Despite the wide-spread success of midengined Ferraris in competition, Enzo Ferrari was reluctant to apply the design to a road car, citing occupant safety as the prime reason. Yet the introduction of the front-engined V-12-powered 365 GTB/4 still surprised Prancing Horse enthusiasts who expected Il Commendatore to answer the challenge set forth by such midengine offerings as the Bizzarrini, De Tomaso Mangusta and Lamborghini’s 170 MPH Miura. They needn’t have worried, as the “Daytona” proved to be not only a sensational performer but a triumph of styling and design as well. Introduced at the 1968 Paris Auto Salon, the 365 GTB/4 packed a 4.4L 4-cam V-12 engine with six Weber 40 DCN21 twin-choke carburetors, twin distributors and dry-sump lubrication, driving 352 HP to a rear mounted 5-speed transaxle. The conventional ladder frame featured all independent suspension with wishbones and coil springs, large vented disc brakes with power assist and, at speed, highly responsive steering. For all that engineering excellence, the Daytona’s greatest asset was distinctive styling that was immediately pronounced a masterpiece of automotive design. Distinguished by its chiseled front end, flowing silhouette and airy greenhouse, the Daytona was designed by Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti, who originally had no plans to adapt the design to a spider configuration. However, coachbuilder Scaglietti had other ideas and, with Pininfarina’s approval, created a prototype that, once shown in public, created a stampede of demand that far exceeded production capacity. A number of private enterprises stepped up to offer so-called “spider conversions,” most notably Richard Straman Coachworks of Costa Mesa, California, who reportedly performed the spider conversion on this 1971 365 GTB/4, Chassis No. 14211. The conversion of 14211 is of particularly high quality in its details, with exceptionally accurate contouring in the rear deck and quarters and excellent finishing in the windshield surround and top mounting points, and the pull-down retractable sun visors serving as another important detail not seen on many other conversions. The car is superbly finished in Rosso Corsa over red leather Daytona seats with black inserts, black carpet and a black soft top, and it additionally features an Ansa exhaust system, factory air conditioning, power windows and an Alpine cassette stereo sound system. It rides in classic Ferrari fashion on chromed Borrani wire wheels fitted with Michelin XWX radial tires and has been upgraded with modern power steering. A timeless front-engine V-12 Ferrari classic, this 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona offers the added attraction of open-air motoring made possible by the talented artisans of Straman Coachworks.
