Rolex Encyclopedia

In 1962 Patek Philippe introduced the ref. 3448, the first automatic Perpetual Calender with Moon Phases. Ref. 3448 was fabricated between 1962 and 1985, with a total production of only 586 watches.
Most of them were in yellow gold but there is also a handful in white gold. Very few are in rose gold and 2 or 3 are made of platinum.

A ref. 3448 with Tiffany & Co on the dial

A very rare ref. 3448 in rose gold

Half way the 1950s Ferrari built less than 100 chassis per year. From 1955 until 1959 production quadrupeled and in 1962 it doubled again which meant the manufacturing of 493 chassis.
Most of these cars were the in series produced 250 GT Coupe, designed by Pininfarina in 1958, and it’s successor, the 250 GT/E.
Ferrari then reached a broad market of well-to-do customers but, apart from a couple of ‘specials’, in terms of pure performance as well as of visible distinction they didn’t have enough to offer to the most demanding part of their customers.
There was a small but very lucrative market of industrials, royalty and stars for whom money was not an issue and who only wanted the best. For them Ferrari developed the 400 Superamerica, designed by Pininfarina.

A new engine was designed, Tipo 163, a so called ‘short block’ V12 with a 4 litre capacity (hence the new type indication 400, in the past the indication meant the capacity of one cilinder) and a performance of at least 340 bhp.
For over ten years Ferrari used this block to power the V12 Ferrari’s. A modified version of the Tipo 163 was used in the Ferrari 330 TRI/LM with which Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien became overall winner of the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Total production number of the Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series I Coupe Aerodinamico, introduced at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show, eventually was about 13. The only watch of that era that really matched with this fabulous car was the Patek Philippe ref. 3448.

Let us see what 2014 has to offer.

At Baselworld 2014 Patek Philippe showed their ref. 5960/1A-001 to the public for the first time. The most interesting feature of this watch with an Annual Calender is that it is made of stainless steel. Normally Patek Philippe only manufactures complicated watches with the use of precious metals. Until now SS was only used for the Nautilus and the Aquanaut.

Press Release
Description Card

Ferrari has just made the California T public. Just like the ref. 5960/1A-001 it has a very striking feature.
It’s V8 engine is equipped with 2 turbo’s and that is a technical breakthrough for Ferrari (the last Ferrari with a turbo engine was the 1989 F40). This engine not only produces more than enough power, 560 bhp, but also has lower fuel consumption. This development comes straight from Formula 1 where, after a long pause, cars are running with turbo engines again in 2014.

The Patek Philippe ref. 5960/1A-001 and the Ferrari California T, a combination for the ultimate joy.

Jaap Bakker

In 1987, the Ferrari F40 was born to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Ferrari. The F40 design was intended to take a specific prey in, but I will come back to that later.
Actually, as early as 1962, the Ferrari 250 GTO laid the foundation of the F40 (see article: ‘the Ferrari 250 GTO: of unprecedented beauty’). From there the following models eventually resulted in the F40:
- 308/328 GTB/S
- 288 GTO
- 288 GTO Evoluzione

Pic.: Ferrari 250 GTO

In 1975, the Ferrari 308 GTB was introduced at the Paris and London car fairs. The car was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. The engine was equal to the one used in the 308 GT/4, but the GTB had dry sump lubrication providing better cooling and a lower engine position. The frame design had copied a number of striking features of the Dino 246 GT, such as air inlets in the door, round 2-lamp rear lights and vertically concave rear windows which made it a very successful successor of the Dino.
A not directly visible, but striking feature of the 308 GTB was the entire frame, except the aluminium front valve, being made of fibre glass. For Ferrari this was the first production car containing a frame made of this material, but at the same time the last one. Ferrari did not use fibre glass any more for a car manufactured in large amounts; after that however, loose parts like the front and rear wings or the nose of the car, were often made of fibre glass. From the autumn of 1976, the cars for the American market were manufactured with frames made of the more familiar pressed steel and aluminium, and from the mid 1977s the same was true for the European models.

Pic.: Ferrari 308 GTB/S

The models for the European market had tube frames with serial number F 106 AB 100. The 308 was provided with disc brakes and an independent wheel suspension with wishbones, springs and hydraulic shock absorbers surrounded by anti roll bars.
The transversely positioned aluminium V8 mid-engine had the 90-degree configuration and a content of 2926 cc, with a bore and stroke of 81 mm x 71 mm (serial number F 106 AB 000 for the European market). The 308 had an ‘all synchromesh’ five-speed gearbox positioned below the engine and against the back side of the dry sump (the European models exclusively). The cars for the European market had 255 HP, the USA models 240 (this in connection with emission regulations). All of the manufactured cars were provided with odd frame numbers. The production ran from 1975 till 1980 and during those years 2897 308 GTB/S were produced with the frame numbers 18677 to 34349.

