Description
Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this Ferrari Classiche certified 1974 Ferrari 365 GT/ 4 2+2.
This particular car is an Australian delivered, factory right-hand drive example that was delivered new through WH Lowe Pty Ltd. The car was originally finished in ‘oro kelso’ (gold) with a pelle beige interior. The car has a factory delivery date of April 1974. The Australian compliance plate is dated 10/ 74.
The car is understood to have been sold new into Townsville, in north Queensland. Its subsequent history is known as this car has been in Queensland its entire life, until sold by Oldtimer Australia to its current South Australian based owner in September 2021.
The car’s second owner was Bill Cunliffe, a Brisbane based lawyer and ‘car guy’ who owned this 365 GT/ 4 2+2 through until 1986. It was then purchased by Brisbane based Ferrari Club stalwarts Brendon & Leona Bonning and it remained in their ownership through until 2006. Its fourth owner was Jon Mills, who used the car sparingly, before trading it in 2014 through Euromarque, the Brisbane Ferrari dealer at the time. This Ferrari 365 GT/ 4 2+2 joined an eclectic collection of cars and it was used and enjoyed by its then owner before being sold through Oldtimer Australia in September 2021. At that time the odometer read 14, 654 miles (114, 654 miles).
It is not known exactly when the car was repainted red, but it was most likely done in the early 1980’s. The car has clearly been very well maintained throughout its life and generally it presents in good all round condition though we have noticed a few paint imperfections on the front of the car and on the left rear quarter panel.
The car had a major engine rebuild in 2006. The engine has been re-bored, new pistons fitted, new valves & guides fitted, balanced and reassembled. This work was carried out at 98, 000 miles. Additional work completed at the time included: replaced engine mounts, new clutch, gearbox overhauled, front shocks refurbished, front & rear rotors fitted along with pads.
The car was sparingly used from 2006 through until 2014 and it suffered through lack of use. The car had developed a number of oil leaks as a result of gaskets and seals drying out. As a condition of purchase by the previous owner in 2014 a number of items required attending to. The work done at this time included an engine out ‘tidy up’, with a number of gaskets and seals replaced. Additionally, the steering pump was overhauled, new engine mounts were fitted, the exhaust hangers replaced, the sway bar bushes & front lower shock bushes were replaced, the oil temperature sender was replaced, the car had all its fluids changed and a new battery fitted. All the work was completed by Euromarque.
Oldtimer Australia has had the privilege of selling a number of Ferrari 365 GT/ 4 2+2’s over the years and this car is another ‘good one’. This is a very nicely presented car that runs and drives very well.
Whilst the car carries an older repaint, it still retains a great depth of colour and high gloss. There are however some paint imperfections as mentioned earlier in this write up. All of the exterior trim, lenses, chrome work, bumpers (which are original and have been restored) and the glass are in good condition. The cabin is just a lovely place to be, presenting with just the right amount of patina. The interior of this 365 appears to be original and is generally in a good condition with the exception of the driver’s seat. The stitching on the left bolster has come loose and there is also a tear in the leather. The stitching on the right side of the headrest has also come loose. The dash, instruments & controls, steering wheel and timber veneer are all in good condition. This car has a modern version of the original Becker Mexico radio (with an iPhone connection) which is a nice touch.
The heart of any Ferrari is under the bonnet and the engine bay is just about as good as it gets on this car. The car’s previous owner could only be described as ‘fastidious’ and he painstakingly restored the engine bay to as close to how it was when the car rolled off the production line in Maranello all those years ago. The work carried out in the engine bay included: carburettors overhauled and restored to as built condition, the distributors were overhauled to as new condition and re-mapped, the distributor gear drives overhauled and restored, correct HT leads and lead brackets fitted, acorn nuts for the cam covers and correct metric fasteners fitted where required and the crackle finish was restored on the cam covers, air filter boxes, condensate canister and steel tubes.
Make no mistake this car is not just about ‘the show’! Whilst this car ‘looks the goods’ it really gets exciting when you slip in behind the wheel . . . it has plenty of ‘go’! Prime the Webers, turn the key and the 4. 4 litre V12 engine bursts into life. It starts easily and idles smoothly from the get-go. Buckle up and away you go . . . on the move, you realise that the car is really tight on the road with no rattles or squeaks. Like all Ferraris, it gets better and better as it warms up. It steers, handles and stops as you would expect. The gearbox is firm and the synchros are good, including second, even when cold. This car has power on tap in spades! The big V12 revs willingly and the car pulls strongly through the rev range. The oil pressure is good and the engine sounds ‘just right’.
The air conditioning works and the car is fitted with period correct Michelin XWX radial tyres, which are date stamped 0109 (week 1, 2009), and correct Koni shock absorbers, including the often replaced load levellers. Whilst the tyres are still in good condition they should be replaced based on age.
