The Ferrari 365->ke3522 line of cars is quite possibly the most confusingly named series of products since the advent of mass manufacturing. There was the 365 GTB/4, the 365 GT 2+2, the 365 GT4 BB, the 365 GTC, the 365 GTC/4, the 356 California and finally, the 365 GT4 2+2. And, each of those is an almost completely different car. But the 365 GT4 2+2 was especially different in that it was so big, even compared to other 2+2 Ferrari models, and nearly sedan-like in its proportions. It was introduced in 1972 as a replacement for the short-lived 365 GTC/4.

The 365 GT4 2+2 would evolve into the 400,->ke3525 then the 400i and finally the 412 while retaining the same basic overall design. Some controversial decisions would be made by Ferrari->ke252 when it came to this car in its later stages, but the 365 has the distinction of being made before all of that happened, and saying that you like the 365 doesn't need to be qualified. The 365 is still an unusual car for a Ferrari though, one that is almost more of a luxury car than 2+2 grand tourer. But, it was what Ferrari customers wanted, and it made the company money just the same.

Continue reading to learn more about the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2.

1972 - 1976 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2

Specifications
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  • Model: 1972 - 1976 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

The 365 GT4 2+2 was styled by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, the same man who had designed the Daytona, and there are a lot of similarities in the two designs. The 365 GTC/4 that the GT4 replaced was even more similar, but there was some downside to adding a back seat to a design that was clearly never meant to have one. The seats weren't very big and the slope of the fastback roof meant that headroom was a sort of cruel joke.

The GT4 was built using the same chassis, but the wheelbase was stretched by 7.9 inches (and overall length by 10.3 inches) to allow more room for the back seat. The roof was redesigned as well, obviously for the sake of headroom. The resulting “three box” design was surprisingly understated, and opinions on it tend to be divided.

Exterior Dimensions

Length

4,810 MM (189.37 Inches)

Width

1,796 MM (70.70 Inches)

Height

1,310 MM (51.57 Inches)

Wheelbase

2,700 MM (106.29 Inches)

Front track

1,470 MM (57.87 Inches)

Rear track

1,500 MM (59.05 Inches)


Interior

In the days before Ferrari had any V-8 models, the company made the bulk of its profits off of bigger 2+2 grand tourers. So with the 365, Ferrari gave the public the closest thing to a daily driver the company ever produced. The big and spacious interior could actually seat four, and air conditioning came standard. Ferrari also went back to offering a full leather interior as standard, after briefly offering the 365 GTC/4 with a partially cloth plaid interior. A lot of people will tell you that plaid interiors are underrated, I might even be one of them, but you can see the argument against cloth seats in a Ferrari.

Drivetrain

All of the many Ferrari models with the 365 name used a version of the Colombo V-12 engine with the same 4.4-liter displacement. This is, in fact, all that the 365 nomenclature meant, that the engine displaced 365cc per cylinder. Not all versions of the 365 engine were the same, but the GT4 2+2 got its engine from the GTC/4 completely unchanged. The “/4” in the older car's name meant that the engine was a quad-cam, and this remains true on the GT4 2+2, even though it was dropped from the name.

The engine made the same 340 horsepower as it did before, and would actually continue to make 340 horsepower when it was enlarged for the 400. The figure dipped for the 400i and its pollution controls, but the 412 saw power rise back up to 340 horsepower. Apparently, that was exactly the right amount. Unlike later versions of the car, the 365 was offered only with a manual transmission. But, it is often misattributed as the starting point of Ferrari automatics by virtue of looking almost exactly the same as the 400.

Drivetrain Specifications

Type

front, longitudinal 60° V12

Bore/stroke

81 x 71 mm

Unitary displacement

365.86 cc

Total displacement

4390.35 cc

Compression ratio

8.8 : 1

Maximum power

340 HP @ 6,200 RPM

Power per liter

77 hp/l

Top speed

245 KM/H (152 MPH)


Prices

The 365 GT4 2+2 often gets lumped in with the various versions of the 400 and 412, and this association with smog control-choked and automatic-shifting models does tend to keep values down. But, prices have risen considerably over the last year, and the 365 now goes for an average of about $58,000, or about $15,000 more than the average across all versions including the 400 and 412. Examples in exceptionally good condition can go up to as much as $100,000, although finding a buyer willing to pay that much might be difficult.

There were 524 units of the 365 GT4 2+2 built, but if you add all of the cars with this body together, the total reaches nearly 3,000. So it isn't a very rare car, and neither is it all that valuable. But, with fuel injected examples equipped with automatic transmissions barely getting over $30,000 in value, the 365 is clearly by far the most valuable. Prices are also slightly higher in North America because the car was never officially sold here, although by this point, there are enough gray market versions that it doesn't make much of a difference anymore.

Competition

Rolls-Royce Corniche->ke1285

It wasn't just Ferrari making a lot of money off of 2+2s during this period, and different versions of the bigger Ferrari 2+2 would compete with different Rolls-Royce 2-doors. But the Corniche was launched just one year before the 365 GT4 2+2. It wasn't as sporty as the Ferrari 2+2, but Rolls-Royce did sell more units in a slightly short time period than Ferrari did, so perhaps performance wasn't all that important to buyers of high-end 2+2s after all. The Corniche is not the prettiest car Rolls-Royce ever produced, but the same could be said about basically all of its competition.

Maserati Indy

Although it might not have had a great name for an exotic Italian gran turismo, the Indy did offer customers the option of a more traditionally styled fastback body for their big 2+2. First launched in 1969, by the time the 365 GT4 2+2 came along, Maserati had brought out the option of a bigger engine and a redesigned interior. The Indy was roomy and big enough to be used as a base for a new prototype Quattroporte in 1971. And the result was some very good sales figures.

Conclusion

Ferrari 2+2s in the '70s and '80s were not great cars. Between the 400i and the Mondial, a lot of really unfortunate cars were adorned with prancing horses. It's a shame because Ferrari's sports cars at the time were really excellent, the 308/328, Berlinetta Boxer and Testarossa are all classics. But those made to have more of a mass appeal just never really seemed to cut it. However, the 365 GT4 2+2 does get more hate than it deserves. It was a good idea that went a bit wrong, but it didn't start out as wrong, and the 365 should a bit more love than it does.