Pic.: Ferrari 288 GTO

Ferrari developed the 288 GTO in order to take part in the new group of B Race series for which at least 200 samples were needed for homologation. However, after the death of Henri Toivonen and his co-pilot Sergio Cresto in the 1986 Tour de Corse the FIA did away with this racing class due to which only the Group A Rally championship remained. Eventually, the 272 280 GTOs built between 1984-1985 did not race, but remained road cars.
By the way, Ferrari initially built 270 GTOs, but then they intended to present Niki Lauda (see article:’Niki Lauda: passionate race-driver) with a 288 to thank him for his efforts as a Formula I race-driver for Ferrari in the 70s (world champion in ’75 and ’77). Number 272 was built out of spare parts for an American car-lover.

Ferrari built the following 6 prototypes of the 288 GTO for various purposes:

- 44725 GT’SWB’: standard testing
- 44421 GT’LWB’: standard testing, crash test
- 44727 GT: brake and frame testing
- 47647 GT: test car for electronic system and turbochargers
- 47649 GT: road and endurance testing
- 47711 GT: speed limit and acceleration testing
The first two prototypes had 2.88-litres V8s with KKK and IHI turbochargers respectively, the other four had GTO engines.
Later another prototype was built to be used for the development of the 288 GTO Evoluzione:

- 50253 GT: 650 hp Evoluzione engine, test car for the F40

When taking a first quick glance at the styling of the 288 GTO, it seemed a logical evolution of the two previous Pininfarina designs, the Berlinetta Boxer and the 308. However, it turned out to be a completely new car of which even the dimensions deviated from the previous models. The 288 was shorter, had a longer wheel base and was significantly broader, all features of a racing car. The air inlets and outlets were focused on racing as well. Furthermore, the high-positioned wing mirrors and the striking Kamm tail (invented by the German Professor Wunibald Kamm [1893-1966]; already applied to the 250 GTO) could be noticed leading to higher speed and more stability. Chromium could hardly be found on the 288 and even the Cavallino Rampante at the back side was black. The 288 GTO was delivered in one colour only: Rosso Corsa.
The 288 frame consisted of fibre glass and composites. The bottom and most of the frame parts were made of pressed fibre glass, and aluminium, Kevlar and Nomex were also used for other specific parts. The tube frame consisted of several subframes attached to the central part around the cabin. The entire back subframe, with wheel drive and back wheel suspension, could be removed from the car in one part for faster maintenance (also typical of a competition car).
The 288 GTO was driven by a longitudinally positioned 2.855 cc 90-degree V8 Twin Turbo light metal engine. The engine block was behind the passenger’s cabin and connected with the back transaxle. Every cylinder row had its own ignitor, its own large IHI Turbo with Behr Intercooler and was fuelled by its own aluminium fuel tank (two tanks, inter-connected, with a total content of 120 litres). The 288 was provided with an entirely synchronised five-speed gearbox with hydraulic single-plate coupling.
Although designed for racing the 288 GTO interior was far from spartan. The majority of the clients opted for kevlar, black-leather bucket seats, an option was black with orange hems. The dashboard was provided with non-reflective material and behind the three-spoke steering wheel were black/orange indicators. The car had climate control and sound reproducing equipment.

Pic.: Ferrari 288 GTO

The 288 GTO was a fabulous car, but one thing kept bothering Ferrari. In the country of castles, frying sausages and beer festivals a car was manufactured that drove even faster than the 288GTO: the Porsche 959. This was the prey the F40 still to be developed had to hunt for.
Ferrari developed a competition version of the 288 GTO, the 288 GTO Evoluzione, its sole purpose being to serve as a testing car for the F40 (Ferrari no longer participated in competition, Group B in the World Rally Championship). Giovanni Razelli, Ferrari’s general manager, called the Evoluzione a ‘mobile laboratory’.
In mid-1983 Nicola Materazzi’s first priority was the engine.
The F 114 B of the standard GTO had to be converted into the F 114 C. By relatively simple interventions, including increasing turbo pressure, its capacity was driven up from 400 to 600 hp. The total weight was reduced to 1,000 kg (including full tanks) and extensively aerodynamic testing was done. Eventually, Ferrari built 3 samples of the 288 GTO Evoluzione, chassis numbers 50253 GT, 70167 GT and 70205 GT, which are still being used for testing.

Pic.: Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione

On 21 July 1987, at Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, the Ferrari F40 was presented. At 11.09 h sharp, a Lancia Thema limousine driven by Enzo Ferrari was driven up to the entrance of the ‘centro civico’ in Maranello. The unpretending hall of the ‘centro civico’ was crowded with journalists from USA, Japan, Brasil, England, France, the Arabic States and Italy.
The F40 was Ferrari’s answer to the Porsche 959, a delicate item in Maranello. Materazzi had watched the 959 project with interest, but he was also sceptical about it, stating:”As an engineer, I found the things they were doing in Weissach fascinating. But I don’t hold with the idea of packing so much technology into a fast road car. What tends to happen is that technology becomes an end in itself, which has a demotivating effect on the development team”.

