Coys Auction - True Greats
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Ferrari is sensitive to criticism and to intimations that it might be loosing its pre-eminent position in the market. The Maserati and Lamborghini factories in and near Modena had already put into production sophisticated mid-engined cars while Ferrari was still selling the Daytona as its premier sports car. Unquestionably the Maserati Bora and the Lamborghini Miura were stealing sales from Ferrari and so, to achieve superiority in this state of the art sector, Ferrari developed a new car from scratch. The engine was a 4.4 litre flat 12 cylinder unit derived from Ferrari's then-current Formula One engine, whilst coachwork was a sleek and aggressive berlinetta design by Pininfarina. Driving the new car, the Boxer, was a special treat. Compared with the Daytona it was light, responsive and a little more forgiving. However, like the Daytona, it had an abundance of power and dema