So What's Up With the Daytona Market?

While, overall, the vintage Ferrari market has been creeping upwards over the past few years, several models in the 6-figure range have moved in leaps and bounds. I attribute much of this movement to what I call the "Push & Pull," where a particular car makes dramatic moves up or down in the marketplace (for whatever reason) and this movement, in turn, has an effect on other models within or near its price range. As most of you are aware, the Lusso (250 GT/L), long undervalued, has, in recent years, began to come into its own, doubling in value during that time. This has had a direct effect on models that were traditionally considered more valuable by "pushing" their values upward as well as on lesser valued models such as the PF Coupe and GTCs by "pulling" them along into the over-$100K club, which brings me to the question:

Why do Daytona coupe values appear to be unaffacted by this?

My answer? Because the Daytona is too far removed from the Lusso in terms of both style and substance and doesn't attract the same buyer. The PF Coupe is the direct ancestor to the GT/L and the GTC is the direct descendant. While the 275 berlinettas don't fall into this same blood line (actually being the direct ancestor of the Daytona), these cars share that 1960s appeal that attracts the Lusso buyer and have probably been pushed up as a result of the Lusso crowding their place in the market.

The 365 GTB/4 "Daytona" marked a major change in direction for the Pininfarina/Ferrari collaboration, yet that direction would soon change again with the introduction of the much more modern Berlinetta Boxer series, leaving the Daytona in a styling world of its own and, even though the 275 GTB/4 is it's direct ancestor, I think that 275 prices have little effect, if any, on those of its more plentiful (1284 Daytonas vs 330 275 GTB/4s) offspring. In fact, Daytona values seem to have almost as few ties to Berlinetta Boxer prices as they do the the 275 market.

So, to address the question I'm asked most, "When will Daytona coupes take off in the marketplace?", the answer is that I don't see that happening anytime soon. Sure, they'll continue a gradual climb along with the rest of the market, but I dont see them following Lussos up to anywhere near the $300K mark over the next couple of years.

Have I said otherwise in the past? Sure, but now that the Lusso dust has settled, things have become more clear (I changed my mind!). So, who's to say I won't change my mind again? Heh, heh. Remember, it's all just entertainment, baby!