We contacted the car’s third and very long term owner when we sold the car to the current owner and he confirmed that the mileage at that time of 114, 654 miles was genuine. The current owner has hardly used the car in his ownership only travelling some 200 miles.
This car has the highly desirable Ferrari ‘red book’, receiving Ferrari Classiche certification in February 2010. It was the recipient of a ‘Gold Award’ at the 2021 Ferrari Concours d’Elegance held in Brisbane.
This Ferrari 365 GT/ 4 2+2 ticks all the boxes!
Highlights:
- an Australian delivered, factory RHD example.
- finished in a popular colour scheme of red with a beige interior.
- a well sorted example that is ready to be used and enjoyed.
- it has Ferrari Classiche certification, books, known history from new, a history file dating back to 1994, a diary on the car from 2014 and a correct jack kit.
The Ferrari 365 GT/ 4 2+2 has to be the last of the relatively affordable classic front engined V12 Ferraris and this example now needs a new owner to use and enjoy it!
Price AUD $149, 950.
Background:
Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Nike are brands recognisable the world over. So is Ferrari and interestingly the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer was named ‘The World’s Strongest Brand’ in the 2019 Brand Finance Global 500 Report.
Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeo’s race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni the company built its first car in 1940.
The Cavallino Rampate or ‘prancing horse’ was the symbol chosen by Ferrari and like the ‘golden arches’ it is recognised by just about every man, woman and child on the planet!
The Second World War halted Ferrari’s dream, which was finally realised in 1947, when the first car bearing his name, the Ferrari 125 S, was built. From that day on Ferrari race cars dominated the world over, winning race after race and many world championships in Formula One, sports car racing and endurance racing. Motor racing, even back in those days, was not a cheap business to be in and Ferrari needed to find ways to fund it. The answer was an obvious one. Enzo discovered there was a burgeoning demand for high powered grand tourers bearing his prancing horse badge. The lucrative profits from building these cars benefited the racing team. At the same time these GT cars would benefit from the racing program. The engines to be used were civilised versions of the engines which had proved themselves in racing. It also meant all Ferraris would share in a rich competition heritage which would make them even more special.
The 125 S evolved into the 166 Sport which was then adapted for road use and sold as the 166 Inter in the late 1940’s. The 166 was Ferrari’s first true GT car. It made its debut at the Paris motor show on 6th October 1949.
The Ferrari road cars from the 1940’s and early to mid-1950’s were built in very small numbers and it was not until the introduction of the 250 series cars that production numbers increased. Almost 1, 000 Ferrari 250 GTE’s were built from 1959 – 1963. The 250 series also produced some of the most special Ferraris ever built, including the Ferrari 250 LM, 250 SWB, 250 California Spider and of course the 250 GTO.
The Ferrari 250 series cars built from 1953 through until 1964 really put Ferrari on the map. The race cars dominated on tracks all over the world and their road cars were without peer and very successful. Ferrari was on a roll and his clientele were the rich and famous.
The 250 series cars were superseded by the 275 series cars, the 330 series cars and later the 365 series cars. The nomenclature designated the cubic capacity of each cylinder. So a Ferrari 365 was powered by a 12 cylinder engine of 4, 390cc capacity.
The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a fabulous time for Ferrari. Its flagship 365 GTB/ 4 Daytona was a resounding success and Enzo’s ‘big risk’ the Dino 246 was also selling very well. At that time Ferrari wanted to continue with his tradition of producing high performance ‘Grand Touring’ cars with a 2+2 configuration and the 365 GTC/ 4, which was a successor to the 365 GT 2+2 and the 365 GTC, filled that niche. The early 1970′s were a time of innovation and Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati et al. continued to introduce new models in an endeavour to trump the other. The 365 GTC/ 4 was only in production in 1971 & 1972 and its successor the 365 GT/ 4 2+2 was first shown in October 1972 at the Paris Motor Show. This car, designed and built by Pininfarina, featured unique styling and whilst the sharp angular lines were ‘very new’ for Ferrari it did share the characteristic design feature of a swage line dividing the body into an upper and a lower half with the 365 GTB/ 4 Daytona. Unlike the GTC/ 4 the GT/ 4 2+2 could seat four people in relative comfort. Mechanically the 365 GT/ 4 2+2 was almost identical to the 365 GTC/ 4 and its 4, 390cc quad cam V12 engine with six Weber 38DCOE side draught carburettors put out an impressive 320 bhp and was capable of propelling the car from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/ hr) in a healthy 6. 4 seconds and a top speed in excess of 150 mph (250 km/ hr).
In period the car was well regarded though the oil crisis of the 1970′s made the car somewhat difficult to sell and only 524 examples were built from 1973 to 1976.
