Cars
The mystery of barn finds: A one-off in Japan
A hidden gem, the Ferrari Daytona saga unfolds with a one-off lightweight aluminum-bodied road car. Purchased by Luciano Conti in 1969, it vanished in Japan, shrouded in secrecy for nearly 40 years.
More than a barn find, this tale of an extraordinary __Ferrari Daytona__ borders on the mysterious. Of the 1,200-plus Daytonas ever manufactured, only 15 – five of which had aluminium bodies – were built specifically for the racetrack, clinching class victories at prestigious events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona. However, __Ferrari__ also produced a unique road-going version with a lightweight aluminium body. This one-off was purchased in 1969 by Luciano Conti, the founder of Autosprint magazine and a close friend of Enzo Ferrari. It featured competition specifications but was equipped with road-going comforts like electric windows.
In 1971, the car was deregistered from Italian records and imported into Japan by a local dealer. It subsequently changed hands among various Japanese collectors and was even featured on the cover of the local magazine, Car Graphic.
