What the heck is NART, anyway?
If there is one figure apart from Enzo Ferrari himself that can be seen as pivotal to the history of the prancing horse brand, it would probably be none other than Luigi Chinetti. Originally an accomplished racecar driver, Chinetti convinced Enzo himself in 1946 that he could sell his cars in America, an encounter that led him to be the official importer of Ferrari cars to the United States.
Driven by his commitment and passion for the Prancing Horse and his belief in the potential of budding American racing talent, Chinetti started the North American Racing Team (NART) in 1958, a private team that saw notable success in endurance racing. NART helped promote Ferrari in the United States through its success in marquee races; its 250 GTOs won the 1963 Daytona Continental, the 1964 Daytona 2000 KM, while a 250 LM won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition, it won third place in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, and was commemorated by the naming of the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona,” as Ferrari cars earned first, second, and third place.
RM Sotheby’s
A very special Daytona
Although this Daytona looks very different from the ones you are probably used to seeing, this vehicle, which is set to appear at RM Sotheby’s auction at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic on February 14, has a fascinating backstory tied to the NART team principal. While contemporary car designers penned more angular “wedge” shapes for sports cars in the 1970s, Chinetti ordered car designer Giovanni Michelottito to replace the curvaceous bodies of about five 365 GTB/4 Daytonas with new shells to create these: the Michelotti NART Spiders.
Per the auctioneers, this particular Spider, which bears chassis number 14299, first originated as a standard 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe with air conditioning and power steering, which Chinetti took in from its original owner as part of a trade in the mid-70s. In 1976, Chinetti sent it to Michelotti for the rebody. Upon delivery in 1977, the Spider was finished in a unique two-tone livery of dark blue over gray, with an orange leather interior, original Veglia Borletti gauges, a set of five-spoke alloy wheels, a tan soft top, and a body-color removable hardtop.
As for powertrain, the NART Spider retains the original powertrain of the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a Weber-carbureted 4.4-liter V12 that Ferrari claims produces about 352 horsepower. According to RM Sotheby’s, this particular Spider was a gift from Chinetti to his wife, Marion, whose name is emblazoned on the beltline of each door.
RM Sotheby’s
This particular vehicle spent a lot of time being presented at shows throughout its life. In 1980, Chinetti loaned the “Marion Spider” to Michelotti, who presented it on his stand at that year’s Turin Motor Show, which was followed by participation in a two-year exhibition at the Le Mans Museum in France, then by an appearance at the La Baule Concours d’Elegance in 1984.
Unfortunately, the spider’s namesake had passed away by the time Marion’s Spider came back to the U.S., where it was sold to multiple different owners over the years. In 1985, the Spider was bought by Los Angeles dealer Marty Yacobian, and in January 1990, the car was sold to a Florida-based dealer. It was then sold to Marv Tonkin, brother of the well-known Oregon-based Ferrari dealer Ron Tonkin, who then sold it to acclaimed Ferrari collector Jon Shirley.
The former Microsoft executive kept it as part of his collection for 22 years, and under his ownership, the car was certified by Ferrari Classiche with an Attestation of Historical Interest. In August 2013, the car was acquired by “another prominent Ferrari collector,” who then passed it to the current owner in the summer of 2019.
Final thoughts
According to RM Sotheby’s, this 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona NART Spider by Michelotti is set to appear at RM Sotheby’s auction at the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic on February 14, where it is estimated to fetch anywhere from $600,000 to $750,000. According to a history report issued by the auctioneers, the car appeared at a previous RM Sotheby’s auction; specifically, the 2019 Scottsdale auction, where it hammered at around their $600,000-$650,000 estimate, at $605,000, or $670,500 with buyer’s premium.
Given this car’s provenance of incredible owners and the incredible backstory behind its existence, this is a fantastic opportunity to not only own a Daytona, but something fairly unique. While a Daytona and this may be two different cups of tea for two completely different types of people, it should be emphasized that while it isn’t every day that you’d encounter a proper Ferrari Daytona, it’s rarer to see a Daytona NART Spider like this IRL.
