One of the rarest and most desirable open-top Ferraris ever produced is set to cross the auction block at RM Sotheby’s this week. A beautifully preserved 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti, chassis 15911, carries an estimate of up to $3.2 million, reflecting its exceptional originality, documented provenance, and extreme rarity.
Originally conceived as Ferrari’s flagship V12 grand touring convertible, the Daytona Spider was built in remarkably limited numbers. Of the 121 examples produced, only 18 were completed to European specifications, making this car—the 16th European-spec example built—one of the rarest variants of the legendary model.
Completed in May 1972, the car left the factory finished in its original Grigio Argento exterior over a Nera Connolly leather interior. Configured in left-hand drive, it was equipped with desirable factory options including air conditioning and power windows before being delivered new in Italy through Motor S.a.s. of Bologna to attorney Lodovico Constantino Giardini of Ravenna.
The Spider also boasts an intriguing cultural history. During Giardini’s ownership, it appeared in the 1975 film The Swiss Conspiracy. Decades later, while owned by Elio Paterlini, who retained the car for more than 30 years, it was featured in the October 2007 edition of the Italian magazine Ruoteclassiche during a comparison with a Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 Spyder.
The car remained in Italy until 2024 and has benefited from careful stewardship by only a handful of owners. Mechanical upkeep was consistently entrusted to respected Ferrari specialists, while its originality has been preserved to an exceptional degree. In 2009, it received Ferrari Classiche certification, confirming the retention of its matching original chassis, engine, and bodywork, along with a period-correct replacement gearbox.
As one of the final open-top Ferraris powered by a derivative of Gioacchino Colombo’s celebrated short-block V12, the Daytona Spider represents the closing chapter of an iconic engineering era. Combining rarity, documented provenance, remarkable originality, and timeless styling, this European-specification example stands among the finest surviving Daytona Spiders and is poised to become a centerpiece in any world-class Ferrari collection.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
