Now listed on Bring-a-Trailer, this 1969 Ferrari 365 GB/4 began its life as a Berlinetta. It was completed in September 1969 before delivery to Swiss importer SAVAF in Geneva, and it was sold to its first owner in Switzerland. In the mid-1970s, chassis 12891 was imported to the US, where it was converted into Spider configuration by Mike Sheehan’s European Auto Restoration of Costa Mesa, California, between 1978 and 1979.
The car was then sold to soap opera producer Paul Rauch before spending 28 years with a Missouri owner who purchased it in 1984. In 2012, it was sold to an owner who commissioned a refurbishment by Symbolic Motor Car Company that included a repaint in black, a re-trim of the interior in black leather with red accents, and an overhaul of the 4.4-liter Colombo V12.
Additional features include six Weber carburetors, a five-speed manual transaxle, servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension, 15” Borrani wire wheels, a black convertible top, air conditioning, power windows, and a Becker Mexico cassette player. This Daytona Spider conversion is now offered in Newport Beach, California, at no reserve with a Marcel Massini report, invoices and photos from the refurbishment, a tool kit, and a clean Ohio title.
Background
The 365 GTB/4 was introduced in coupe form at the 1968 Paris Auto Salon and was joined by a convertible variant at the Frankfurt Auto Show the following year. Production of the 365 GTS/4 Spider began in 1971 after the platform’s shift from a covered-headlight fascia to a pop-up headlight design. Approximately 122 Spiders were produced by the factory and, like its fixed-roof counterpart, featured Scaglietti-built bodywork incorporating a steel shell with aluminum hood, trunk, and door panels riding on a steel-tube chassis with a fiberglass inner tub.
This early Berlinetta retained its plexiglass nose cover and fixed headlights during the 1970s conversion to an open-roof layout, which also included a color change from white to red. During the refurbishment that was initiated in 2012, the car was placed on a rotisserie and stripped to bare metal before repairs to the rocker panels, wheelhouses, and other areas were performed, as was the removal of and repairs to the fiberglass floor panels. The body was then refinished in black, while the bumpers were repaired and re-chromed, and additional brightwork was either re-plated or polished. The body seals were replaced during the project, and a black convertible top was fitted.
The 15×7.5” Borrani wire wheels are secured by three-eared knock-offs and were refinished during the 2012 refurbishment, as was a matching spare housed in the trunk. Michelin XWX tires measuring 215/70 were mounted all around in 2023. A refresh of the servo-assisted disc brakes during the refurbishment included rebuilds of the calipers and master cylinder, machining of the rotors, and replacement of the lines and hoses. A brake fluid flush was performed in 2023, at which time the bleeder-valve protective caps were replaced.
The cabin was re-trimmed during the refurbishment and features black leather with red accents over the seats and door panels. Additional features include black carpeting, black “mouse fur” dashboard trim, a gated shifter, air conditioning, power windows, and a Becker Mexico cassette player.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of Veglia Borletti instrumentation including a 180-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, a clock, and gauges monitoring fuel level, coolant temperature, amperage, oil temperature, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 11k miles, approximately 10 of which have been added under current ownership.
The 4.4-liter Tipo 251 Colombo V12 features a 60° bank angle, dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank, and a dry-sump lubrication system. The engine was overhauled during the refurbishment between 2012 and 2016 with work including honing of the block, polishing of the crankshaft, and replacement of the cylinder sleeves, bearings, and timing chains. The six Weber carburetors were also rebuilt during the project. The engine was resealed between late 2023 and early 2024, at which time the electric cooling fans were replaced.
Results from a 2016 dynamometer test by Hasselgren Engineering in Berkeley, California, can be viewed in the photo gallery below. The five-speed manual transaxle was resealed during the refurbishment, while the clutch assembly was replaced. The four-wheel independent suspension was refreshed during the project, while the shock absorbers were rebuilt between 2023 and 2024. The exhaust system was replaced during the 2023-2024 service.
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Above content © 2025 Bring-a-Trailer, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
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