969: an aluminium bodied car was built and entered in the Le Mans 24-hour race that year (the car crashed in practice). Ferrari did not produce an official competition car until late in 1970.[8]

The official cars were built in three batches of five cars each, in 1970-1, 1972 and 1973. They all featured a lightweight body making use of aluminium and fibreglass panels, with plexiglas windows. The engine was unchanged from the road car in the first batch of competition cars, but tuned in the latter two batches (to 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) in 1972 and then around 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS) in 1973).

The cars were not raced by the official Scuderia Ferrari team, but by a range of private entrants. They enjoyed particular success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with results including a 5th overall in 1971, followed by GT class wins in 1972, 1973 and 1974. In 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4s took the first 5 places of the GT class.

The final major success of the car was in 1979 (five years after production ended), when a 1973 car achieved a class victory (2nd overall) in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Achievements and notoriety

In 1971, the Daytona gained notoriety when one was driven by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates in the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Showcasing the car's potential for sustained high speed travel, the pair won with an average speed of 80.1 miles per hour (129 km/h), completing the distance from New York to L.A. in 35 hours 54 minutes (2,876 miles (4,628 km)). Gurney was later quoted as saying "We never once exceeded 175 miles per hour."

In the 1980s, the car gained new notoriety on the first two seasons of NBC's hit television series Miami Vice. The black car used in the series was a replica built on a Corvette chassis. Ferrari execs were not pleased[citation needed] that their company and one of their products was represented on TV by an imitation car and sued[citation needed] the manufacturer of the kit for trademark infringement and trademark dilution.The Daytona replica was eventually destroyed on-screen and replaced with a donated Ferrari Testarossa, the company's newest model during the time.


See also


  1. "Designer". Retrieved 8 February 2012.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Ferrari 365 GTB4". Ferrari GT - en-EN. Retrieved 2016-01-11.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  3. "365 GTB4". Official Ferrari website. Ferrari. Retrieved 21 February 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  4. "WSPR, World Championship 1967". Retrieved 30 December 2014.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  5. 5.0 5.1 Willson, Quentin (1995). The Ultimate Classic Car Book. DK Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-7894-0159-2.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  6. Ahlgrim, Steve (June 2014). "Amelia Island 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytonas". Sports Car Market. 26 (6): 67.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  7. Pat Braden and Gerald Roush (1982). The Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona. Osprey. ISBN 978-0850454123.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  8. The Auto Editors of Consumer Guide. "Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Competition". How Stuff Works. Ferrari. Retrieved 21 February 2010. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Buckley, Martin & Rees, Chris (1998). World Encyclopedia of Cars. London: Anness Publishing. ISBN 1-84038-083-7. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>