Without a doubt, the Ferrari 365 GTS/4 spider holds a unique cachet among the marque’s vintage front-engined V-12 convertibles, combining rarity and arresting design while occupying an important perch in the manufacturer’s genealogy.

Ferrari announced the 365 GTB/4 berlinetta in 1968, introducing the company’s first 4.3-liter dual-overhead-cam engine in a road car.

Clothed in Leonardo Fioravanti’s revolutionary shark-nose coachwork, the model was actually a stopgap effort that surprised everyone with its sheer success while a forthcoming rear-engine flat-12 model remained in development.

It would be the last of Ferrari’s great front-engine grand touring machines for over 20 years, an exclamatory statement of power and style that capped a legendary tradition.

With a staggering output of 352 horsepower, the 365 GTB/4 dethroned the Lamborghini Miura as the world’s fastest production car.

Utilizing dry-sump lubrication that enabled a lower placement of the engine, a five-speed transax...