11.08.2018 UNIQUE COACHBUILT FERRARI DAYTONA-BASED "NART SPIDER" REAPPEARS AT AUCTION

FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA NART SPIDER 2018
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA NART SPIDER 2018
FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA NART SPIDER 2018

A unique and rarely seen coachbuilt Ferrari, dubbed the “NART Spider” based on the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” and commissioned by famous U.S. importer Luigi Chinetti Sr. will go across the block at Pebble Beach.

A unique and rarely seen coachbuilt Ferrari, dubbed the “NART Spider” based on the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” and commissioned by famous U.S. Prancing Horse importer Luigi Chinetti Sr. more than four decades ago will ahead across the auction block in two weeks’ time during Gooding & Co.'s high profile sale at Pebble Beach where the Maranello brand will be well represented.

One of a number of coachbuilt Ferrari sportscars that Chinetti Sr. ordered, this particular example was bodied by Michelotti and it’s one of the most interesting thanks to its forward looking design elements while it also enjoyed a high profile arrival as it debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1974.


This special Ferrari 365 GTB/4, chassis 14897, will be sold off during Gooding & Co’s sale at Pebble Beach on 24-25 August and it’s likely to attract a lot of attention from classic car buyers. The auctioneer has placed a US$500,000-700,000 estimate on the “NART Spider”.

Its history is very interesting and it all starts, according to a report compiled by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, when this paricular "Daytona" was completed at the Ferrari factory on 11 January 1972, as a US-specification 365 GTB/4 Berlinetta and finished in the elegant colour scheme of Giallo Senape (Mustard Yellow) with a black leather upholstery.

It was delivered new to official North American distributor Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut, and subsequently involved in an accident while in the possession of its first owner.

The damaged car was returned to Chinetti, who sent it to Modena, Italy, for a total rebuild and conversion into a Giovanni Michelotti-designed NART Spider. Numerous sources state that the project was being done at the behest of actor Steve McQueen, or was destined for his possession, but there is no documentation to support this.

Unveiled at the 1974 Torino Motor Show, the one-off convertible design featured a targa bar, dramatic cut-down doors, and molded bumpers, exuding a character much different from a standard Daytona.

The cockpit of 14897 was redesigned to complement the striking, angular appearance of the exterior and incorporated the original Veglia Borletti gauges into the layout.

As completed, the Ferrari was finished in an attractive colour scheme of metallic pale blue over Arancione (orange) tinted leather upholstery.

Very few of the Daytonas were custom-bodied, and Chinetti was responsible for the vast majority of them, commissioning five highly individualized examples between 1974 and 1976, including 14897. For the 1975 NART Le Mans effort, Chinetti ordered a Daytona Competizione, chassis 15965, with Michelotti coachwork. In 1976, Chinetti ordered three Michelotti Spiders of the same design, based on chassis 14299, 15003, and 16467.

In 1975, Chinetti sold this Daytona to Alan Frank of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who would own the Ferrari for the next 23 years, before selling it to Symbolic Motor Car Co. in 1998. Noted Ferrari collector Todd Morici bought the Daytona from Symbolic in 2000, and sold the car to the consignor in the same year.

According to the auctioneer, "under the current owner the Ferrari has been kept in predominantly static storage. It was recently sent to the experts at Motion Products, who inspected the car and returned it to running condition, though it will likely need additional mechanical attention before any road use." Now it’s being offered for sale for the first time in 18 years.

Photos: Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Spider NART (1974)

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Photos: Gooding & Co. / © 2018 Interfuture Media/Italiaspeed