Patrick Sinn’s 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. Photos by Darin Schnabel, courtesy RM Auctions.
In 1989, the death of his father forced Toronto’s Patrick Sinn to return to his native Hong Kong for an extended visit. Suspecting he’d be gone for six months or more, Patrick covered his 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona and placed the car up on blocks in the parking garage of his downtown condominium. Though he made it back to Toronto in 1995, the Ferrari remained in its undisturbed state (becoming something of an urban legend in the process) until November of 2014, when Patrick made the difficult decision to offer his “condo find” Ferrari to its next owner at RM’s upcoming Amelia Island sale.
Returning from a 1971 ski trip to Chamonix, France, Patrick’s flight from Geneva was delayed. Looking for a way to kill time, he opted to spend the day at the Geneva International Auto Show, where he first encountered Ferrari’s stunning 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe, launched in 1968. Captivated, Patrick inquired about purchasing one of his own, but quickly realized that visiting Ferrari’s offices in Modena would give him the ability to order a car configured to his specifications, and would likely lead to the fastest possible delivery time. Changing his travel plans, Patrick made the trek from France to Italy to order his new Daytona.
Selecting Bordeaux Red with a metallic base for the exterior and two-tone leather for the interior, Patrick ordered the car for European delivery, purchasing a supply of spare parts and consumables to go with it. In July of 1971, Ferrari advised him that chassis 14385 was ready for delivery, so Patrick flew to Europe and spent the next month exploring the continent before returning the Daytona to Ferrari for its initial service. Accompanying the car on its journey to North America aboard the QE2, Patrick reportedly made daily inspections of his prized coupe to ensure that no damage had occurred in the previous 24 hours.
Crossing the border from the United States into Canada, Patrick encountered his first obstacle, in the form of a Canadian Customs agent, who informed him the car did not meet safety and pollution requirements and therefore could not be brought into the country. Negotiations ensued, and after posting a bond in the required amount, Patrick was cleared to cross the border in his Daytona.
Over 18 years, Patrick racked up 93,594 kilometers (58,157 miles) in the Ferrari, confessing that he was once clocked at 180 km/h (112 MPH) behind the wheel. When his father died in 1989, he knew it would take several months to wrap up business and settle the estate, but six months turned to six years before Patrick returned to Toronto. Busy catching up on other things in his life, the Ferrari sat undisturbed in the parking garage of his condo, wrapped in its protective cloak and resting on concrete blocks, for the next 19 years.
Last month, Patrick came to the realization that it was time to pass along his one-owner Ferrari to its next caretaker. It’s been “returned to running condition,” to quote RM, but the auction house is quick to point out that additional mechanical reconditioning will be necessary to return the car to driver status. For the right buyer, however, this will serve as a plus and not a minus, as very few hands have ever spun wrenches on the Daytona’s 4.4-liter, 352-horsepower V-12 engine or its chassis.
Therein lies the beauty of this particular Ferrari. Its paint may no longer be pristine, and it’s likely that numerous mechanical systems will need servicing or rebuilding before the Daytona can be truly enjoyed, but the car comes sans mystery, and hence, sans doubt. This peace of mind comes at a price, and RM is predicting a selling price in excess of $600,000 when the Ferrari crosses the block at Amelia Island next March.
The Amelia Island sale will take place on March 14, 2015, at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Amelia Island, Florida. For additional details, visit RMAuctions.com.
UPDATE (16.March): The 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona sold for a fee-inclusive price of $770,000.
