Ever considered buying a Ferrari 308? Here are five reasons why you definitely should!
Thanks to starring roles in television shows like Magnum, P.I. and movies like Beverly Hills Cop II and National Lampoon's Vacation, the Ferrari 308 is probably the most recognizable Ferrari model outside of the enthusiast community. Built from 1978 through 1985, the 308 was Ferrari's entry-level sports car of the time replacing the short-lived Dino sub-brand.
Any Ferrari is worth adding to a collection, but here are five reasons why you should definitely buy a Ferrari 308 like this 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS quattrovalvole being sold by Vintage Planet.
Timeless Design
Perhaps it was all of the exposure on movies and television or maybe it was just a well-executed Pininfarina design, the styling of the 308 looks just as good today as it did back in 1978. The mid-engine proportions look stunning on the 308, and the overall design language helped inspire future Ferraris – including the Testarossa – through the 1990s.
Still Appreciating
The values of Ferraris continues to climb, which means these cars are excellent investment opportunities, but the 308 seems to be one of the more popular Ferrari models lately. And that's especially the case with the 308 GTS. The targa-top GTS was the rarest of the 308 models accounting for less than a quarter of what the hard-top GTB sold, and the 1985 marks the second lowest production total for the 308 GTS with just 201 units produced that year.
Screaming V8
The 308 GTS quattrovalvole uses a 2.9-liter fuel-injected V8 engine with a DOHC 32-valve (hence the quattrovalvole name – four valves per cylinder) design. European versions produced 240 horsepower, which was slightly more than the U.S.-spec models, but these high-revving engines sounded great in either spec.
Gated Shifter
Any car with a gated shifter is worth owning, but a Ferrari with a racecar-like shifter is a must-have. The 308 has a five-speed gated manual transmission, and whether you're driving around to a car show or on a track day, you'll feel the same exhilaration that Ferrari drivers have been experiencing since 1947.
Community
The best part about owning any Ferrari is that you are instantly immersed in one of the most passionate group of car lovers whether it's getting together for a weekend drive or watching Formula 1 races. Since many Ferraris are well documented, there are numerous online resources for tracking and researching anything having to do with Ferrari including forums.
As far as this particular 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS quattrovalvole goes, it is a two-owner car with less than 31,000 original miles, and rather than being a U.S.-spec model, this one was imported here, which means it has the higher engine output and the slimmer, more desirable bumpers. It is up to date on all of its maintenance including a recent timing belt service, and it comes with all of the records dating back to new as well as all of the books and tools it came with from the factory. Check out the brief video below to see more of this beautiful 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS quattrovalvole in detail.
