Ferrari Daytona
Encyclopedia
- See also Ferrari 365Ferrari 365The Ferrari 365 is Ferrari's large FR layout grand tourer and 2+2 line. Introduced at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, it replaced the 330 and 500 Superfast. Featuring evolutionary Pininfarina styling, it is nevertheless often overshadowed by its famous successor, the sharp-creased 365 GTB/4...
for the 365 California, GT 2+2, GTC and GTS
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon
Mondial de l'Automobile
The Paris Motor Show is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held around October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show was the first motor show in the world, started in 1898 by industry pioneer, Albert de Dion. The show...
in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4
Ferrari 275
The Ferrari 275 was a 2-seat front-engined Gran Turismo automobile produced by Ferrari between 1964 and 1968. It used a 3.3 L Colombo 60° V12 engine and produced 280-300 hp. The Pininfarina-designed body was a graceful evolution of the car's predecessor, the 250, and strongly contrasted...
. The Daytona was replaced by the mid-engined
MR layout
In automotive design, a RMR or Rear Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout is one in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine placed just in front of them, behind the passenger compartment. In contrast to the rear-engined RR layout, the center of mass of the engine is in front of the rear axle...
365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer
Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer
A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.Production of the...
in 1973.
Name
The unofficial Daytona name is reported to have been applied by the media rather than Ferrari and commemorates Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
with the 330P4
Ferrari P
The Ferrari P series were prototype sports cars in the 1960s and early 1970s.Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move even with Cooper dominating F1, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1960 with the Ferrari Dino-V6-engine Formula Two 156, which would be turned into the Formula...
.
Vehicle specifications
Unlike Lamborghini's then-new, mid-enginedMid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
Miura
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
, the Daytona was a traditional front-engined, rear-drive car.
The engine, known as a Tipo 251 and developed from the earlier Lampredi V12 used in the 275 GTB/4, was a 4.4 L (4390 cc, 267.9 cid) DOHC V12
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
with a 60° bank angle, 365 cc per cylinder, 81 mm (3.2 in) bore and 71 mm (2.8 in) stroke
Stroke (engines)
Reciprocating motion, used in reciprocating engines and other mechanisms, is back-and-forth motion. Each cycle of reciprocation consists of two opposite motions: there is a motion in one direction, and then a motion back in the opposite direction. Each of these is called a stroke...
, featuring six Weber
Weber carburetor
Weber is an Italian company producing carburetors, currently owned by Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A., in turn part of the Fiat Group.The company was established as...
twin carburettors (40 mm Solex
Solex
Solex was a French manufacturer of carburetors and the powered bicycle VéloSoleX.The Solex company was founded by Marcel Mennesson and Maurice Goudard to manufacture vehicle radiators...
twin carburettors were used alternatively). At a compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
of 9.3:1, it produced 352 PS and could reach 280 kilometre per hour. 0-60 mph (26.8 m/s) acceleration
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...
was just 5.4 seconds.
For the American version, slight modifications were made - the compression ratio was reduced to 8.8:1 and the exhaust system
Exhaust system
An exhaust system is usually tubing used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes...
was equipped with a large central silencer, necessitating visible alterations to the primary pipes.
The 5-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
(transaxle
Transaxle
In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
concept) was mounted in the rear for optimal weight distribution, and a 4-wheel independent suspension
Independent suspension
Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, live axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side affects...
featured wishbone
Wishbone
Wishbone may refer to:* The wishbone, a Y-shaped bone found in birds* Wishbone suspension, an automobile suspension design.* Wishbone , an children's educational television show...
s and coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
s.
Styling
Although it was also a PininfarinaPininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
design, as with many previous Ferrari road cars (by Leonardo Fioravanti
Leonardo Fioravanti
Leonardo Fioravanti is an Italian automobile designer and CEO of Fioravanti Srl.He studied mechanical engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, specializing in aerodynamics and car body design...
), the 365 GTB/4 was radically different. Its sharp-edged styling resembled a Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
more than a traditional Pininfarina Ferrari.
Early Daytonas featured fixed headlights behind an acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
cover. This particular setup was completely abandoned in 1971 favor of retractable pop-up twin headlights due to new safety regulations in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which outlawed headlights behind covers.
365 GTB/4 and GTS/4
The generally accepted total number of Daytonas from the Ferrari club historians is 1,406 over the life of the model. This figure includes 158 right-hand-drive coupes, 122 factory-made Spiders (of which 7 are right hand drive) made by Scaglietti — the Daytona body builder — 15 competition cars in three series with modified lightweight bodies and in various degrees of engine tune.Historically, and especially since the mid-1980s and early 1990s, there has mostly been a considerable market price difference between a real Berlinetta and a real Spider. In hope for higher value and prospective sale revenue — or even because not too many factory Spiders were ever built — many Berlinettas were turned into convertibles.
Achievements and notoriety
In 2004, the Daytona was voted top sports car of the 1970s by Sports Car InternationalSports Car International
Sports Car International was an automobile magazine in the United States published by Ross Periodicals Inc. that was focused on sports cars. The magazine was published from 1986 to 2008. Its business offices were located in Novato, California....
magazine. Similarly, Motor Trend Classic
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
named the 365 GTB/4 and GTS/4 as number two in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".
