Words can’t justify the sheer pleasure of just
looking at this custom 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. This was the personal
car of Bill Harrah, the casino magnate who also happened to own the world’s
largest car collection with more than 1,400 cars, and features a few unique
touches to make it even more desirable than your average Daytona.
Finished in Rame Metallizzato, this car came with a
beige leather interior with nero seat inserts, Borani wire wheels and Borletti
air-conditioning, with Harrah ordering Francisco Mir’s Service Center in Santa
Monica to put competition-style nine-inch rear wheels and fender flares, as
well as upgrade the engine.
The car is also accompanied by its own urban legend:
the story says that Harrah was approached by a helicopter salesman offering him
a faster way to commute between Reno and Lake Tahoe. Harrah said that he would
happily buy a helicopter if it could beat him driving the Ferrari between his
two clubs. The race was on and the Daytona eventually won, averaging 146mph
along the way.
The current owner bought the car in 2012 and gave it
a rebuild, including paint and bodywork and a suspension and engine rebuild of
the matching-numbers engine, including new pistons, rods, valves, and timing
chain. The V12 engine is now making 386 hp.
The car is going to be offered with no reserve at RM
Auctions Monterey event on August 18-19.
