PROVENANCE
Sig. Magnani, Bologna, Italy (acquired new in April 1970)
Leo Holt, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (acquired by 1979)
Henry Calleri, Bensalem, Pennsylvania (acquired by 1985)
Paul Tavilla, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (acquired by 1991)
Garry Roberts and Co., Costa Mesa, California (acquired by 1995)
Richard Weldon, Florida (acquired by 2001)
Chris Conti, Las Vegas, Nevada (acquired by 2009)
Family Classic Cars, San Juan Capistrano, California (acquired by 2010)
John Campion, Jacksonville, Florida (acquired by 2010)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

EXHIBITED
Ron Spangler’s Prancing Horse Farm, Bel Air, Maryland, October 1979
FCA Vintage Ferrari Concours, Monterey, California, August 1998 (Gold Award)
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Amelia Island, Florida, March 2014 (Amelia Award)
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Greenwich, Connecticut, June 2014
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, Carmel Valley, California, August 2014

THIS CAR
When Ferrari introduced the 365 GTB/4 Daytona at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, enthusiasts were immediately struck by the dramatic styling courtesy of Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti. One of the most notable features of his design was a full-width Plexiglas cover that ran from headlamp to headlamp, creating a horizontal band across the nose of the car.

Attractive as it was, this configuration was not allowed in the US for safety reasons. In order to conform the model for this primary market, Ferrari redesigned the fascia to eliminate the Plexiglas cover, thus yielding the more common pop-up headlamp Daytona that was ultimately produced in far greater numbers. Accounting for approximately 400 of the earliest Daytonas, the plexinose cars have become particularly prized for their rarity and more faithful realization of Fioravanti’s original design.

Specified for the European market, this Daytona was completed by the factory on March 6, 1970, and finished in Rosso Rubino (Ruby Red) with a Nero (Black) Vaumol leather interior. Retailed through a dealer in Bologna, Italy, chassis 13231 was acquired by Sig. Magnani, a local resident. During the 1970s, the car was imported to the US, and in 1979 it was displayed at an event at Ron Spangler’s Prancing Horse Farm, while painted black and owned by Leo Holt of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

By 1985, the Ferrari was owned by Henry Calleri of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and he may have retained possession for as long as six years before the car was acquired by Paul Tavilla of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, circa 1991. By 1995, the Daytona was being advertised by Garry Roberts and Co. of Costa Mesa, California, with the ad stating that a complete restoration had just been completed. In August 1998, Roberts presented the berlinetta at the FCA’s Vintage Ferrari Concours in Monterey, California, and it garnered a Gold Award in its class. He then sold 13231 to collector Richard Weldon of Florida.

By 2009, the Daytona next passed to enthusiast Chris Conti of Las Vegas, Nevada, whose collection of exotics included a Ferrari F40 and a Minardi-Lamborghini F1 race car. By early 2010, the Daytona was offered for sale by Family Classic Cars of San Juan Capistrano, California. It was described as just having finished a two-year mechanical restoration that included a rebuild of the transaxle and complete engine rebuild by Dayal Dindral at Prancing Horse of California in Burlingame.

The car was subsequently purchased in late 2010 by John Campion of Jacksonville, Florida, who, in 2013, commissioned Autosport Designs of Huntington Station, New York, to perform a complete cosmetic restoration and attend to any mechanical issues. This included a bare-metal repaint in Rosso Nearco, the re-upholstering of the interior including tan seats with black inserts, as well as service of any ancillary mechanicals as needed. This documented work left the Daytona in an impressive state of condition.

The quality of the restoration and rarity of the plexinose specification was confirmed by invitations to three exclusive events. In 2014, Mr. Campion exhibited the Ferrari at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, and in The Great Ferraris class at the The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.

Accompanied by a history report by Marcel Massini, and service invoices, this beautiful early plexinose Daytona displayed 79,620 km (49,473 miles) at the time of cataloguing. According to the current owner, it has accrued only about 1,000 miles since the 2010 engine rebuild. Desirably equipped with power windows and air-conditioning, this Daytona is poised to provide pure driving enjoyment, or it may be displayed on the fields of FCA events and other concours. Its condition, attractive color combination, and plexinose configuration should warrant serious attention by judges and enthusiasts alike.