1980 Ferrari 308 GTS

Ferrari's line of highly successful V8-engined road cars began with the 308 GT4 of 1973. Badged as a 'Di-no', the all-new 308 GT4 2+2 superseded the preceding Dino V6. The newcomer's wedge-shaped styling - by Bertone rather than the customary Pininfarina - was not universally well-received but there were no complaints about the performance of the 3.0-litre quad-cam V8 engine, which was carried over to its successor.

Introduced at the Paris Auto Salon in 1975, the contemporary styled 308 GTB - Ferrari's second V8 road car - marked a return to Pininfarina styling following the Bertone-designed 308 GT4. Badged as a proper Ferrari rather than a Dino, the 308 GTB had changed little mechanically apart from a reduction in both wheelbase and weight, retaining its predecessor's underpinnings and transversely mounted engine that now featured dry-sump lubrication.

In road tune, this superbly engineered power unit produced 255bhp, an output good enough to propel the 308 GTB to a top speed of over 150mph. Produced initially with fibreglass bodywork - the first time this material had been used for a production Ferrari, the Scaglietti-built 308 GTB used steel after April 1977. Further developments included the introduction of an open-top GTS version with Targa-style removable roof, the adoption of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and, finally, revised cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder on the Quattrovalvole (QV) model in 1982. An exhilarating driver's car and a Ferrari purist's delight, the 308 GTSi and its many derivatives proved a huge commercial success for Maranello, with over 12,000 sold.

This 1980 308 GTS is well-known within Ferrari club circles and amongst fellow 308 owners mainly because this remarkable example has covered just over 130,000 miles. It has been used as intended and is all the better for it! Our private vendor bought this venerable right-hand drive example in early 2020 from Ferrari specialists, Rardley Motors, and it has remained part of his Collection ever since, unusually for this car only covering around 3,000 miles in his two and a bit years of ownership.

What’s also fantastic is the service history that comes with the car. There are two packed binders of history and maintenance information that give a reassuring insight into the car's fascinating life. There is simply way too much to list here so we highly recommend any interested parties to come to The Classic to see the car and study the history file and let it speak for itself.

Finished in Grigio Titanio with a red leather interior, a very rare combination for a 308, we’re informed that this example was originally a demonstrator for Ritchie’s of Glasgow and is a very late carburettor example. Over 130,000 miles is admittedly quite a lot for a 308 but if it was a BMW M5 no one would be unduly concerned. It's not always discussed openly but those people who work on Ferraris use the expression "A busy Ferrari is a happy Ferrari" and statistically high-mileage, looked-after cars are the least trouble. It's very simple - Drive, service, repeat - drive, service, repeat. We see a lot of Ferraris from this era and would be confident that, given its very impressive service and maintenance history, this example could happily be enjoyed for the next 130,000 miles.

Much loved and regularly spannered over the years, this really is a special 308 ready to carry on doing what little V8 Ferraris do best.