OUT-OF-THE-BOX LE MANS CHAMPION

-5th Place Overall at Le Mans 1971 24 hrs
-Includes Original Engine
-Well-Documented Race History
-Official Ferrari N.A.R.T. Racecar
-Original Factory Colors
-Period Correct Competition Modifications
-Eligible for Numerous Events, Including Le Mans Classic

By the end of the Sixties, the motorsport world had warped into a new era of aerodynamic experimentation and extreme power. A colossal battle between Ferrari and Porsche produced awe-inspiring, mid-engine, 5-liter World Sports Car Championship machines that reached astonishing speeds… and sudden and dramatic ends. Within this context, Chinetti focused on not only the WSC machines, but also the GT cars that filled out the endurance race field. In 1969, he had a prototype, race-version Daytona that was completed barely on schedule for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, requiring him to personally drive it over the Alps to arrive in time for the start. Unfortunately, that car crashed during practice and was unable to start the race. The only other time a Daytona completed a race, was when a converted road-car finished mid-field at Sebring in 1971. With his pride and instincts still intact, Chinetti was undaunted entering the summer of 1971. A Daytona road-car, several years old, VIN 12467, was located and rapidly modified, in basic fashion, for the Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.), and entered in the 24-Hour French classic. Out of the box, with negligible time to practice or develop the machine, ‘12467’ rolled onto the grid, piloted by Chinetti’s son, Luigi ‘Coco’ Chinetti Jr. and co-driver, Bob Grossman.

Coco, who had expected to drive a 5 liter 512 S, was somewhat dismayed to find himself behind this road-derived car. He playfully, yet with some sneer, labeled it a ‘taxi’ and set out to hunt down the low-slung 5-liter machines. Through the night, ‘12467’ powered along, its strong, yet heavy, chassis providing some cushion from the constant hammering of the old circuit. When the clock struck 4 PM the next day, the record shows that ‘12467’ finished a stunning fifth position overall, behind only the aerodynamic and powerful WSC machines, and a full eight laps ahead of the GT cars that it would be classified against in the future. Enzo Ferrari did not attend most races, but was keenly aware of not just the results, but also the fine details of the performance of each machine, driver, and team. In light of this, history suggests that Enzo himself took note of the extraordinary performance of ‘12467’, giving it special recognition within the incomparable Ferrari racing legacy.

Chronology Of This Car

1969 - Chinetti Motors, Greenwich, CT, USA
1971 - Converted to Comp. specs by N.A.R.T.
1971 - 24 Hours of Le Mans- 5 OA, 5IC
1971 - Sold to Bob Grossman, Nyack, NY,
1971 - Sold to Jim and Clive Baker, Atlanta, GA
Competed: Baker Motors Ring-Free Oil Team
1972 - 6 Hours of Daytona- 16 OA, 3rd IC
1972 - 12 Hours of Sebring - 19 OA, 5th IC
1972 - 6 Hours of Watkins Glen- 11 OA, 5th IC
1973 - Sold to Harley E. Cluxton's Grand Touring Cars, Inc., IL, USA
1973 - Sold to Herb Wetanson, NY, NY, USA
1974 - Sold to Daniel P. Kingsford, Princeton, NJ, USA
1975 - Sold to William Kontes, Vineland, NJ, USA
1977 - Sold to David Gunn, Suffield, CT, USA
1977 - Upgraded to Daytona Comp Series 3 specs by Alberto Pedretti's Wide World of Cars, Spring Valley, NY, USA
1984 - Sold to William Kontes, Milville, NJ, USA Concours: 3rd IC FCA Concours Lake Lanier Island, class 24 William Kontes
1993 - Sold to Harley E. Cluxton III, Scottsdale, AZ, USA 1993 - Sold to Robson S. Walton, Bentonville, AR, USA
1993 - Engine rebuilt to Series 3 specs using new engine block (original engine block still with the car)
2005 - Sold to present owner

For more information and pictures of this car go to: http://kenobrothers.com/auctions/1969-ferrari-365-gtb4-nart-competizione