The convertible version of the 365 GTB4 debuted at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show, almost a year after the coupé’s introduction. The droptop ‘Daytona’ retained its coupe sibling’s mechanical features and performance, with a design that is still striking today and was enthusiastically received by the public and media alike.
A worthy successor to the 365 California, the spider version was visually identical from the waist down, with only the folding canvas roof and boot profile being different. Like the coupe, the spider proved extremely popular, particularly in the American market, and from the time of its introduction, accounted for about 10% of 365 GTB4 model sales.
Over the years, the roofs of some Berlinettas have been cut off to convert them to spiders, and this trend was particularly popular in the late 1980s when prices of original 365 GTS/4 examples soared. Both model variants were produced up until 1973.
By the standards of previous models, this was a lengthy run, and during this time, a total of 122 spiders – spiritual predecessors of the new Ferrari Roma Spider – were built, with chassis numbers ranging from 14,365 to 17,073.
A one-off ‘Speciale’ coupé version, chassis number 12,925, was shown by Pininfarina at the 1969 Paris Motor Show featuring a stainless steel roll bar and a detachable rear window, although the roof section was fixed.
The car also features a longer tail section and rear quarter bumpers wrapping around the body sides. A few other special bodies were produced on existing Daytonas by Michelotti, as requested by Luigi Chinetti, owner of the North American Ferrari franchise.
Report & Images © FERRARI MEDIA
