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Don’t Miss This Le Mans Veteran Ferrari Coming to AuctionFerraris are beloved by most, and for good reason. They’re beautiful, fast, and made to last. But every once in a while, an especially rare one comes across our desks. Such is the case with this particular Prancing Horse that’s set to go on sale in August at Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach Auctions. If you’re as jazzed as we are about this stunning classic, keep reading.
The 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione Series III has to be one of the most gorgeous Ferraris of the 70s, no question. It’s sure to be one of the most highly anticipated cars at one of the most highly anticipated sales of the year. The 365 GTB/4 was the final front-engine V-12 gran turismo developed before Fiat assumed control of Ferrari road car production. It became unofficially known as the “Daytona” because of Ferrari’s stunning 1-2-3 victory at the 1967 24 Hours at Daytona. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and bodied by Carozzeria Scaglietti, the car is equally famous for its long, low nose and 4.4-liter quad-cam V-12.
The Daytona is not just built beautifully, but purposefully. At the heart of the design lies the engine and six Weber carburetors, which produce 352 bhp and enables the Daytona to achieve 170 mph and 0-100 km/hr in a mere 5.4 seconds.
But the car’s majesty doesn’t end there. The Daytona is a masterpiece in its own right, but what if we told you there were only 15 factory purpose-built variants to contest in racing at the highest levels?
Ferrari only built a tiny number of competition variants between 1971 and 1973, which were then divided into three distinct series. Because of this, Ferrari Series III, like this chassis 16407, were built specifically for the 1973 season with subtle body revisions and significant mechanical upgrades, raising the output to 450 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. Just look at the Daytona Competizione with its fender flares, wide racing wheels, spoilers, and livery – it is absolutely wild!
As for the provenance of chassis 16407? The car was delivered new to Luigi Chinetti’s prestigious North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) for immediate use at the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans, making its debut in the hands of Milt Minter and Sam Posey at the wheel. Entered as car no. 6, the car had a very strong early pace and ran as high as 6th overall. However, some unfortunate luck in the 21st hour cut this early success short with a cracked piston.
Despite this outcome, the impressiveness of 16407 would return to Le Mans in 1974, once again with N.A.R.T. Wearing no. 56 and driven by Jean-Claude Guitteny and Jean-Pierre Ethuin, the car finished in 11th overall and 5th in class. 16407 would ultimately round out its Le Mans career in the following year when it was withdrawn before the start of the race along with the rest of the N.A.R.T. entries.
The Daytona continued to have a robust race history which included the likes of Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Daytona, where in 1979 it took home 1st in class and 2nd overall! Any Ferrari person knows that a highlight of collecting the marque is the extensive documentation. The process of collecting research alongside the car is part of what makes owning a Ferrari so fun. What an added bonus, then, that this Ferrari has extremely well-noted provenance, with just two private owners since 1983!
In recent years, chassis 16407 underwent a no-expense-spared restoration by renowned Ferrari specialist Motion Products Inc., which returned the car to its original 1973 Le Mans configuration. The restoration was so impressive that, in 2024, 16407 won the highly coveted Enzo Ferrari Trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, in addition to a Platinum Award at the Ferrari Club of America National Meet.
Accompanying 16407 is a correct tool kit, handbook folio, spare wheels, and an extensive documentation binder. Highlights include factory build records, the 1973 Le Mans Carnet de Passage, period photographs, magazine features and a report by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini.
If you’re ready to go down a Ferrari rabbit hole, you can read more about the Daytona here, check out the Gooding Christie’s catalogue, or even register to bid ahead of the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach Auctions on August 15th and 16th.
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