08 September 2022
When car enthusiasts and collectors talk about genuine Ferrari classics, the name ‘Daytona’ immediately springs to mind. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is the official Ferrari moniker and is an icon of Italian automobile history.
It was the motoring press responsible for calling the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 a Daytona, much to the chagrin of Enzo Ferrari.
Powered by a 4.4litre V12, the Daytona had a top speed of 170 mph.
The motor car entered the first Cannonball Run driven by Dan Gurney, the ‘retired’ veteran of international racing, and Brock Yates, a senior editor of Car & Driver magazine, covered the distance between New York City and the Portofino Inn on the Pacific Ocean here in 35 hours and 54 minutes.
They were 53 minutes faster than the second-place finish. The magazine Road & Track called it ‘the best sports car in the world.’
The Daytona is still considered one of the best Ferraris made. During its time, it was the fastest road-going car, and it took many years for the 170mph top speed to be beaten.
The 1,200 Daytonas became Ferraris’ best-produced two-seater.
The car’s styling came from designer Lionardi Fioravanti. He describes the process: ‘worked for seven days without taking a break, ‘ then showed my ideas to Sergio Pininfarina and Enzo.
