The rise of the Ferrari 365 GTC/4

The rise of the Ferrari 365 GTC/4
17th April 2015 Team CSF

The rise of the Ferrari 365 GTC/4

There is only one thing rarer than a Ferrari 365 Daytona, and that’s a price for a Ferrari 365 Daytona. A quick check of the classifieds for such a vehicle this week revealed that they are in plentiful supply, but their sticker prices are all but extinct – replaced by the dreaded POA (or Priced On Affluence, as we like to refer to it in the office). My sympathies go out to any anyone thinking about buying one…

Ferrari 365 GTC/4

This drew my attention to its cousin, the Ferrari 365 GTC/4, simply because they had some numbers next to them – although the number that really caught my attention was £999,999 (possibly a typo, but it remains uncorrected) for a scarce RHD model.

Just three short years ago I watched one scrape past £40,000 on the hammer at auction as I wondered who had bought it and, more importantly, why? I thought it a funny looking thing with its droopy nose and puckered front bumper. In its day, it was referred to as ‘the hunchback’ – not the most flattering description of a V12 Ferrari and the Italian, ‘Il Gobbone’, unusually doesn’t sound much better.

Ferrari 365 GTC4

“Il Gobbone- The Hunchback”

 

In fact, it has a mildly detuned version of the Daytona’s engine and is a refined and well balanced GT car that is a good deal rarer than its more illustrious stablemate, with only 500 or so units built in its sole year of production. In fact, Lamborghini built more Miuras so it definitely ticks the rarity box – and sellers love rarity. It’s also growing into its looks and, the more I look at them, the better it seems to get, particularly on a set of the optional Borrani wire wheels.

One to watch?

So, is it ‘one to watch’? The prices have soared in 2014 but they still look like good value against the prices for some of their contemporaries, which would include the Daytona and Maserati Ghibli, and it has the all-important Ferrari badge.

Ferrari 365 GTC/4 prices at auction

Ferrari 365 GTC/4 prices at auction

Lamborghini’s 1970s front-engined V12 contenders – the awkward but still cool Espada and Jarama – are surely the sleepers, though. The Jarama was built in very low numbers, which almost certainly accounts for the six-figure prices now being tested by sellers (£30,000 would easily have secured one three years ago) which makes the Espada look like great value from around £50,000. Start looking now before they start disappearing as fast as the prices

 

This article originally appeared on the Goodwood Road & Racing website.

Image credits – Wikimedia Commons: Mr.Choppers/Brett Weinstein/Rene Anderes/Tony Harrison/ Klaus Nahr