Dr. Leonardo Fioravanti, Pininfarina’s general manager, who was responsible for the F40 design, elucidated his opinion about the car:
“With its central passenger cell, flat front section, favorable aerodynamic properties and sealed underbody, the F40 is a quintessential sports car. One of its outstanding features is the low, flat nose, which harks back to the classic Ferraris of the 1960s, with their exceptionally clean and functional lines. It has a central air intake for the oil-cooler and the optional air-conditioning system, and two further air-holes, mounted on each side, for the ventilation of the disc brakes. The two small NACA vents in the hood supply fresh air to the interior. In addition, on each side of the car there are two air intakes for the rear disc brakes and the air supply to the engine, plus air escape vents on each of the front fenders. The rear section also has a markedly sporty appearance, which is emphasized by the large rear wing. The rear window, which extends across the width of the car, has a semi-conical form and directs the air-flow onto the wing, thereby maximizing its aerodynamic effect.”
About the interior Fioravanti said:
“When we began to design the interior, our main concern was that it should be as functional as possible, in order to make it fit in with the general character of the car. For this reason we decided to equip the car with sliding windows and racing car pedals. The dashboard, which is made from a special compound material, also derives directly from racing car design and is hence in keeping with the overall concept of the F40 as a sports car.”

Pic.: Ferrari F40

During the developmental process of the F40 the following interesting step took place. The frame of the car had to be distinctly stiff, but also light. In order to test this frame Sergio Scaletti designed a four-seat cabriolet with a Ferrari 412 engine. Scaletti stated:”The reason for choosing this particular format was that we wanted to compare the car with the 2+2 coupe. We were extremely pleased with the result: the new vehicle was several hundred kilograms lighter than its predecessor, and its stiffness was improved by a factor of four of five. Incidentally, the frame of this experimental car was made in one piece, as in racing car technology.”

Pic.: Ferrari 412 convertible from 1984

Nicola Materazzi said about the engine:”With 55 mkg of torque at 3.500 rpm, we have achieved our original objective. At 7.000 rpm the car delivers 478 bhp, which is enough for anyone except Enzo Ferrari, who initially hoped that the LM would reach 500 bhp.”
The F40 (also called LM) accelerated from 0-200 km/h in 12 seconds and its top speed was 324 km/h (201 mph). By making the frame parts out of composites the F40 weighed 100 kg less than the 288 GTO which was indeed a lightweight car.
The F40 was nothing less than a racing car with a number plate. The hunt for the Porsche 959 could be opened.

Jaap Bakker

Since November 5th 2011 Ferrari and Hublot have decided to work together intensly. This deal means that Hublot is now the official watch of Ferrari and the Scuderia Ferrari, the official ‘Timekeeper’ of Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari and the Ferrari Challenge; she is also partner in the Ferrari ‘special events’.

“This collaboration, rich in a host of synergies, gives Hublot a massive boost along the road.”

Jean-Claude Biver
Hublot Chairman

“Exclusivity, technology, passion, style”: Hublot and Ferrari share many core values and this new partnership between two such highly prestigious brands is an important milestone for both.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo
Ferrari S.p.A. President

The legendary ‘brand’ Ferrari was born on the first of December 1929. At that date the parents of hero pilot Francesco Baracca donated the symbol of the prancing horse to Scuderia Ferrari; the symbol was placed on a canary yellow background, the colour of the town of Modena.
The first Ferrari was built in 1947 and was called 125 S. The race car had a V12 engine with 125 being the displacement per cilinder in cubic centimeters. This name giving was the start of a tradition for Ferrari.

To put clear emphasis on the cooperation with Ferrari Hublot has designed the Big Bang Ferrari.
The case has a diameter of 45.5 mm, bigger than normal, and a cilindrical bezel that beautifully shows the movement through the dial made of sapphire glass. The crown with index ( The ‘H’ of Hublot automatically positions itself to stay in one line) has extended push buttons fixed on a rotating axe like the pedals on the Ferrari steering wheel; the case has an carbon fibre inlay.
The watch has two bracelets that can be switched with a clever system that is inspired on a car’s seatbelts. The tone on tone stitching is proof of Ferrari’s craftmanship with leather and their centuries old partner Schedoni from Modena. The prancing horse, subtle made with relief, is at the ’9′ position on the dial. At ’3′ one finds the minute counter, it’s hands and dial cite to the dashboard of the Ferrari 458 Italia. The date is shown in ‘Modena’ yellow.
The movement of the Big Bang Ferrari is the Hublot Unico 1241 automatic chronograph calibre. The movement has 330 parts and it’s frequency is 28,800 bph. The power reserve of the 1241 is 72 hours.
Besides a titanium case the Ferrari is also available in the by Hublot developed Magic Gold. This is a mixture of ceramic material and 18k gold and it’s at least twice as resistant to scratches as pure gold. The material is darker than pure gold and has a light green-grey complexion.

