1978 Ferrari 308 GTS

Available now is this stunning 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS. This Italian classic is finished in the silver Argento Auteil over a black interior. The Ferrari 308 is considered one of the most well known and most popular Ferrari road cars to ever come out of Maranello. This particular 308 is in excellent overall condition with minor paint flaws and minor cosmetic spots in the interior. The car underwent its major service and a recent minor tune up service with documentation. The car runs and drives amazing as one would expect from a Ferrari. The AC blows cold, lights function properly, and this really is a driver's Ferrari!

In 1977 Ferrari launched a Targa-top version of their 308 GTB known as this 308 GTS. It was this car which was made famous in Magnum, P.I. starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator driving a bright red Ferrari 308 GTS.

255 bhp, 2,926 cc DOHC 90-degree V-8 engine with four Weber 40DCNF carburettors, five-speed gearbox, front and rear independent suspension by A-arms, coil springs, and telescopic shocks, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,340 mm

The 308 was launched in 1975, initially with fibreglass bodywork. Pininfarina’s design was considered quite stunning. The body shape was the most successful to ever adorn the Prancing Horse badge. Over 20,000, in various engine guises, were sold between 1975 and 1989.

A spider version, the 308 GTS, was launched to the world at the first Motor Fair, held at Earls Court, in London, in 1977. The production run lasted until 1985 and outsold the coupés by almost two to one, with just over 8,000 spiders against 4,150 berlinettas. These were serious production numbers, and Ferrari, now under Fiat ownership, was growing quite dramatically.

One of the first journalists to drive the 308 in 1975 was Paul Frère. He described the car as, “the most seductive model to ever come from Maranello”. Furthermore, “the performance is deceptive, with the motor being so flexible and sweet in its performance”.

Another driver to give his views on the car, this time in the new Autohebdo magazine, was Formula One constructor and former racing driver Tico Martini. He drove the car at Magny-Cours on a damp day. He said, “It remained very comfortable, manageable, and easy to catch. I remember quite well the joy of driving the vehicle, and I found it necessary to only slow down to control the understeer. It was always handling itself in a perfectly safe manner...And then there was the acceleration...To have acceleration like that, to bring out so many horses without thinking of the consequences! What a way to get into trouble with all of today’s limits”.

A brief search of the Internet is all it takes to find tales of Villeneuve, the late Ferrari Formula 1 driver who's flamboyant driving style won him many fans, and his company car—a 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS in the wonderfully orangey Rosso Dino color.

There are stories of him arriving late at the factory for a meeting and using the handbrake to slide the car into the last available parking spot in the lot at Maranello. There's also the tale of his supposedly record-setting time of driving this exact car roughly 270 miles between Monte Carlo to Maranello in just 2 hours and 25 minutes (that's an average speed of nearly 112 mph). The car itself was a gift from Enzo Ferrari, who it was said, had much affection for the young Villeneuve.

https://www.countryclassiccars.com/vehicles/772/1978-ferrari-308-gts