The Ferrari 308 was manufactured from 1975 to 1984. During that decade’s time, it was often considered as the most charismatic of Ferraris, largely due to its prominent role in the American TV series Magnum P.I. Its appearance on tv brought it worldwide recognition, some even called it ‘the most beautiful Ferrari’. Besides that, the Ferrari 308 made Dino merge with Ferrari. Its design later seemed to be ground-breaking, some Ferraris are still based on it. Let’s call it a real icon.
In 1975, Ferrari felt that their Dino brand had run its course, thus they ended it at what might be considered a climax, with the Dino 246 and the 308 GT4. At the Paris Motor Show, Ferrari introduced a stunning car designed by the famous Pininfarina, which was Ferrari-fast due to its 3.0 - almost 3.0 - V8 mid-engine that really deserved a real Ferrari badge.
During the first two years of production, the 308's frame was entirely made of fiberglass, a featherlight material that had never been used before in mass car production. Because of the fiberglass, the 308 weighed only 1,050 kg (2,315 lbs). In 1977, Ferrari switched to steel as it started also manufacturing the targa version 308 GTS with removable roof panel. In 1980, Ferrari introduced direct fuel injection for the 308, both for the GTB and GTS models, that were from then on called GTBi and GTBi. Again two years later, a new variant was revealed: the Quattrovalvole, the same 308 that produced considerably more power due to the four valves per cylinder.
In 1985, the Ferrari 328 succeeded the 308. The 308 had set the standard for Ferrari design, some 90s Ferraris were based on it and it has set tones for sports car design even in the 21st century. An estimate of 12,000 308s were built, which is a lot for a Ferrari model, it was a true success. Because of its high production number, the 308 is an affordable Ferrari with real boasting Ferrari allure.
Ferrari 308 GTSi
The Ferrari 308 GTSi was revealed in 1980 alongside the GTBi as its counterpart. The ‘i’ represents fuel injection, with which the car was embodied to make the engine run smoother, accelerate more smoothly, and be less polluting. Despite these advantages, the 308 lost some power due to fuel injection. Though, the 308 was still a fast car that even rips modern cars.
Its ground-breaking and trendsetting design and the early use of fuel injection make it a coveted classic Ferrari that bears real Italian 80s sporty charisma.
Technical information:
Body work
Mechanics