Engine: 4.4 liter DOHC V-12
Horsepower: 352
0-60 mph: 5.9 seconds
Top speed: 174 miles per hour
Price New: $19,000-$25,000
Value Now: $190,000 to more than $300,000 for an original low-mileage show car
My top three cars list is constantly evolving, but the Daytona is a permanent member. It is bring-me-to-tears gorgeous, the masterwork of Leonardo Fioravanti during his tenure at Pininfarina. It's my kind of car: a big front-engined gran turismo. It was never designed or conceived as a racecar, but it was so good, so tough and so fast that it was successful on the track way longer than it should have been. And nothing -- nothing -- sounds like a Daytona, as it woofs by you at 7,000 rpm. The factory Spyder convertible body style is rarer than the coupe, and it is also more valuable and is arguably the chic choice for cruising your favorite resort community. But I like the coupe, because the roof and window lines are so sexy, and this is the version that was raced. I will want one until the day I die and hope I don't have to wait that long.
Behind the Wheel:
Dennig Cars Worldwide currently lists a silver 1972 365 GTB/4 Daytona for sale. At a recent Dennig Daytona auction, bidding started at $285,000 and the car went for nearly $330,000.
Photo courtesy of Winston Goodfellow
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