Thursday, 21 March 2024

Auction Bonhams : 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 Berlinetta

Just for the records and the mention of the 1st long term single family ownership (1974-2021):

"Most important was the double overhead cam engine. Like Rolls-Royce, no horsepower figure was quoted, but surely it was at least 320. More important was its massive amount of torque. Taken together with the turbine-like characteristics of the V12 engine, it mattered little which gear one was in or at what speed." – Stanley Nowak on the 356GT4 2+2, Ferrari on the Road.

Introduced towards the end of 1972, the 365 GT4 2+2 was the biggest and best equipped four-seater Ferrari so far. Flagship of the Maranello range, it reaffirmed Ferrari's determination to compete with the world's finest luxury saloons. Based on the preceding 365 GT 2+2, albeit lower, longer and wider, the newcomer was fitted with a four-cam version of the 4.4-litre V12 engine while retaining its predecessor's mechanical underpinnings. A total of only 524 had been completed by the time production ceased in 1976, of which only 94 were supplied to the UK.

A rare, right-hand drive, manual transmission model, this fine example of the ultimate Ferrari of its day was supplied new in the UK via Maranello Concessionaires to a Mr Hitcham of Warwickshire (since deceased). Delivered on 1st June 1974, the car was finished in Azzuro Hyperion with dark blue leather interior and had a base price of some £12,960, making it around £4,000 more expensive than a Daytona. The Ferrari was first registered on the private plate '9999 NX', which to this day remains the only registration it has ever carried.

When Mr Hitcham died in 2007 the Ferrari passed to his wife, its second keeper. In 2008, a Ferrari Classiche Inspection was carried out, confirming the car's matching numbers. In June 2021 a new clutch and stainless-steel exhaust system, including manifolds, were installed and an extensive service, including new HT leads, was carried out. Some 550 miles later (at 25,276 miles recorded), the Ferrari was purchased at a UK auction by the current vendor in 2021. A measure of this car's exceptional quality may be gauged from the fact that it won the Club Trophy at the Hampton Court Concours the following year.

https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/29331/preview-lot/5837653/1974-ferrari-365-gt4-22-berlinetta-chassis-no-17835-engine-no-17835/

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