In 1971, the Daytona gained notoriety when one was driven by Dan Gurney
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney is an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner.The son of a Metropolitan Opera star, he was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager...
and Brock Yates
Brock Yates
Brock Yates is an American journalist and author. He was longtime executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. He was a pit reporter for CBS' coverage of certain NASCAR Sprint Cup series races in the 1980s, including the Daytona 500...
in the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known simply as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run, was an unofficial, if not outlaw, automobile race run four times in the 1970s from New York City and Darien, CT, on the US Atlantic coast, to Redondo Beach, a Los Angeles...
. The pair won with an average speed of 80.1 miles per hour (128.9 km/h), completing the distance from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to L.A.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 35 hours 54 minutes (2876 miles (4,628 km)).
Competition versions
The first racing version of the 365GTB/4 was prepared in 1969: an aluminium bodied car was built and entered in the Le Mans 24 hour race that year (the car crashed in practice). Ferrari did not produce an official competition car until late in 1970.The official cars were built in three batches of five cars each, in 1970-1, 1972 and 1973. They all featured a lightweight body making use of aluminium and fibreglass panels, with plexiglas windows. The engine was unchanged from the road car in the first batch of competition cars, but tuned in the latter two batches (to 400 bhp in 1972 and then around 450 bhp in 1973).
The cars were not raced by the official Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
team, but by a range of private entrants. They enjoyed particular success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, with results including a 5th overall in 1971, followed by GT class wins in 1972, 1973 and 1974. In 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4s took the first 5 places of the GT class.
The final major success of the car was in 1979 (five years after production ended), when a 1973 car achieved a class victory (2nd overall) in the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
.
Popular culture
- A red Daytona Spyder was one of the "stars" of the 1976 film Gumball Rally. Other films in the 1970s featuring Daytonas were A Star Is BornA Star Is Born (1976 film)A Star Is Born is a 1976 American rock music musical film telling the story of a young woman, played by Barbra Streisand who enters show business, and meets and falls in love with an established male star, played by Kris Kristofferson, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline...
, The Long GoodbyeThe Long GoodbyeThe Long Goodbye may refer to:*The Long Goodbye, a 1940 one act play by Tennessee Williams*The Long Goodbye, a 1953 novel by Raymond Chandler*The Long Goodbye, a 1973 film by Robert Altman adapted from the Chandler novel...
, Gone in 60 SecondsGone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is famous for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 34-minute car chase scene....
, The Swiss ConspiracyThe Swiss ConspiracyThe Swiss Conspiracy is a 1976 action film starring David Janssen, Senta Berger and Elke Sommer, directed by Jack Arnold. It was co-produced between Germany and the United States.-Plot summary:...
, and Herbie Goes to Monte CarloHerbie Goes to Monte CarloHerbie Goes to Monte Carlo is a 1977 film, the third of a series of films by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own.-Plot:...
. In 1988, a Daytona was featured in Rain ManRain ManRain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
. - In the 1980s, the car gained new notoriety on the first two seasons of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's hit television series Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
. The black car used in the series was a replica built on a CorvetteChevrolet CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
chassis. Ferrari execs were not pleased that their company and one of their products was represented on TV by an imitation car. The Daytona replica was eventually destroyed on-screen and replaced with a donated Ferrari TestarossaFerrari TestarossaThe Ferrari Testarossa is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer...
, the company's newest model during the time. - In the 1983 film Moon in the GutterMoon in the GutterMoon in the Gutter is a 1983 French drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix. It was entered into the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.Although it immediately followed Beineix' big, commercial success Diva and featured two very big stars, Gérard Depardieu and Nastassja Kinski, Moon in the Gutter was...
, Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
drives an early '60s Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. - In the 1990 film The Rookie, a Ferrari Daytona is stolen from a valet parking service and loaded on a semi-tractor trailer by the thieves. It is later wrecked in a collision.
- It was also dedicated in song metaphorically by Chris ReaChris ReaChris Rea is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally...
, titled "Daytona" for his 1989 album, The Road to HellThe Road to HellThe Road to Hell is a 1989 album by Chris Rea, and is one of Rea's most famous albums. The second part of the two part title track, "The Road to Hell ," is also one of Rea's most famous songs...
. - The show Top Gear featured James May, in a 1.25 million pound power boat, racing Richard Hammond in a Ferrari Daytona from PortofinoPortofinoPortofino is a small Italian fishing village, comune and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast...
to Saint-TropezSaint-TropezSaint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez....
. For May, the journey was rough, damaging the in-vehicle camera. Both Hammond and May were pulled over by the police. May won, but Hammond explained that the boat might have been the fastest way to complete the journey, but the car would always be the best method. - The cover of the CarpentersThe CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
'Now and Then' album features Richard CarpenterRichard Carpenter (musician)Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the brother/sister duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He was a producer, arranger, pianist and keyboardist, and occasional lyricist, as well as joining with Karen on harmony...
s red 365 Daytona coupe with Karen CarpenterKaren CarpenterKaren Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
in the front passenger seat.