Third time lucky for ex-LM ‘Daytona’ at the Le Mans Classic sale?

Reprising its (unsuccessful) appearances at auction in 2014 (Gooding, $5.5m to $7m) and 2015 (Keno Bros, $4.9m to $5.9m), the race-modified 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ that finished 5th overall at Le Mans in 1971 will be offered by Artcurial at the French house's July 2018 Le Mans Classic sale.

This time the estimate has bounced back up to €6.5m to €7.5m, or roughly $8m to $9.2m. So why the disparity in guide prices, and how come it’s proved so difficult to sell?

The hard fact is that this car, chassis 12467, is not one of the official, factory-sanctioned ‘Gp. IV Competizione’ Daytonas that were built in three series of five from 1971 to 1973. Its brilliant performance in June 1971 in the hands of semi-pros Bob Grossman and Coco Chinetti Jnr was as a sports-prototype in the same class as the winning Porsche 917 and 3rd- and 4th-place Ferrari 512Ms. The Daytona was only homologated as a Gp. IV GT car later that year.

Online debate rages today as to exactly how, why and when ‘12467’ was modified for racing. Which makes it all very tricky to value and creates a smokescreen that leaves a potential buyer less than certain of the merits of an undeniably significant, potent and potentially road-usable Ferrari Berlinetta with period racing history. “If it takes too much explaining…” and all that. We like it, but at what price, we’ll see.

Photos by Artcurial. © Loic Kernen, colour; © The Cahier Archive, b/w period