Elton John's 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona up for auction this month

Elton John’s 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

A 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona owned by Elton John in the 1970s is up for sale at Silverstone Auctions this month, with a top estimate of £575,000.

The Ferrari Daytona is a hugely appealing Ferrari in the real sense, with its glorious shape and V12 engine firmly under the bonnet, just as it should be.

And actually, within reason, the Daytona is a Ferrari you can use – and should use – because although it has its foibles there’s nothing too much to scare the pants off anyone used to a 21st century Ferrari.

With its 4.4 litre 4-cam V12 delivering a useful, even by today’s standards, 352bhp, and a top speed of 175mph, it’s a car crying out to be used and cherished.

It comes in Rosso with Black Connolly Vaumol leather, matching numbers, a complete history file including every Ferrari service bill from new, and a reasonable 81,675 miles.

But if you want an extra reason to grab this Daytona, then perhaps the fact it was owned by Elton John in the 1970s might stir your interest?

When Reg became Elton, and the money started to flood in, the former Mr Dwight obviously needed a car which said ‘Elton’ rather than ‘Reg’, and what better car than the Daytona to say you’d arrived?

Reg kept the car from 1973 to 1975, since when it’s been owned by a succession of Ferrari Owners Club members – the last for 16 years – and has clearly been a cherished possession.

So if you’ve got around half a million or so to spare, this 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona could be a very appealing buy.

The Daytona goes under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions on 29/30 July, with an auction estimate of £525,000 to £575,000.