The following are the technical specifications of the Big Bang Ferrari as provided by Hublot:

BIG BANG FERRARI MAGIC GOLD, BIG BANG FERRARI TITANIUM – Tech specs from Hublot:

References 401.MX.0123.GR (BIG BANG FERRARI MAGIC GOLD) 500-piece limited edition

401.NX.0123.GR (BIG BANG FERRARI TITANIUM) 1000-piece limited edition

Case Diameter: 45.5 mm – polished Magic Gold or satin-finished Titanium

Bezel: Polished Magic Gold or satin-finished Titanium

6 H-shaped black PVD titanium screws, countersunk, polished & locked (Magic Gold)

6 H-shaped countersunk, polished & locked screws (Titanium)

Crystal: Sapphire with interior/exterior anti-reflective coating

Bezel lug: Black composite resin

Lateral inserts: Black composite resin with carbon insert at 9 o’clock

Crown: Micro-blasted and polished black PVD titanium (Magic Gold), Micro-blasted and polished titanium (Titanium), Black rubber insert with Hublot logo

Push-buttons: Micro-blasted and polished black PVD titanium (Magic Gold), Micro-blasted and polished titanium (Titanium), Black rubber insert on the push-piece at 2 o’clock, Engraved Ferrari logo with red lacquer on the push-piece at 4 o’clock

Case-back: Micro-blasted and polished black PVD titanium

Sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflective treatment

Water resistance 10 ATM, i.e. approx. 100 meter
Dial: Sapphire with white Hublot logo transfer

Rhodium-plated Ferrari prancing horse applique

Satin-finished rhodium-plated or 2N gold-plated indexes

Hands: Satin-finished rhodium-plated white SuperLuminova™ (Titanium) or 2N gold-plated black SuperLuminova™ (Magic Gold)

Minute counter hand with Ferrari red coating

Movement: HUB 1241 Unico movement, developed and manufactured in-house by Hublot, self-winding chronograph

Date: Yellow window at 3 o’clock

Oscillating weight: Satin-finished and micro-blasted black coating, imitating the shape of a wheel rim

Power reserve: Approximately 72 hours

Straps: Black rubber strap with central rubber decoration, alcantara and tone-on-tone stitching or black rubber, scedoni leather and tone-on-tone stitching

Clasp: deployant buckle in satin-finished black PVD titanium with carbon insert (Titanium) or satin-finished titanium with carbon insert (Magic Gold)

Thanks to Wilfred Muhring, Shop Director Schaap & Citroen Utrecht(NL)

Jaap Bakker

The Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT car which was made by Ferrari from 1962 till 1964 for the homologation of the FIA’s Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. The ’250′ in the name represents the one-cylinder capacity expressed in cubic centimetres and GTO stands for ‘Gran Turismo Omologata’, Italian for ‘Grand Touring Homologated’. A new GTO could be purchased for $ 18.000 in the US and buyers were to be approved of by Enzo Ferrari himself and his dealer in North-America, Luigi Chinetti.
In 1962/63, 36 GTOs were manufactured. In 1964, the ‘Series II’ was introduced with a slightly different appearance. Three of those cars were manufactured and four ‘Series I’ were converted to the 1964 version, adding up to 39 GTOs in total.

Pic.: Ferrari 250 GTO ‘Series II’

The 250 GTO was designed in order to be used in GT Racing. It was based on the 250 GT SWB. Chief engineer Giotto Bizzarini removed the 3-litre V12 motor from the 250 Testa Rossa and put it in the chassis of the 250 GT SWB. He and designer Sergio Scaglietti jointly designed the coach. After Bizzarini and the majority of the remaining Ferrari engineers were fired following a difference of opinion with Enzo Ferrari, the development route was passed on to Mauro Forghieri. He worked together with Scaglietti to further develop the exterior of the car, including the wind tunnel and track testing. Contrary to most of Ferraris, the 250 GTO had not been designed by an individual or particular designer bureau.

Pic.: the V12 of the 250 GTO

The remaining parts of the car were typical of the Ferrari technology in the early 60s: a hand-welded tube frame, A-arm front-wheel suspension, ‘live-axle’ back-wheel suspension, disc brakes and Borrani capstan wheels. The five gearbox originally designed by Porsche was new in the Ferrari GT racing cars; the metal plate inside which the gear lever was changing became traditional to Ferrari and can still be found in the new models. The interior was extremely basic, even with lack of a speedometer on the dashboard. Many of the switches were from the Fiat 500.

Pic.: the 250 GTO interior

The 1962 FIA regulations required that 100 samples of a car be built in order to be homologised for the Group 3 Grand Touring Car races. However, Ferrari produced only 39 samples of the 250 GTO: 33 ‘normal’ cars, 3 with the four-liter 330 motor (also called the 330 GTO, recognizable by the large bump on the bonnet) and 3 ‘Type 64′ cars with an altered appearance. Ferrari circumvented the FIA regulations by not numbering the chassis numbers in sequence, suggesting the construction of cars that did not exist.
The 250 GTO made its debut in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1962, driven by the American Phil Hill (Formule 1 world champion at that time) and the Belgian Olivier Gendebien. Although the pair was initially annoyed that they had to drive a GT class car instead of a full-race Testa Rossa competing in the prototype class, the experienced couple deeply impressed themselves and everyone else by finishing second behind the Testa Rossa of Bonnier and Scarfiotti.
This was followed by convincing victories at Goodwood in England and in France on the Auvergne and Monthlery circuits where the Ferraris claimed four out of five highest positions.
At Le Mans Jean Guichet and Pierre Noblet won the GT class and they finished, unbelievably, second with an average speed of 113,077 mph (182,673 km/h) only to be exceeded by the speed of the winning Ferrari 330 LM, 115,245 mph (185,469 km/h). The other GTOs were outpaced and finished third and sixth. Later that year they finished second again twice, on the Nürburgring and the Bridgehampton circuit (USA).

