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The design team at Ferrari isn’t above mining the past for inspiration, especially when it comes to one-off cars for customers with big budgets. But why should the factory have all the fun? Ferrari’s back catalog of legendary names and designs provides enough fertile ground for third parties to do the same.
Due to be auctioned off by Broad Arrow, the one-off Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage by Dutch designer Niels van Roij burrows deep into Ferrari lore. It’s inspired by another one-off car that was itself a tribute to a classic Ferrari. The story starts in 1972, when Bob Gittleman commissioned Luigi “Coco” Chinetti Jr.—son of Luigi Chinetti, the former racing driver who established the Ferrari franchise in North America—to build a unique car. Chinetti Jr. teamed up with designer Gene Garfinkle, and they settled on an homage to the Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan.
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
The Breadvan was a race car, its unique bodywork intended to provide an aerodynamic advantage. But Chinetti and Garfinkle intended this car to be a road-going grand tourer. Starting with a 365 GTB/4 Daytona coupe, they designed shooting brake bodywork with large windows and an all-glass tailgate opening that brings to mind European hearses. The aluminum bodywork was fabricated by British firm Panther Westwinds, the company best known for Neo-Classics. The finished car reportedly cost four times as much as a stock Daytona.
Niels van Roij loves shooting brakes. He’s designed ones based on the Rolls-Royce Wraith and Tesla Model S, and even turned a 550 Maranello into a modern Ferrari Breadvan. So while the listing claims the designer was approached by a client about building a tribute to the 1972 Daytona Shooting Brake, it’s easy to imagine that van Roij already had the idea in his head.
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow Auctions
The Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage is based on a 2009 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, which is apparent when looking at the lower bodywork, windshield, and side windows. However, the front and rear perspectives faithfully recreate the Daytona’s trademark visored headlights and all-glass Kamm tail, respectively. The transformation took about 15,000 hours, according to the listing, with modern methods like CAD modeling and 3D printing employed alongside traditional hand craftsmanship. The 5.9-liter V12, which made 611 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque from the factory, was left untouched.
If I’d gone through the trouble of commissioning a one-off car, and waiting nearly two years for it to be finished, I’d probably hang onto it for a little while. But despite only being unveiled this past July, the Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage will soon have a new owner. Broad Arrow expects it to sell for $524,000-$757,000 at its Zoute Concours Auction, scheduled for October 9.
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
