1977 Ferrari 308 GTB Vetroresina - Ex-Al Fayed Collection

When Ferrari introduced the 308 to the public in 1975 at the Paris Salon, it was the first time that they had chosen to use fibreglass for the bodywork. The "Vetroresina' as it is known, was manufactured from 1975 - 1977 before the introduction of the steel bodied cars in mid '77. Only 154 right-hand drive Vetroresinas left the Maranello factory, making it the rarest model 308 money can buy.

Delivered new in 1977 by H.R Owen of Golders Green, London to first owner Mr J. L. Patterson of Edinburgh, this fibreglass bodied example originally left the factory in Rosso Chiaro Red with a Beige Hide and Geige carpets as shown in the history file with the original order sheet date stamped 27th July 1976.

In 1986, the owner at the time, a Mr Meak of Glamorgan, Wales, entered the car into the Benson & Hedges Concours in Cardiff where it scored 282 points and coming 7th in class! Three years later, the mileage was recorded at 23,765 miles. The car then spent a brief spell on the stock list at Modena Engineering from 1990 to early 1991. While at the specialist, £18,000 was spent preparing the car for sale with numerous bills in the history file showing all works that were carried out.

It was in 1991 that the well-known Harrods boss, Mr Mohamed Al-Fayed, purchased the car, now showing 23,800 miles on the odometer. Our vendor, who worked for the business magnate at the time, maintaining his car collection, remembers the car coming into the collection and comments on how it was rarely taken out on the road, as with many of "the bosses' cars.

Mr Al-Fayed's children organised a charity auction in 2008, and it was there that the car was generously donated as one of the lots in the night's proceedings. The next lucky owner bought the car that night and kept it until 2013 when it had reached a total of 25,949 miles, before selling it to our vendor.

In May of this year the car benefitted from a complete engine and gearbox rebuild by a well-known specialist, including new pistons, liners, bearings, shells and valves. A complete step by step photographic record with notes and annotations describing each stage of this rebuild accompanies the history file, as do the bills totalling some £10,000. At the same time, the car has undergone a full mechanical recommissioning by Spellbound Cars.

Presented in Rosso Red and now with a Black leather interior and Red carpets, the car comes complete with the original instruction book & service agent's book in the Ferrari leather wallet. Reading a believed genuine odometer mileage of 25,953, this Vetroresina comes with a solid history file and ticks all the right boxes in terms of mileage and ownership history.