Ferrari's unlikely Le Mans hero

The 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans marked the end of an era. It was the last time the legendary 5-litre sportscars would do battle at the Circuit de la Sarthe and no fewer than nine Ferrari 512s lined up against seven Porsche 917s. The German marque came out on top with 917s finishing 1st and 2nd, while the 512s had to settle for 3rd and 4th. Following them home in an outstanding 5th position overall was this very special Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ Competizione.

Originally built in 1969 as a road-going model, it was only the third production Daytona ever made. Fascinatingly, it never left the factory, and was retained by Maranello as a development prototype, serving as a test bed for, among other developments, a new type of wiper system. The machine’s early history only got more interesting when, in the spring of 1971, after two years in Ferrari’s ownership, Luigi Chinetti’s fabled North American Racing Team instructed the factory to convert it to competition specification. Chinetti’s target: the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The work was carried out under the auspices of the factory by Piero Drogo’s Carrozzeria Sport Car with help from Autofficina Sport. Although the steel body was retained, the modified shell featured a quick-release fuel filler cap in the boot lid, a Dino 206 SP-style fuel capacitor, a 512M fuel pressure gauge, Plexiglass side windows, a front spoiler, and flared wheel arches to accommodate enormous nine-inch rear and eight-inch front wheels. A roaring side-exit exhaust, roll cage, and a 512M-type fire extinguisher system completed the package.

Ferrari the Daytona directly to Le Mans where it was piloted by Bob Grossman and Luigi Chinetti Jr. The car’s promise was immediate in practice, with a thundering pace along the Mulsanne Straight impressing ‘Coco’ Chinetti.

Chinetti took the opening stint in the French classic before handing over to Grossman as night fell. The 365 GTB/4 ran like clockwork, slowly climbing the rankings as the more fragile sports prototypes fell by the wayside; by the 19th hour it had risen to a remarkable 5th overall. There it stayed, having set a best lap that was seven seconds faster than it had managed during practice and winning the Index of Thermal Efficiency. Such was the significance of the result that Chinetti received a congratulatory telegram at the end of the race from none other than Enzo Ferrari.

This machine holds a special place in Ferrari history as the first factory-prepared prototype and genesis of the Daytona Competizione. The model would go on to score victories and class wins everywhere from the Tour de France to the 24 Hours of Daytona, finishing 2nd at the Florida circuit in 1979, a full decade after its launch.

This hugely important 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione recently featured as part of RM Sotheby’s Le Mans sale, and is still available at just over €5m. Photos: Paolo Carlini © RM Sotheby's