A prototype of one of Ferrari’s most significant sports cars is headed to auction.
This 1967 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona—chassis 10287—is billed as the first prototype of the iconic Daytona coupe. Set to be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s from May 22-26, it features a somewhat different design than the eventual production model.
The 365 GTB/4 Daytona was intended as a successor to the Ferrari 275 GTB/4, and that’s reflected in the design of this prototype. Its tubular steel chassis carries over from the 275, and the round headlights are more reminiscent of that model than the visor-like design used on the eventual production 365 GTB/4.
1967 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona prototype (photo via RM Sotheby’s)
One of six Daytona prototypes constructed, chassis 10287 also has a unique iteration of Ferrari’s Colombo V-12, which powered many of Ferrari’s sports cars in this period. The block is based on that of a 330 GT but bored out to just under 4.4 liters and outfitted with three-valve heads, dual ignition (with two spark plugs per cylinder), dry sump oiling, and six Weber DCN18 carburetors.
Chassis 10287 was completed in early 1967, tested by the Ferrari factory for about a year, and registered for road use on May 8, 1968 through the automaker’s Rome dealership. Back then it was possible for automakers to sell prototypes to customers; chassis 10287 made it into private hands about five months before the production 365 GTB/4 was unveiled at the 1968 Paris Auto Salon, according to the auction listing.
1967 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona prototype (photo via RM Sotheby’s)
The car was initially loaned to Count Vincenzo Balestrieri, a Roman industrialist, while he waited for a Daytona Spider he had ordered. The prototype coupe was traded back to Ferrari when the Spider arrived, and changed hands several times over the years before being acquired by the father of the current owner in September 2003. It was restored by Ferrari specialists, has won numerous awards at car shows, and is Ferrari Classiche certified.
Produced through 1973, the Daytona became one of Ferrari’s best-known models, and remains one of the most collectible today. It all started with this prototype, which will find a new home in the hands of a lucky enthusiast. RM Sotheby’s offers no price estimate, but expect this car to go for millions.
