AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
An American Ferrari
The 1967 Ferrari Daytona
While Lamborghini was forging ahead with a range of impressive mid-engined supercars, in the late 60s Ferrari decided to go with a classic, tried and tested front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe. The V12 was thrown in for good measure.
The 365 GTB/4 Daytona debuted in 1968. The name ‘Daytona’ was in itself an honor to Ferrari’s victory in the American 24-hour Daytona race. Ferrari wanted to ensure everyone (Lamborghini included) knew of their achievements. Unsurprisingly, this was not to be their last success at the legendary race series, and in many ways, the car that bore its name was the real winner. It is an icon among Ferrari enthusiasts.
“The V12 was thrown in for good measure.”
The 365 GTB/4 name was a description of the car in itself. ‘365’ denoted the capacity of each of its 12 cylinders, whilst the final ‘4’ and gave the number of camshafts. Power output was a very respectable 352bhp. Underneath the Pininfarina skin, the frame was tubular, and the car came equipped with disc brakes all round.
Despite being an impressive package, critics at the time were slightly disappointed in Ferrari’s decision to go with a rather conventional layout. Ferrari’s move to use a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout was initially interpreted as being old fashioned, almost outdated.
However, once these initial misgivings were overcome, critics were quick to appreciate the car’s bold, muscular styling and very quick performance. The GTB/4 topped out at an eye-watering (for the time) 174mph, with 0–60 coming up in just 6.4 seconds. These figures easily put the Daytona’s performance well ahead of the competing Lamborghini Miura.
“Ferrari wanted to ensure everyone (Lamborghini included) knew of their achievements.”
Fast it may have been, but the Daytona was not an easy car to drive. At low speeds, it felt large and ponderous. The steering was heavy, and the double-wishbone suspension hard. The Daytona would only really come into its own on the open road, where it’s outright speed and glorious exhaust note would drown out all its little imperfections.
The car proved extremely popular even by Ferrari’s high standards and was built all the way up to 1973, along side a rare Spider version. Today, it is one of the most collectible of all road-going prancing horses. The Daytona is also one of Ferrari’s more popular models with non-enthusiasts, thanks to its regular appearance as Sonny Crockett’s car in the 1980s TV show Miami Vice.
Holloway, H. and Buckley, M., 1999. The A-Z Of Cars. Godalming, Surrey: Colour Library Direct.
Daniel is a writer, senior teacher, and geographer based in Malta. His main passion is empowering students to fulfill their aspirations and reach their goals.
