1981 Ferrari 308 GTB

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Immaculately presented after a raft of recent work, this low-mileage Ferrari 308 GTBi is a beautiful example of Maranello’s V8-engined ‘junior supercar’. 

Chassis number ‘38665’ was first registered on 25 September 1981, and delivered on 2 October to Colin Briggs’ Ferrari dealership in Forfar, Scotland. The 308 passed to John Hyslop on 16 July 1982, then to WJ Taylor just over four years later – and he would end up keeping it for the next two decades.

The car’s extensive service records – which start with its very first service with Colin Briggs on 23 October 1981 – show that it had covered just over 12,000 miles by the time Mr Taylor took it to Glen Henderson Motors in Ayr on 22 October 1986. By 1994, the total stood at 20,694, and the Ferrari would spend much of the next 13 years in storage.

In 2007, it went through an extensive recommissioning process that, on top of the mechanical work, included cleaning and refurbishing the leather interior. New dampers were also fitted all round, and the Ferrari passed to a new owner later that year. 

The history file traces regular servicing with independent specialists since then, and the all-important cambelts have been replaced at the appropriate intervals. Having changed hands again in 2021, the 308 has been treated to further recommissioning work with no expense spared. With the engine having been removed, the rear section of the tubular chassis was stripped, cleaned and refinished. 

The suspension was removed and powdercoated, and new bushes fitted throughout. The steering rack was refurbished, as were the brake calipers, and new discs were installed front and rear – plus new brake lines. The pop-up headlamp assemblies were overhauled and the attention to detail extended to refinishing the reflectors for the sidelights. Having had £60,000 spent on it in recent years, this Ferrari 308 GTBi is now being offered for sale in truly exceptional condition, and is supplied with a full tool kit, plus a complete set of books in their original wallet. It’s covered only 30,500 miles from new and must be one of the best examples currently on the market.

MODEL HISTORY  

Ferrari’s enduring line of brilliant mid-engined V8 sports cars started with the Dino 308 GT4, a Bertone-styled 2+2 that was joined in 1975 by the 308 GTB. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, this two-seater featured a shorter wheelbase than its sibling and a more curvaceous shape that won immediate plaudits. 

The 308 GTB shared its major components with the GT4, including the 3-litre V8 engine and five-speed transaxle. Its bodywork was made of glassfibre until mid-1977, when Ferrari switched to steel, and the targa-top GTS model was introduced at that year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. 

In 1980, the Weber carburettors were replaced with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to create the GTBi and GTSi. Then, in 1982, came the ultimate development of the 308 line, when the four-valve-per-cylinder Quattrovalvole was introduced. This variant would last until the model’s replacement in 1985 by the larger-engined 328. 

The 308’s combination of beauty and dynamic excellence earned it rave reviews. Car and Driver tested one in 1977 and called its styling ‘a first-round knockout – just the right blend of Pininfarina curvaceous and modern wedge’. Road & Track, meanwhile, said that ‘the steering is direct, responsive and predictable – the driver almost feels as if the tires are four rubber nerve endings transmitting just the right amount of road feel to the arms and brain.’ Michelotto built a small run of Group 4-specification rally cars, then a handful for Group B as well, but to the wider public of a certain age, the 308 will always be instantly recognisable as the Ferrari from 1980s TV series Magnum PI, with Tom Selleck power-sliding his GTS away from the camera during its memorable opening credits.