Ferrari Daytona
Japan

This is not a normal barn find. This is a once-in-a-lifetime find and it’s about to go up for auction with an estimated value of up to $2 million, perhaps more. This is a 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta and it’s the only street legal alloy aluminum bodied ever built. Yes, Ferrari produced over 1,200 examples of the 365 GTB/4 Daytona between ’69 and ’73, but this one was obviously different. Why haven’t we heard about it before? Because it was locked away hidden in a barn in Japan for 40 years. Ferrari made this aluminum-bodied Daytona, chassis no. 12653, the supposed 30th Daytona built, alongside four other examples, but those were competition cars that took part in the 24 Hours of LeMans. This one obviously didn’t. When it rolled off the factory floor in June 1969, it featured Plexiglas headlamps and power windows as well as bespoke aluminum coachwork by Scaglietti. Painted in Rossa Chiaro over a Nero leather interior, it was first bought by a local, the founder and publisher of Italian car magazine Autosprint. After changing hands in Italy a couple of times, it ended up being imported to Japan. It passed through another series of owners before ultimately ending up with a guy named Makoto Takai. For whatever strange reason, Takai purposely hid it in a barn for four decades. Only a few Ferrari enthusiasts were even aware of its existence, and it was sort of a myth for those who didn’t. Only this past June was it uncovered and put through a proper evaluation by a Ferrari expert, who confirmed its authenticity. Aside from a few minor cosmetic changes, chassis 12653 remains nearly original. The interior, from the door panels to the gearshift knob are all-original. The original spare wheel has never been used. With a mere 22,612 miles, this very special Ferrari Daytona is looking for a new home and, hopefully, someone will to give it the concours restoration it rightly deserves. Photos courtesy of RM Auctions.