The Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2

The 365 GT4 2+2 was Ferrari’s way of telling the world it had arrived firmly in the 1970s. Its sharp, svelte three-box design was the work of Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and was a radical departure from the softly styled 365 GTC/4 it succeeded.

By no means did that mean it was any less impressive to look at, however. The 365 GT4 2+2 is a vast and imposing car, whose clean lines and delicate curves scream understated elegance. Inside, the generously sized cabin is as airy and spacious as the expanses of glass would lead you to believe and there’s a luxurious suppleness to the leather that hints at the car’s continent-crushing credentials.

We also love the prominent and easily legible instrument binnacle ahead of the driver, which is complemented by four smaller dials in the central console angled helpfully towards you.

As you can imagine, the driving experience is dominated by that long-legged 4.4-litre V12 which, other than sending the most glorious noise swirling around the cabin, provides ample power (340bhp) and torque to inspire confidence in any circumstance, whether you’re hustling the car along a twisty country road or loping across the highways of Europe.

This was a car for the man who already had a gaggle of theatrical thoroughbreds in the garage and simply required a stylish, spacious, high-speed Gran Turismo in which to ferry colleagues, clients or children around. Between 1972 and 1976, Ferrari built just 521 examples of its flagship four-seater.

Today, the 365 GT4 2+2 is considered to be a Ferrari for the connoisseur treading his own path on his or her collecting journey. Its quirky, oh-so-seventies design won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, but who wants to follow the crowd and buy a car to please other people?

This Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2

The matching-numbers 365 GT4 2+2 we’re offering for sale is chassis number 17271, which was one of 216 examples produced by Ferrari in 1973. Finished in Argento over a Pelle Nera interior, the car was delivered new in July of 1973 to the official German concessionaire Auto Becker in Dusseldorf.

Shortly after, chassis 17271 was bought by its first owner, a Mr Horst from Hurth-Hermulheim. The car passed through the hands of two further German owners, who ensured it was regularly maintained, before it was bought by a Paris-based collector in 2000.

He sold the Ferrari to another Frenchman who, during the course of his 11-year ownership, had a new clutch installed by Forza Motors in 2004 and had the engine overhauled by Isotta Automobiles in 2006. An invoice for the latter totalled 11,824 euros and noted the mileage as 69,362km.

Having received the new French registration ‘797 PKY 75’, this Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 was sold to its current UK-based owner by Artcurial at its Retromobile auction in February of 2015. We received the car in January 2021, when the odometer read 74,628km, and can confirm that the love bestowed on it by its previous owners is very telling.

Having never been restored, this Ferrari boasts the kind of patina that will please the purists out there enormously, especially inside. Crucially, it’s also accompanied by its ultra-rare original warranty booklet, Becker Mexico radio manuals and its ‘Servizi di vendita & Assistenza’ card from 1973.

The proverbial cherry on the cake is the Guide Michelin from the same year. Because if you owned this car, you were someone who appreciated that the world’s best food was worth travelling for.

Price: £90,000 (GBP)