1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Ex Shah Of Iran

This 1972 365 GTB/4-A was constructed at Maranello in left hand drive European specification and sold new by the factory to the Iranian Embassy in Rome in September of that year for the Shah of Iran to use in Italy, finished in Oro Chiaro (Code 106-Y-19 Salchi) with ‘Pelle Nero” black leather VM8500 interior

Fitted from new with optional air-conditioning and a Voxson radio, this European-specification left-hand-drive Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ was one of just sixteen Daytona models to leave the factory in this colour and was exported to Tehran after it was used by the Iranian royal family in Europe. Within the comprehensive history file are some amazing photos of the car during its time in the Iranian capital, parked alongside its successor, the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer as well as period Iranian registration documents

Chassis 16107 would later return to Europe in the 1980s, winding up in the possession of a Parisian collector, before heading Stateside, where it was subsequently sold via Art Muller’s Southern Sports Cars of Miami to another French collector.

The ‘Daytona’ was later sold at a 1998 Brooks auction in Gstaad, Switzerland and copies of the original Brooks vehicle entry form and catalogue description accompany this beautiful Ferrari, confirming that it displayed the low mileage of 30,880km on the clock at that time.

An Italian collector acquired the Ferrari in the early 2000s and exhibited it at the Incontri d’Arte Ferrari meeting in San Marino. The car was to remain in Italy until 2014 when it joined the 40 car-plus collection of a German enthusiast. During his ownership, 16107 was maintained regardless of cost by his in-house team of mechanics, including the fitment of new fuel tanks and lines. He also had the official Ferrari dealer Eberlein Automobile fit electric power steering, a reversible feature which

Well, have you ever seen another ‘Daytona’ painted gold? In all seriousness, there are only 16 others finished in Oro Chiaro (that’s ‘light gold’ in the Queen’s) and we reckon the subtle shade accentuates the sultry Pininfarina-designed bodywork of the car very well, especially in combination with the five-spoke magnesium alloy wheels, which look a hell of a lot more modern than the Borrani wires. Its royal provenance as part of the Shah of Iran’s collection is also a great talking point – there can’t be many other ‘Daytona’ owners who can legitimately say their cars are genuinely fit for a king.

Furthermore, in 2019 this ‘Daytona’ received the all-important Classiche certification from Ferrari, pertaining to the originality of its chassis, engine, gearbox, bodywork and exterior colour. The Classiche binder is accompanied by the car’s original owner’s manual, a period-correct tool kit and an expansive history file