When it comes to classic sports cars, any link to Le Mans is generally as good as gold.

For this amazing machine, that gold is shiny and pure.  This Daytona Competizione is a factory-prepped race car delivered to Chinetti Motors at Le Mans a week before the 1971 race. The car came in 5th overall and later second in its class in the 1972 Daytona race — proving its worth on nearly every major global circuit.

The racing upgrades make the car worth nearly 10X what a Daytona coupe is worth, however, with the estimate topping $5.5-million in pre-sale materials. The car did not meet these benchmarks and may pop up again at a future sale.

One extra highlight? In a rarity for a racer — this Daytona Competizione came from the factory with an AC unit!

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona Competizione

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione

Coachwork by Scaglietti

• CAR HIGHLIGHTS

• TECHNICAL SPECS

RACE HISTORY

24 Hours of Le Mans, June 1971, Luigi Chinetti Jr. and Bob Grossman, No. 58 (5th Overall and Winner of the Index of Thermal Efciency)
6 Hours of Daytona, February 1972, Bob Grossman and Charles Reynolds, No. 18 (15th Overall and 2nd in Class)
12 Hours of Sebring, March 1972, Harry Ingle and Charles Reynolds, No. 18 (19th Overall and 5th in Class)
6 Hours of Watkins Glen, July 1972, Tony DeLorenzo and Charles Reynolds, No. 18 (11th Overall and 3rd in Class)

THIS CAR

Were it not for the 365 GTB/4 presented here, chassis 12467, the Daytona Competizione – one of the most successful and long-lived Ferrari GT race cars ever built – may have never come to fruition.

Ferrari’s internal foglio allestimenti or assembly sheets show that 12467 was the third 365 GTB/4 completed and record its original destination as “Chinetti, Sebring.” Based on these factory records, it is believed that this Daytona was equipped as a European-specification road car – finished in Rosso Chiaro, upholstered in black leather, and outfitted with air-conditioning and a Voxson radio.

Despite being one of the first Daytonas built, little is known of its history between 1969 and 1971. Evidence suggests that the car remained the property of Ferrari for this entire period, as it was not road registered or even issued a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin until November 1971.

The factory’s assembly sheets also suggest that 12467 may have been destined for a special purpose as they are dated April 28, 1969, yet state that the engine was not installed until September 2, 1969 – well after that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which Luigi Chinetti’s NART team campaigned a specially prepared Daytona Competizione, chassis 12547.

The story of 12467 truly begins in April 1971, when the Daytona was serviced at the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Clienti and then sent to Autofficina Sport Auto in Modena, where it was prepared for competition use. According to a 1971 invoice from Ferrari to Chinetti Motors, this process included the installation of a special electrical system, fire-suppression system, different carburetor jets, aerodynamic diffusers, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

On June 5, 1971, Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc. paid Ferrari SEFAC $11,630 for the 365 GTB/4 Competizione, which was delivered to Le Mans the following week. In his book Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Groupe 4 Daytona Competizione, Christian Huet describes the appearance of the new NART-entered Daytona:

“The completed vehicle displays all the modifications due to appear on the new Group 4 homologation car. While all the windows except the windscreen are made of Plexiglas, it has standard steel bodywork with aluminum bonnet and boot. The wings have been extended outwards to accommodate 8″ wheels at the front and 10″ wheels at the back. The headlights have grown in diameter and a transparent cowling has replaced the bumpers. Stiffer suspension springs, sturdier anti-roll bars and a 120-litre fuel tank have been fitted. The specially tuned engine has polished ports and its moving parts lightened and balanced. Straight-through exhaust pipes poke out under the doors.”

http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1969-ferrari-365-gtb4-daytona-competizione

• A Signifcant Piece of Ferrari Racing History

• Prepared by Ferrari and Entered by NART in the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans

• Successfully Campaigned by Baker Motors at Sebring, Daytona,

• and Watkins Glen

• Eligible for Numerous Events, Including Le Mans Classic and Tour Auto