Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider: When Ferrari Broke Its Own Rules

Rare Exception - Stories about great cars often begin with technology, speed, or design, but the most memorable ones usually start with people. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider sits exactly at that intersection, where ambition, craftsmanship, and timing collide. Born from a transatlantic collaboration and shaped by personalities as much as by metal, this open-top Daytona is not just a rare Ferrari variant—it is a narrative frozen in aluminum, leather, and legacy. 

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider, an open-top Daytona is not just a rare Ferrari variant—it is a narrative frozen in aluminum, leather, and legacy. (Picture from: Carbuzz)

The idea came from Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s long-time importer to the United States and the founder of the North American Racing Team (NART). Chinetti was far more than a businessman; he was a seasoned racing driver with victories at Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Carrera Panamericana. After the success of the earlier 275 GTB/4 NART Spider, he envisioned a similarly exclusive open version of the newer Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. To bring that vision to life in 1974, Chinetti turned to Giovanni Michelotti, one of Italy’s most versatile designers, whose resume ranged from Ferraris and Maseratis to Triumph and BMW. Michelotti was tasked with reimagining the Daytona as a Spider without diluting its aggressive character.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider features with a striking orange leather interior, complemented with the original Daytona instruments. (Picture from: Carbuzz)

The resulting design was unmistakably bold. The 365 GTB/4 NART Spider retained the sharp, angular proportions of the Daytona coupe, but introduced low-cut doors, a more open silhouette, and a removable roof solution. Early examples experimented with a targa-style top, while later cars featured a fully foldable fabric roof. The bodywork remained dramatic and purposeful, emphasizing length and width in a way that suited American tastes while staying true to Ferrari’s racing DNA. Beneath the skin, the familiar 4.4-liter V12 delivered around 360 horsepower, pushing the car from a standstill to 100 km/h in roughly six seconds—impressive numbers then and still respectable today, especially considering its grand touring nature.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider powered by an 4.4-liter V12 delivered around 360 horsepower, pushing the car from a standstill to 100 km/h in roughly six seconds. (Picture from: Carbuzz)

One particularly well-documented example began life as a standard 365 GTB/4 coupe built for the American market in 1971. Originally finished in grey with a red interior, it was delivered through Chinetti before eventually returning to his possession. Rather than selling it on, he chose it as the basis for a personal project: a Spider conversion intended as a gift for his wife, Marion. Once transformed, the car featured a blue-toned exterior, a matching blue fabric roof, and a striking orange leather interior. While Michelotti reused the original Daytona instruments, he rearranged them into a newly designed dashboard and even created a bespoke hardtop painted in body color, adding another layer of exclusivity.

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider featured a blue-toned exterior, a matching blue fabric roof. (Picture from: Carbuzz)

The car’s life after conversion was as eventful as its creation. Completed in Italy and returned to Chinetti in Connecticut in 1977, it later traveled back to Europe, where Michelotti displayed it at the Turin Auto Show and exhibited it at the Le Mans Museum until the early 1980s. It also appeared at prestigious concours events, reinforcing its status as both a design object and a historical artifact. Following Marion Chinetti’s passing, Luigi Chinetti decided to part with the car, and it passed through several respected collectors over the decades. During long-term ownership in the United States, it received Ferrari Classiche certification, confirming its authenticity and historical integrity. 

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider retained the sharp, angular proportions of the Daytona coupe, but introduced low-cut doors, a more open silhouette, and a removable roof solution. (Picture from: Carbuzz)

Today, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 NART Spider occupies a singular place in automotive history. It remains the only occasion when Ferrari formally allowed an external organization to reinterpret a Maranello road car, blending Italian engineering discipline with an American sense of scale, freedom, and ambition. More than an open-top Daytona, it reflects a period when individuality and personal trust still carried real weight, when a small group of people could shape a machine through vision rather than committee decisions. In an era now defined by carefully scripted limited editions, the NART Spider feels strikingly human—born from passion, confidence, and a willingness to challenge convention. | ui_eOEifAoQ |

Seen from that perspective, the car also helps explain why later references to NART Spiders evolved in more than one direction. The same mindset that allowed the 365 GTB/4 to become a Spider outside Maranello encouraged bolder, less formal experiments based on earlier 365 GT platforms. Those cars, often referred to informally as Grintosa, leaned closer to raw performance and racing instinct than refined grand touring. They were not direct descendants, nor official counterparts, but they carried the same rebellious DNA. Together, they form a small but telling chapter in Ferrari history—one where creativity briefly outran structure, and where emotion left marks as lasting as engineering. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARBUZZ | SECRET-CLASSICS | DRIVE-MY ]

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