In 1963, the achievements were comparable to those in 1962. Overall victories were gained at Daytona, Florida (Pedro Rodriguez), Spa in Belgium (Willy Mairesse), during two important Goodwood races (Mike Parkes and Graham Hill) and in the Tour de France (Guichet/Jean Behra). At Le Mans the 250 GTO won again the GT class and finished second overall.
Eventually, the 250 GTO was to win the FIA International Championship for GT Manufacturers in the < 2 liter class in 1962, 1963 and 1964. The 250 GTO was one of the latest front-engine cars to remain competitive in the top of car racing.

Below you will find the main technical data of the 250 GTO:

Engine
Typefront, longitudinal 60° V12
Bore/stroke73 x 58.8 mm
Unitary displacement246.10 cc
Total displacement2953.21 cc
Compression ratio9.8 : 1
Maximum power221 kW (300 hp) at 7400 rpm
Power per litre102 hp/l
Maximum torque-
Valve actuationsingle overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder
Fuel feedsix Weber 38 DCN carburettors
Ignitionsingle spark plug per cylinder, two coils
Lubricationdry sump
Clutchsingle-plate
ChassisFrametubular steel
Front suspensionindependent, unequal-length wishbones, co-axial coils and telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear suspensionlive axle, twin radius arms, semi-elliptic springs, co-axial coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers
Brakesdiscs
Transmission5-speed + reverse
Steeringworm and roller
Fuel tankcapacity 130 litres
Front tyres6.00 x 15
Rear tyres7.00 x 15
Bodywork
Typetwo-seater berlinetta
Length4325 mm
Width1600 mm
Height1210 mm
Wheelbase2400 mm
Front track1354 mm
Rear track1350 mm
Weight880 kg (dry)
Performance
Top speed280 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h-
0-400 m-
0-1000 m-
Note to the Technical Details:

The listed details are those published by Ferrari at the model’s presentation. For the models produced in the participating in these two categories) and Gran Turismo. (the road-going cars, many of which also took part in various international races).
first years no external measures of the body were given, because those could vary from car to car. All models from Ferrari have been divided into three categories: single-seater, Sport/Prototype (theThe year of all the models’ introductions is the debut in competitions for the single-seaters and Sport /Prototypes and the official presentation as far as the Gran Turismo are concerned.

Jaap Bakker

Pic.: Ferrari 275 GTB/4

In 1968, when Ferrari replaced the 275 GTB by the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, there was no talk about a racing version, so an extremely successful competition era threatened to come to an end. During this period the Ferraris, particularly the GT descendants, had dominated GT racing.
The manufacturer had several reasons for putting the client racing program on hold, especially because of the sharply rising costs for the sports car and F1 activities and due to the fact that clients became more focused on prototype racing.
However, the 365 GTB/4 had the same racing DNA as its predecessors, so it did not take long before someone took up the gauntlet to race with the Daytona.
It was no surprise that this person was Luigi Chinetti. Chinetti had been involved in the creation of Ferrari from the very beginning.
After WW II Europe resumed racing and Chinetti took part in the competitions. In 1949, in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he drove the first Ferrari to win this race and he set up the record of the first racing driver to win the race three times until then. The Ferrari 166 MM, driven by Chinetti during the 24 Hours, was taken over by Baron Selsdon of Scotland (Peter Mitchell-Thomson) for 20 minutes, so he became the official co-driver. More important is that Chinetti had covered twenty three hours of the 24 Hours. After the race Thomson bought the Ferrari 166 MM via Chinetti.

In the same year Chinetti won the 24 Hours of Spa for the second time in a Ferrari, together with Jean Lucas.

Pic.: Luigi Chinetti

Pic.: Luigi Chinetti in the Ferrari 166 MM during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949

Later Chinetti became the Ferrari importer for North-America and for a long time he had taken part in races with the North American Racing Team (NART), his private team. In 1969, with an alloy-bodied Daytona he participated in the Daytona and Sebring races, his best result being the 12th position in the latter race.
Strengthened by his Daytona’s performance, Chinetti contacted his old friend Enzo Ferrari, trying to change Enzo’s mind about making a racing version of the Daytona. Enzo suggested the following. The Ferrari ‘Assistenza Clienti’ (client service) would prepare a series of 5 Daytonas for the 1971 racing season. A crucial element of the arrangement between Chinetti and Ferrari was ‘Gestione Sportiva’ (plant’s racing department) not getting involved in this undertaking. In this way Ferrari could say that they were not connected with the Daytona Competizione, while he remained on good terms with the loyal clients.
Built according to the Group 4 regulations, the bodywork of the Daytona Competitizione was entirely made of aluminium and the windows were made of plastic, resulting in 400-kg weight-saving compared to the relatively heavy road version. Changes of the car’s exterior included the removal of the bumpers and applying small ‘fences’ on the front mudguards in order to improve stability at a fast pace. The engine modifications were limited to a cold air box and an open exhaust system. The horsepower capacity increased by 50 to impressive 402.

