1971 Ferrari Daytona Spyder conversion
SOLD

- Delivered new in the UK
- Original right-hand drive car
- Converted to Spyder configuration in 1978 by Autokraft
- Comprehensive history file with known ownership history
- circa £40,000 recent expenditure
- Electronic power steering
- Marcel Massini report

Ownership history:

On the afternoon of 23rd April 1971, Mr Dudley Mason-Styrron met with Maranello Concessionaires Managing Director, Sean Bealey, and negotiated a deal to purchase what was to be  his second of seven, Ferrari Daytona’s (currently the ex Maranello Concessionaires Group 4 Le Mans entry #15681and the 1973 road car #16673). It was ordered in Rosso Chiaro 20-R-190 with bright red carpets. Seats trimmed in Black hide, with the “puffy” cross and centre strips in bright Red. The door trims in black with the “puffy” ribs in bright Red. No air conditioning and the small sidelights deleted. The forward facing portion of the indicator lenses in clear glass, as per the brochure. The arrangement was for the car to ready for collection on 23rd July 1971.An allowance of £5900 was made Mr Mason-Styrrons 246 Dino or £4750 if Mr Mason- Styrron did not take delivery of the Daytona when it was ready. The sum total of the car was £9167.5.10d! It was ordered by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd (Order No 517) on the 4th March 1971

#14397 would appear to have been the 547th 365 GTB/4 Daytona built and the 47th right hand drive car.

The factory build sheet (Rimesso No 801) shows the car to have been finished in Rosso Chiaro 20.R.190 by Salchi with Pella Nera upholstery. Michelin XWX tyres and three litres of "spare" paint.

1971 - Following a visit to the factory (there is a photograph of #14397 in build somewhere in Mr Mason- Styrrons private collection of pictures) in July 1971. Mr Mason -Styrron collected the car from the factory, on the 10th September 1971-according to the build sheet and warranty booklet- and drove it back via his house in the South of France, putting some 1000 miles on the car in the process. (All new cars had between 50 and 200 miles on the odometer depending on the amount of road testing that they needed at the factory) It was first registered in the UK, DMS 2, on the 6th (?) September 1971.The factory managed to fulfil most of the ordered specification, but did not trim the doors as requested-the inserts were Black and not Red, nor did they fit clear glass indicators or delete the small sidelights.

Whilst collecting the Daytona, Mr Mason- Styrron had noticed the first Daytona Spiders being readied for there new owners (Mr Michaels and Ms Glass), but was told that they would be the only two cars for the UK. At the following months London Motor Show, Mr Mason-Styrron ran into Ferraris late Sales Manager, Amerigo Manacardi, who conveyed the good news that "Ferrari was prepared to build five more right hand drive Daytona Spiders". Mr Mason –Styrron duly ordered one. And so, ironically Maranello Concessionaires took back #14397 in part-exchange for a Daytona Spider!  Still with only 2,000 miles. Mr Mason-Styrron took delivery of his new Spider the following May, although #14397 actually went back to Maranello Concessionaires sometime prior to this, for fear of damaging it.

1972 - Stuart and Wendy Flood and re-registered '5 UKX'

1978 - The car was then acquired by Peter Thorp of Surrey apparently from Bobby Bell of Bell & Colvill for approximately £12,000! It was by now an Orangey shade of Red-possibly Rosso Dino. Peter, owner of an airfreight company at Heathrow, is probably  better known  for his company Safir Engineering Ltd, maker of the Mk (IV) Ford GT40. He  was also heavily interested in motor racing, eventually building the Safir Formula racing car, which was a development of the Token which was a development of the Rondell (Ron Dennis, Neil Trundlell) designed by Ray Jessop. Being involved in airfreight Peter travelled regularly to the USA and had seen several Daytona Berlinetta’s which had been converted to Spiders - albeit a cosmetic job, with little thought given to the lack of rigidity caused by removing the roof! Peter persuaded his very reluctant tenants and next door neighbours, Brian Angliss-later of AC Cars, Kevin O’Rourke-now of Moto-technique Ltd and Emilia Garcia, later EG Autokraft, collectively known as CP Autokraft, (the CP stood for Cobra Parts) to carry out the conversion, if he found a suitable car. This they duly did for £8000!

All the dimensions and shapes were taken from a car that the then Ferrari dealers in East Horsley, Surrey-Modena Eng Ltd, looked after. This is believed to have been chassis number #14463; the 11th Daytona Spider built-possibly the car featured in the Ferrari Market Letter dated 18th February 1995 original Daytona Spiders. The car was duly completely stripped and appropriate strengthening was added to the “A” posts, windscreen surround, the floor, and steel rather than fibreglass inner wheel arch liners. The rear wings were lightly more rounded than the original cars at the bequest of Peter, in order to personalise the car. The car was then re-trimmed with Black hide and repainted in a striking shade of Volkswagen metallic Green! For "a joke and bit of fun" Peter entered the car into the 1979 Ferrari Owners Club Concours - a combination of the colour and being a non original spider proved too much for some members, resulting in him being asked to remove the car from the judging! Peter succumbed to the current shade of Blue in 1979 following much stick from friends and family – Autokraft again carrying out the job. During its Green period the car was photographed by Nicky Wright (?) – one of these photographs was used in the Godfrey Eaton (founder of the UK Ferrari Owners Club) book "Great Marques-Ferrari" published by Octopus books in 1980–ISDN 0 7064 1257 5-page 70. The car was also photographed for a Paul Raymond "adult magazine" and was shot with a storm approaching and presumably afterward, with the car wet, at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. These photographs show the car with headrests which Peter later removed, to ease operation of the hood. This was a problem even on the factory produced cars.

1987 - Tom Walduck during whose ownership it was used in a TV commercial for Cadbury's chocolate.

2003 - Mr Henry Weitzmann of Basingstoke, still registered as '5 UKX'. The car was exhibited, on the cricket ground, at the 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

2006 Mr Ian Buddery of Sydney. The car was registered on Australian license plates as 'GTS 365'.

2013 back in the UK '14397' was acquired by the previous owner and further work commenced.

Impressive documented history with extensive expenditure - circa £40,000.

Probably the UK's best known Daytona conversion, and one possessing a fascinating history, '14397' comes complete with its Ferrari leather book pack; a large file of sundry invoices; old MOT certificates; two keys; a copy of the factory build sheet; and copies of the original order form, Italian customs form, warranty booklet and Daytona toolkit.