Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Prototipo

Vehicle Overview

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Prototipo: As a design exercise exploring the future model’s coachwork, this car was built on a 275 GTB/4 chassis and equipped with the 275’s 3.3-liter four-cam type 226 engine. The exterior is a thoughtful combination of prior features from the 275 and future design cues that would emerge in the production-based 365, with a lower roofline and longer nose than the standard Daytona. While the rear end is almost identical to the eventual final design for the Daytona, with its squared-off fastback with quad taillamps, the front end is still firmly rooted in the 275, with the classic oval eggcrate grille and covered headlamps.Interestingly, the headlamp covers are not flush with the lower aperture edges, but rather are recessed into the opening at the front edge by a few inches, resulting in a less raked position. The interior also reflects a midpoint between the two models, as the instrument cluster is essentially a preview of the forthcoming Daytona, while the center console consists rather of a flat surface with toggle switches. The wood steering wheel, with an unperforated three-spoke design and subtle thumb-notches, is straight from the 275, but the high-mounted seats display transitional features from both models, notably lacking headrests. To further complement the lines, this Daytona prototype was finished in Argento Metallizzato paint and appointed with a Nero leather interior, the same colors it retains today. While the Ferrari was internally classified as a 275 GTB/4, its identity as a Daytona prototype is not only unmistakable in the coachwork design, but also clarified in the files of Luigi Chinetti Motors, which purchased this The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Prototipo: As a design exercise exploring the future model’s coachwork, this car was built on a 275 GTB/4 chassis and equipped with the 275’s 3.3-liter four-cam type 226 engine. shortly after its completion. According to Massini, Chinetti paperwork alternately refers to the car as a 275 GTB/4 and a “Daytona,” showing the use of the terminology at least six months before the model’s first appearance at the Paris Salon.

Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s