Technical data of the Daytona Competitizione:

Engine
Type
rear, longitudinal flat-12
Bore/stroke
81 x 71 mm
Unitary displacement
365.86 cc
Total displacement
4390.35 cc
Compression ratio
9,9:1
Maximum power
316 kW (430 hp) at 7800 rpm
Power per litre
98 hp/l
Maximum torque
461 Nm (47 kgm) ar 5500 rpm
Valve actuation
twin overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder
Fuel feed
six Weber 40 DCN 21 carburettors
Ignition
single spark plug per cylinder, two coils
Lubrication
dry sump
Clutch
single-plate
Chassis
Frame
tubular steel
Front suspension
independent, unequal-length wishbones,
coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension
independent, unequal-length wishbones,
coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes
discs
Transmission
5-speed + reverse
Steering
worm and roller
Fuel tank
capacity 125 litres

Front tyres
255/10/15
Rear tyres
275/11/15
Bodywork
Type
two-seater berlinetta
Length
4425 mm
Width
1760 mm
Height
1245 mm
Wheelbase
2400 mm
Front track
1478 mm
Rear track
1515 mm
Weight
1240 kg (dry)
Performance
Top speed
310 km/h
Acceleration
0-100 km/h
Prototype
1 12547
Series I alloy
5 14407, 14429, 14437, 14885, 14889
Series II
5 15225, 15373, 15667, 15681, 15685
Series III
5 16343, 16363, 16367, 16407, 16425
offical conversions
8 12467, 13367, 13855, 14065, 14107, 14141, 15965, 16717
Total
24

Apart from Chinetti, experienced Ferrari ‘privateers’ like the French importer Charles Pozzi and the Scuderia Filipinetti bought the new GT racer as well. The second car of the series I was sold to an Italian fan who chose to drive the mighty machine on public road. Ready in the autumn of 1971, the Daytona Competizione made its debut in the Tour de France where the cars of Filipinetti and Pozzi finished fourth and tenth overall respectively. The final important performance of the car in 1971 was during the Montlhery 1000 km where Pozzi’s car finished third overall and second in its class.
In the winter of ’71/’72 another five steel bodywork cars were built with 430 hp engines. The Daytona Competizione made an important breakthrough during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972 where a series II sample of Pozzi finished fifth overall and first in its class before four sister cars.
The Daytona Competizione’s versatility was also emphasized by the Le Mans class winner having achieved a clear-cut victory in the Tour de France one year later. Also at the other side of the Atlantic Ocean the Daytonas were used for racing successfully.
For the 1973 season five cars were built with even more powerful engines and they continued to be successful with two class victories at Le Mans. Along with the prototype for Chinetti and the fifteen samples manufactured by Ferrari’s ‘Assistenza Clienti’ several Daytona road versions were updated to Group 4 specifications in the early 70s. Many of those cars made a long and successful racing career; one of them even finished second overall during the Daytona 24 Hours in 1979.

Below the history of the five Daytona Competiziones from series I is elucidated:

A new car, Chassis 14407, was delivered to Charles Pozzi in the summer of 1971, the first of five samples to be built that year. It made its competition debut by finishing tenth in the Tour Auto and third overall in the Montlhery 1000 km. In the following years there was large-scale racing with 14407 leading to a class victory at Le Mans in 1974 by Bardini and the former owner Cyril Grandet being the best results. Eventually, the car ended up with a Dutch fan who restored it from top to bottom and started racing with it, inter alia, in the 2005 Auto Tour (see picture).

Chassis 14429:
This is the sole sample of the 15 Daytona Competiziones built that was not used for racing in the 70s. Chassis 14429 was bought by Enzo Ferrari’s close friend Dottore Paolo Mariani who drove it on public road. In the following years the car was owned by various people until Sir Anthony Bamford bought it in 1994. He had the car prepared for racing, but it was used for this purpose only a few times. As of 1999, the 14429 has had a Swiss owner who is participating, among other things, in the Tour Auto and Le Mans Classic.

Chassis 14437:
This sample was intended for the Scuderia Filipinetti being the first to drive it in the Tour Auto where Vic Elford and Max Kingsland finished fourth with it. After chassis 14437 had crashed at Le Mans in 1972, it was on the sidelines until it was eventually sold. The actor Paul Newman bought the car in 1977 and he finished fifth overall in the Daytona 24 Hours together with Milt Minter and Elliott Forbes-Robinson. After a short break in the Matsuda collection, the car is presently owned by an American enthusiast who is actively involved in car racing in the USA and Europe.

