From The Classifieds: 1977 Ferrari 308 GT4
There's no such thing as a cheap Ferrari. And, really, who would want it any other way?How much do you need to pay – or how little should you expect to pay – for a true Ferrari experience? Judging from
, you’ll need to have at least $30,000 just to earn the right to have a sweet Italian tenor locked away in your garage. You just might find one for a little less, but less is what you’ll get.Thirty K is just the starting point too. An extra 10 grand or so tucked away somewhere should insulate you against some of the things that might crop up. Look at just about any exoticar on sale and you’ll note how many owners mention the thousands of dollars worth of receipts that are available to prospective buyers.
It is unlikely that anyone looking to buy a Ferrari, at the bottom of the price range, is naïve enough to think they are about to buy Toyota reliability. High-strung Italians are not, and are never likely to be, low maintenance prospects.
However... If you are ready to bite the red bullet and accept your next car is likely to demand at least as much as it gives, this $30,000
has the potential to return something few others are able to even think about. The glorious Bertone style, the musical V8 cacophony, the street credibility...Succeeding the Pininfarina-designed Dino 246 as the Dino 308 GT4 in 1973, the company’s first mid-engine V8 was not given the Ferrari imprimatur until 1976, when it was decided to allow it full entry into the prancing horse stable.
When it was introduced in 1968, the curvaceous, 2.4-litre V6 engined Dino 246 was a move to make Ferrari ownership more affordable. Which is something that could be argued today, given the prices this model is bringing on the used market (think $200,000 plus). Little wonder that 308 owners today like to apply 'Dino' to their car’s title.
The Dino 246 (the first two digits for engine capacity, the next for the number of cylinders) was a hard act to follow, but the more angular 308 GT4 came with more seats via a wheelbase stretch, more bark and more bite. The transverse, mid-mounted 3.0-litre V8 bumped power from 146 to 190kW.
With its gated five-speed manual gearshift, four twin-choke Webers and musical exhaust, the 308 GT4 was a stimulating, rewarding drive and actually more predictable than the shorter-wheelbase 246 on the road. Even so, many purists reckon its Bertone styling, extra size and extra weight don’t rate it against the first Dino.
In terms of a Ferrari 308 GT4, what is your money or so likely to buy you?
The red (what else?)
(NSW) featured here post-dates the Dino badging and has been in its present ownership for more than 10 years. The owner has used it for all sorts of things including commuting and the odd track day, and has patiently kept it up to the mark, with the receipts to prove it.The body was resprayed “a few years ago” and the black interior is described as being in good original condition. It is claimed to have been “extremely reliable.”
The car has been unregistered for “a couple of years” and these days only gets a monthly drive around the block to keep everything lubricated. So to the purchase price will have to be added roadworthy, re-registration and any other little items that may crop up.
Of course it is possible to pay much, much more – typically two to three times the price here - for a ready-to-go Ferrari 308. But, as stated earlier, that’s not the point of this story.
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