Good things come to those who wait, and no other thing is as deserving of a positive development than the mythical “Unknown Daytona.” Discovered in 2017 and sold at auction that same year, it is still awaiting its second shot at road-worthy glory.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona is a very special car in its own right, given the limited production number of just a little over 1,200 units. The alloy units built for the track are even more so, and this one, which attained mythical status at one point and whose existence even established car collectors doubted, is even more so.
This is the only 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona with an alloy body by Scaglietti that was never raced. Whereas the other five alloy units, which Ferrari commissioned for racing due to their lighter body, wrote history on the track, this unit – #12653 – was designed for road use from the start. Once it left the Maranello factory as the 30th Daytona produced, it spend a very short time in Italy before being de-registered here and shipped to Japan where, after a couple of years, it was put into hiding.
Delivered in 1969, all traces of the vehicle disappeared in 1980, only for it to be discovered some four decades later. That same year it was discovered, it was put up for sale through RM Sotheby’s auction house. It eventually changed hands for €1.8 million (approximately $1.87 million, but at the current exchange rate), selling in its remarkable barn-find, completely original condition, with less than 37,000 real km (22,991 miles) on the odometer.
Today, the “Unknown Daytona” remains in the same condition as it was five years ago. It’s back in the headlines, though, as befits a true queen: it is currently on display at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, while awaiting its long-overdue restoration, which will be undertaken by the Ferrari Classiche Department. Details or the timeline on the restoration have not been made public, but remember: good things come to those who wait. And this Daytona clearly has all the time in the world for waiting.