Chassis 14885:
This is the first of the 2 Daytona Competiziones to be sold to Luigi Chinetti’s NART team. This sample raced on the Daytona and Sebring circuits at the beginning of the 1972 season. The best result was gained on Sebring where Luigi ‘Coco’ Chinetti and Bob Grossman finished second in its class. In the 90s the car returned to the circuits, being owned by a German fan at that time. The picture shows the 14885 in the hands of Sir Anthony Bamford who participated in the Tour Auto and the Spa CER race in 2005 and in the 2006 Le Mans Classic.

Chassis 14889:
The final sample of the series I was newly delivered to the NART team that frequently raced with it during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. Its best result included a fifth overall position in the Daytona 24 Hours in 1973, driven by Bob Grossman, Luigi ‘Coco’ Chinetti and Wilbur Shaw Jr. The 14889 stayed in the USA for a long time until it was bought by the Frenchman Jean Guikas who took part in Le Mans Classic in 2010.

Jaap Bakker

The son of a wealthy Viennese family, Andreas Nikolaus ‘Niki’ Lauda was born on February 22nd, 1949. The family’s social status turned out to be both advantageous and disadvantageous to Niki. He found it very hard to adapt himself to the family’s straightjacket, but when he found himself seriously involved in racing, the family capital came in useful. As a 12-year old boy he would park the cars of his parents’ visitors and via Formule Vee and Formule 3, Niki ended up in Formule 2 in 1971. This against his father’s will who wanted Niki to stay away from racing.

In the seasons of 1971 and 1972, with loads the family’s money he managed to secure a seat in the March team March (F1/F2 combination) together with Ronnie Peterson. Later he bought a seat in the BRM team of Louis Stanley and then, all of a sudden, Niki’s career took a wide scope. First, Stanley started to pay him for driving his car and subsequently Luca di Montezemolo of Ferrari called him, as he had become aware of Niki’s great talent.

In 1974, his first year in the Ferrari team, he gained his first of the 26 F1 victories and he and his team mate Clay Regazzoni competed for the championship.

The Ferrari 312 T (Transversal) was greatly superior to the competition cars and Niki won 5 races in 1975. He became world champion, leaving number two far behind and he called ’75 ‘the unbelievable year’.

Niki is most likely to be memorized by the championship he did not win.

At the time of the Grand Prix of Germany on the Nurburgring in 1976, Niki led in the world championship significantly despite the fact that he had broken a few ribs while mowing on a tractor on his estate in Salzburg. In his McLaren, F1 playboy James Hunt, winner of the British GP in that year, lagged more than 20 points behind Niki.
After an early pit stop to change rain tyres for slicks, Niki’s Ferrari suddenly flew to the right for inexplicable reasons, hitting the crashbarrier near Bergwerk. The car bounced back on the track, Brett Lunger was unable to avoid Niki’s car which was set on fire.

A couple of race-drivers including Brett Lunger, Guy Edwards and fearless Arturo Merzario managed to free Niki from the burning wreck. Although he was still able to stand after the accident, it soon became clear how seriously wounded he was. Hot, toxic gases had damaged his lungs and had entered his blood circulation. His helm had partly come loose, causing his head to be seriously burnt and he soon became comatose. For weeks on end his life was being feared for.

The unbelievable happened: six weeks after his accident Niki could again be found in the cockpit of his Ferrari. Later he confessed that he was almost paralysed with fright at that time. In the previous 6 weeks two GPs had taken place and Hunt had come closer, having gained a second victory in Zandvoort. Niki returned at the Monza GP and finished fourth admirably (3 points). Subsequently, Hunt won the two following GPs in North-America. In Canada, Niki was forced to give up due to suspension problems and on Watkins Glen he came in third. Before the final race on the Fuji circuit, Hunt only lagged 3 points behind Niki. The race started in heavy rain and after two laps Niki gave up, saying it was madness to race under those weather conditions. He may have been right, but his previous accident is very likely to have influenced this decision as well. During the race the weather conditions improved quickly and despite a late pit stop, Hunt finished third resulting in his becoming world champion, with 1 point ahead of Niki.
In 1977, Niki became world champion for the second time driving a Ferrari (thanks to only 3 victories), but at the Canada Grand Prix he suddenly terminated his collaboration with Ferrari. In ’78/’79, he drove for Brabham and then announced the end of his F1 career.
However, in 1982 he returned, for financial reasons he said, (in the intervening year he had started his own airplane company Lauda Air, which was heavy financial burden to him). He entered a contract (the agreement cost him a lot of money, but involved only 4 races) with Ron Dennis of McLaren. His teammate was John Watson.
In 1984, Niki became the world champion for the third time, this time with the McLaren TAG Turbo, with 1/2 point (the Monaco GP was cancelled due to which the points had been halved) ahead of his former teammate Alain Prost.
A short overview of Niki’s record in F1:
- Races: 171
- Victories: 26
- Pole positions: 24
- Podiums: 54
- Fastest racing laps: 25
- Number of laps having the lead: 1620
- World champion: 1975 and 1977 (Ferrari), 1984 (McLaren)
‘This year (1974) I wasn’t ready to become world champion. If I have a good season next year, I shall know the reason for it all: to make me tough and ready for great things’
Lauda
‘What struck me was how “clever” his best performances were. He often kept himself back, in practice, and awaited the right moment, and then really went flat out. He always thought more deeply than the others, and he also gave himself endless trouble preparing the race’
Fritz Indra, Ferrari mechanic
‘My PR value alone is worth that much. You’ll be paying only one dollar for my driving ability, all the rest is for my personality’
Lauda, during the negotiations with McLaren and Marlboro to return in F1
Niki Lauda has always been a loyal wearer of Rolex watches.

