Happy Birthday, Daytona

Click above to view the Daytona anniversary tour in hi-res

Ferrari celebrates the 40th anniversary of the iconic 365 GTB/4 Daytona this year. Well, sorta. While Lotus is marking its 60th anniversary a few years early, Ferrari decided to celebrate the Daytona's 40th a year late. Which makes some degree of sense when you consider that last year the company was pretty busy with its grand worldwide 60th anniversary celebrations.

On display at its show stand in Geneva this year, Ferrari had a spectacular specimen for all to see (and a nice Ferrari Daytona next to her), which we enjoyed photographing and you can enjoy viewing in the gallery at the bottom of this post. Meanwhile this past weekend, the company invited the owners of 20 Daytonas from around the world to the factory's Fiorano test track in Maranello, across the 330km "Circuito delle tre province" where Enzo Ferrari retired from racing, and on to the Mugello track (also owned by Ferrari) for the second annual Mugello Historic Festival. That's all very well and nice, but with Ferrari confirmed to bring a new model to the Paris show in October and test mules with distinctly Daytona-like headlights running around Italy, we can't help but wonder (and hope) if Maranello isn't planning a more enduring tribute to the iconic grand tourer.

Read more about the Daytona anniversary tour in the press release after the jump, view in images by clicking on the thumbnails below, and revisit our Geneva gallery via the thumbnails below that.

[Source: Ferrari]

PRESS RELEASE:

40th anniversary of the legendary Ferrari "Daytona"

Maranello, 4th April 2008 - In the morning at 9 at the Fiorano Circuit the regularity race was started; organized by Ferrari to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 365 GTB4, nicknamed "Daytona" due to the legendary triple win of the Prancing Horse at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967. The Daytona, fitted with a V12 cylinder 60° with 4390 cm³, thanks to his performance was nominated "the most desired sports car in the world". Around 20 "Daytonas", from three continents - Europe, USA and Africa - participate in the race, which leads over the 300 kilometres of the "Circuito delle tre province", where Enzo Ferrari took part in his last race as a driver.

The highlight of the event, on Sunday, 6th April, is a parade of the participants and their cars in the splendid setting of the Mugello Historic Festival.

The Mugello Historic Festival (4th-6th April) is held for the second time this year and is an event organized by Ferrari Corse Clienti for historical cars at the Mugello Circuit, with the participation of the most important historical racing series in Europe. On the occasion of the Historic Festival the first round of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge Europe 2008 is held.