Autoportal India

In some ways, the Ferrari 365GTC/4 served as a stopgap measure. Neither a two-seat sports car like its 365GTB/4 stablemate nor a proper 2+2 such as the 365GT 2+2 and the 365GT4 2+2 that bookended the model’s two-year production run, the 365GTC/4 incorporated a pair of vestigial rear seats under its fastback roofline. This 1972 example in excellent shape is currently offered on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos family. In March, another ’73 365GTC/4 sold on BaT for $237,000.With a week to go on the auction, bidding is currently at $160,365 and is sure to go higher.

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Though it’s easy to think of the 365GTC/4 as a restyled and more versatile variant of the aforementioned 365GTB/4, this four-seat Ferrari is a far different beast than its more widely appreciated kin. Yes, the two cars share similar proportions and front-mounted V-12 engines, but both go about achieving their respective missions in far different ways.

1972 ferrari 365 gtc4 rear silver
BRING A TRAILER
Notably, the 365GTC/4 ditched the GTB’s transaxle and half-dozen downdraft Weber carburetors for a five-speed gearbox mounted directly to the engine and six sidedraft Webers. Choked somewhat by our market’s emissions equipment, the GTC/4’s V-12 produced 320 horsepower—20 off its European counterpart and 32 less than the two-seat GTB/4.

Despite its plentiful power, our colleagues at Road & Track found the 365GTC/4’s straight-line performance somewhat wanting. Sure, its 7.3-second run to 60 mph put it 0.2 second ahead of the similarly powerful Maserati Ghibli, but this four-seat Ferrari was still outgunned by the 300-hp four-seat 330GT 2+2 that came before it, a model we clocked hitting the mile-a-minute mark in 6.3 seconds in 1965. Certainly, the near-two-ton curb weight of the 365GTC/4 Road & Track tested didn’t help matters.

1972 ferrari 365 gtc4 interior
BRING A TRAILER
The 365GTC/4’s real appeal, however, is arguably its grand touring ambitions. Its proportions may look as racy as the truly track competitive 365GTB/4, but the GTC/4’s Pininfarina-penned bodywork hides a comfortable grand tourer. The wide center console that covers the front-mounted transmission may lack the charm of the GTB/4’s gated shifter or dogleg shift pattern, but it houses controls for the model’s many—for the time—amenities, including those for the defrosters, power windows, and air-conditioning, ventilation, and audio systems. While the rear seats may serve little use for carrying passengers, it makes for a fine luggage area with the seatbacks folded.

The 365GTC/4 may not earn the admiration of other Ferraris due to its less than stellar (by Ferrari standards) performance and somewhat forgettable styling (again, by Ferrari standards), but it’s still a vehicle bearing the prancing-horse badge. And a relatively rare one at that, with the Italian automaker producing around 500 of these machines between 1971 and 1972.

With approximately 4000 miles on its odometer, as well as plenty of documentation and pictures related to its upkeep, this 365GTC/4 seemingly needs little more than a new garage to call home.

Tags: Farrari