Pic.: Niki with his Rolex Daytona ‘Big Red Panda’

Pic.: Niki with his ‘Pepsi’ Rolex GMT-Master

Jaap Bakker

Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV (played by actor Tom Selleck) was the main character in the popular TV serial Magnum, P.I. in the eighties.
He was born between 1944 and 1947, most likely on the 8th of August 1944. His parents were Katherine and Thomas Sullivan Magnum III and both his father and grandfather were naval officers. He was born in Detroit, but raised near Tidewater, Virginia.

Magnum was in the US Navy forces for over ten years, serving in Navy Seals as well as Naval Intelligence. He fought in the Vietnam war and was made a prisoner of war. In 1979, a disillusioned man, he left the Navy, but in the final Magnum P.I. episode he decided to re-enter active naval service as Commander (O-5). He may have served in the Golf War and retired in the rank of Captain (O-6) in the late nineties after a 30-year service period.
After he left the Navy, Magnum ended up in Hawaii where he hung around as a private detective, broke, being uncertain about getting paid jobs. Nevertheless, he was able to have a comfortable life which he owed to the well-known actor Robin Masters who put him up in the guest rooms of his country estate ‘Robin’s Nest’. Moreover, Magnum was allowed to make unlimited use of his Ferrari 308 GTS, as long as he could safeguard the security on the estate.

The clothing Magnum liked most consisted of khaki short or jeans (Navy-issue trunks or Levis), an Aloha shirt and Sperry boat shoes or Puma Easy Rider sneakers, usually without socks. He often wore timeworn baseball caps of his favourite team, the Detroit Tigers.
Magnum led the life any man dreams of: a Rolex round his wrist, a Ferrari at his disposal, working when you feel like it, a never empty fridge filled with beer, beautiful women and adventures with friends.
During the first season of the serial it became clear that Magnum was a fan of the Styx, Jefferson Starship and Blondie bands. But he reluctantly admitted having recordings of Bach and Beethoven as well, particularly to impress his pal Higgins.

Magnum’s favourite drink used to be Old Düsseldorf beer in long-necked bottles, but it did not bother him at all to pinch a bottle of wine from Robin Masters’s wine cellar; but only when he was absolutely sure that Higgings was not around.
He was characterized by a collection of personal stuff, souvenirs collected over the years such as baseball bats and caps, a gorilla mask and a rubber chicken. He also had a VHS tape of ‘Stalag 17′, his favourite movie.
His personal weapon, which he bore with some regret, was a Colt Government Model .45 ACP hand weapon, Colt’s commercial version of the standard military issue M1911A1 (In the serial Tom Selleck did not use a .45, because he could not rely on it when firing dummies. It was substituted by a 9 mm dummy Parabellum, a weapon that strongly resembles the 45).
One wall in Robin’s Nest guest rooms was decorated with a real Gauguin and Magnum frequently negotiated with Higgins about using expensive cameras and the tennis courts on the estate. And to crown it all, Magnum was allowed to drive Robin Masters’ Ferrari 308 GTS unlimitedly.

Pic.: the camera used by Magnum in the Ferrari and the contents of his wallet

In the serial three different Ferrari types were used:
- Season 1: 308 GTS
- Season 2-6: 308 GTSi
- Season 7-8: 308 GTSi QV
Below an overview of the technical specifications of the various 308 types:
1978 308 GTS
Year(s) Horsepower
1977-1980 240 HP
Weight Torque
3,160 lbs. 181 lbs. @ 5000 RPM
Top Speed 0-60
151 MPH 7.0 seconds
1980 308 GTSi
Year(s) Horsepower
1980-1982 205 HP
Weight Torque
3,225 lbs. 181 lbs. @ 5000 RPM
Top Speed 0-60
146 MPH 7.3 seconds
1984 308 GTSi QV
Year(s) Horsepower
1982-1985 230 HP
Weight Torque
3,230 lbs. 188 lbs. @ 5000 RPM
Top Speed 0-60
155 MPH 6.1 seconds

His most precious possession was the Rolex ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master that had belonged to his deceased father. Magnum’s father was a Navy pilot who died in the Korean War when Magnum was only five years old.

Thanks to Egbert Bakker

Jaap Bakker