1968-1974 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider

Aside from the 250 GTO, the 365 GTB/4, popularly known as the "Daytona," ranks as perhaps the most coveted Ferrari ever built. It's certainly one of the most remarkable roadgoing Ferraris. First shown at the 1968 Paris Salon, it was not only the costliest such car in Ferrari's 21-year history (just under $20,000) but the fastest. Road & Track magazine verified the factory's claimed 174-mph top speed and ran the standing quarter-mile in a blistering 13.8 seconds at 107.5 mph. What Ferrari had here was nothing less than a "muscle car' Italian style. And what muscle. Replacing the 275 GTB/4, the Daytona rode a similar chassis of identical wheelbase but carried a dohc V-12 bored and stroked to 4.4 litres.

With no fewer than six twin-choke Weber carburetors and a fairly high (for the day) 8.8:1 Compression ratio, output was 352 thoroughbred horses at 7500 rpm. As on the 275, a single dry-plate clutch sent this power to a 5-speed rear transaxle. What style, too. Ferrari fans and motoring press alike were initially divided on the Pininfarina design. After almost 20 years, those who merely liked the Daytona now love it, while those who didn't care for it then seem to like it. "Aggressively elegant" describes it; so does "influential." In fact, many Daytona features have since shown up on a number of lesser cars (including a few replicas like the Corvette-based car on TV's "Miami Vice"). One that hasn't is the full-width plastic headlight cover used on early models. U.S. laws prohibited such things, so hidden lamps were substituted for that market and, later, others too.

While Pininfarina designed and built the Paris prototype, Scaglietti again handled production, which began about a year afterwards. Incidentally, the press was responsible for the Daytona name, not the factory, but it stuck anyway, perhaps because it had long been a legend around the world. And really, what better handle for this fastest-ever Ferrari than the name of the Florida beach city that bills itself as "The Birthplace of Speed"? The Daytona feels heavy behind the wheel-and it is, particularly for a two-seater. Despite aluminium doors, hood, and trunklid, curb weight is near 3600 pounds. But the heft seems to have little effect on handling, which is excellent. Ferrari made few alterations to the Daytona during its four short years other than the aforementioned headlamp change and the addition of a companion convertible "spider," unveiled at the 1969 Frankfurt show as the 365 GTS/4. It accounted for only 127 of the more than 1300 cars built.

Low production and high appeal explain why Daytona asking prices have soared into the six-figure stratosphere. Convertibles, of course, generally command bigger bucks than coupes-by a factor of 20-100 percent among Ferraris-which explains why several shops now specialise in Daytona spider conversions. While some are done for enthusiasts who simply want an open car and really want it to be a Daytona, we suspect most are motivated by the spider's higher market value and the prospect of further appreciation. If this keeps up, berlinettas could be in shorter supply one day and thus, ironically enough, worth more than spiders, converted and original. A few Daytona berlinettas raced with success, some with all-aluminium bodywork and engines tweaked to 405 bhp. They were formidable track performers, but brakes were a weakness of all Daytonas. Even race-equipped cars tapped the scales near 3600 pounds (bigger wheels and tyres and the increased load of larger fuel tanks offset weight savings in bodywork and some mechanical components) and the brakes just weren't up to their 200-mph top speed. The Daytona's front-engine configuration raised a few eyebrows in the late sixties, mainly because Lamborghini's V-12 Miura was a mid-engine design, as were Ferrari's own competition cars. But as events soon proved, the Daytona would be the last new two-seat Ferrari in the classic mold. Which also helps explain today's lofty asking prices-that and a macho character and memorable styling. The Daytona marked the end of an era, and for that reason alone, it will never be forgotten.