The standard is Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona by Pat Braden and Gerald Roush(I have an extra copy). Also Original Ferrari V12 by Keith Bluemel is excellent.
As well as the Braden & Roush book which is quite expensive to buy now, I would also recommend Nathan Beehl's Ferrari Daytona Super Profile which provides an excellent overview of the car, 2 of the best contemporary Road Tests, history, evolution and specifications etc. Doug Nye did a Daytona book too which is one of the next on my list to get.
The Braden book is very good but it was written in the early eighties (was there ever an updated version?) so certain things in the how to buy one chapter are out of date. The Doug Nye book isn't bad but again was written some time ago and the photography is a bit bland. It covers more or less the same information as the Braden book. It does have Paul Frere's original road test, where he timed the car at 175mph on the autostrada, which is the best part of the book. Incidentally according to the road test the timing was done in an unprepared car with 26,000 miles on it and not the planned press car which had a problem with its carbs. I brought Nathan Beehl's book for £5 on ebay and I wouldn't pay any more for it. IMO it's poorly put together book (as all those super profile books were), with little useful information other than the road test reprints.
Could you perhaps define what a "great" book should offer ? IMO, most automotive books with "vintage" content, including and perhaps especially those regarding Ferrari, are rather mundane, superficial, often repeating same incorrect information and in many cases could be considered just waste of ink and pulp. Although, the latter is probably true in other areas of published literature too ;-) Also, if objective is to reference originality, most Daytona (or other vintage car) books often feature pictures of cars with numerous incorrect components or features not usually disclosed/identified within said publication.
Timo how did that Oro Chiaro (clear gold) Daytona coupe turn out? You could write a book on all the details that are found in the early euro, American and late build Daytona models. The Braden/Roush book while dated now is still the best IMHO. Cars in a variety of colors with lots of details pictured and a list of serial numbers and technical specifications would cover most people's interests. CH
CH, like all the other (too many ?) projects I currently have in the shop, Oro Chiaro D. is still ongoing and more than just little ways from done ;-) I appreciate your vote of confidence regarding my (limited) knowledge of Daytona and since you're far from only one suggesting a book based on it I just wish I had time for such colossal undertaking. On the other hand, continuously working on them (3 in the shop currently) still exposes me to new discoveries to their character and details, so my attempt at a book could easily become that of the janitor(?) characters in Camus' "The Plague". I do agree with you and other contributors for Braden/Roush book being best available for general reference and good introduction to the model. My earlier comments probably stem from desires and perspective of a restoration professional wishing to learn more in-depth details about all the subject(s) regarding my field. Timo
I recommend the excellent book on the Daytonas Gr4 : Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Groupe 4 Daytona Competizione by Christian Huet published by Editions Christian Huet Paris in 2002 (ISBN 2-9500432-2-4) written in French and in English.
Hello, Now you can also have a look at my book, from may 24. Everything that makes this car so special : genesis, coupe, spider, one offs, competition, movies and ads, replicas... with different interviews. It's in french for the moment. Here are some excerpts and the link where you can buy it. https://www.sophia-editions.com/italiennes/5935-ferrari-365-gtb4-etonnante-daytona-9782385140649.html I hope you will like it ! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
IIRC, Porter Press has been announcing an "Ultimate Ferrari Daytona" book for a while now. I have no idea whether it will be worth the wait (and the price); not sure it will be able to provide any new piece of information, but it may succeed in gathering most of the knowledge in one single main reference book.
I highly doubt the Porter Press Daytona book will cover Competizione Daytona's as well as the Christian Huet book does, and even it misses some available information. So, you will need several books anyway.
