In February 1967, after a humiliating defeat by Ford in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June 1966, the Commendatore led his team to a hat-trick of victories in the Daytona 24 Hours. Phew! The family crest had been honoured. That’s all it took for this epic duel to indirectly spill over into production GTs with the new 365 GTB/4, which the public quickly nicknamed ‘Daytona’ in memory of this hat-trick of victories. It was a name that was never officially adopted, as the Commendatore refused to accept it. The Daytona, though classic and almost criticised when it was first launched in the face of the more innovative Lamborghini Miura, would over time become a true classic of the brand. With its sublime lines, its incomparable V12 engine and its performance that is still exceptional so many years later, it represents the archetype of the long-distance GT. It was the last front-engined GT in the range before the return of the 550 Maranello.