Highlights

Ferrari’s iconic mid-engined model and one of the first Ferrari-badged versions
Low owner car recently imported from Rome that appears to be in superb condition
13,000 Euros just invested in full mechanical overhaul including timing belts
Vendor can assist with registration, transport, insurance or storage

The Appeal

The 308GT4 was a game-changer for Ferrari. The first 2+2 model and the first to be designed by Bertone, it cemented the mid-engined layout that was to be hugely influential on the firm’s future.

The 308GT4’s Marcello Gandini styling was a radical departure from the sinuous curves of previous models. It set the template for a driver-focussed, very distinctive Ferrari profile.

This 1976 308GT4 is one of the first to be Ferrari-badged - rather than purely Dino-badged – and has recently been imported to Czechia from Rome. A low owner car in superb condition and finished in classic red over cream, it has just been extensively mechanically fettled at a cost of 13,000 euros. Iconic and capable it will surely enhance any classic owner’s collection.

The History and Paperwork

First registered on 10th May 1976
Ferrari switched to badging Dinos as Ferraris in May 1976, so this is one of the first to be badged as such
VIN records confirm that this car was built by the factory in 1976
Two owners and recently imported from Rome
Correctly registered in Czechia
13,000 euros spent on 21st March 2023 including timing belts, brakes and fuel pump

The Interior

Evocative Ferrari interior in very good, original condition
Clever 2+2 interior evolved the mid-engined Ferrari concept
Classically finished in cream leather
Clever four seater with stylish rear seats that appear virtually unused
Dashboard, centre console and trim in very good condition, only showing light signs of use
Front seats show a gentle patina of age with some creasing and wear on the driver’s seat bolster
Attractive door cards in very good condition for age
Good boot carpet with space saver Cromodora spare wheel

Before car interiors received the heavy design treatment there were cars like this Dino, ones that prioritised function over form and yet inadvertently achieved aesthetic brilliance. Step into the small cockpit of this 1976 car and you could only ever be in a Ferrari. The clear array of dials, set into their aluminium housing, and the chrome gear shifter, with its clearly defined gate, ooze intent.

It is a classically Ferrari place to be, right down to the stylish cream leather seats. This is a low owner car and the interior feels very original, a patina of character dressing the various switches and fittings, from the stylish door cards to the sculptured rear seats.

The front seats show light creasing, the driver’s seat bolster lightly worn, while the rear seats look virtually unused. The carpets are in similar condition and the beautiful door cards only carry a light sheen of wear. The centre console is in similar condition, the occasion nick in the leather suggesting that this is a nearly 50 year old car.

There is a light scuff on the ashtray and some marks on the rim of the steering wheel. Otherwise the interior is in very good condition and the signs of use only point to how well loved it has clearly been.

The Exterior

Classic Ferrari red paintwork that appears to have been refurbished during the car’s life
Highly standard specification with all badging factory correct
Early Ferrari-badged Dino
Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres
Beautiful Cromodora alloy wheels in superb condition with excellent centre caps
Black stone guarding to both sills
Space saver alloy spare
Bodywork in excellent condition with straight panel lines
Glasswork and lights in similarly good condition
The car sits straight and level indicating good underpinnings

Until the 308GT4 the job of designing road-going Ferraris fell to Pininfarina. Handing the job of designing its new four seater to Bertone not only broke with tradition but helped set the firm on the mid-engined path established by the Dino 246 and which it continues to follow for its sports cars to this day.

The razor-sharp lines are the work of Marcello Gandini of Lamborghini Miura fame. The 308GT4 is very different from the sculptural Lamborghini or his equally feted Montreal, its sharp lines born out of purpose but also to signal a step change in Ferrari’s development.

The lines cleverly disguise the four seat, mid-engined layout. They make the diminutive GT4 seem well balanced - just like its mechanical layout - and established a profile that has endured through decades of Ferrari design. They also provide the driver with a perfect view of the road, unencumbered by bodywork.

This car was recently imported from Rome where it had just two owners. The bodywork is in superb condition, possibly the result of a restoration as the paint is lustrous, deep and largely unmarked. There are some chips on the vulnerable front spoiler and a slight imperfection in the paint on the passenger side rear arch but otherwise it looks flawless in the photographs. There is black stone guard to both sills.

The limited chromework as well as the glass and lights are in similarly very good condition. We did not have access to the underside of the car at the time of writing.

The evocative Cromodora alloy wheels are in unmarked, excellent condition and shod with specialist Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres.

The Mechanics

2,927cc V8 Ferrari engine developing around 250bhp
13,000 euros spent in March 2023 on timing belt , brakes and fuel pump, the full list of the work covering two A4 pages
European specification 5spd ‘dogleg’ gearbox
Tubular spaceframe chassis with transaxle to provides near perfect weight distribution

Ferrari’s range of Dino cars were planned as a distinct, less expensive alternative to the V12-engined models. The approach confused customers and in May 1976 the firm dropped the distinction and badged all cars as Ferraris. This car, first registered in May 1976, is therefore one of the first Dinos to be Ferrari badged.

The 3litre Ferrari engine is an all-aluminium block and head design with 16 valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts. Good for 250bhp, it was of course quick by contemporary standards but it was how the GT4 drove that set it apart. Like the 246 before it, the mid-engined layout provided superb weight distribution and a driving experience altogether different from the firm’s front-engined supercars.

This car appears to be a low mileage example and has recently been imported to Czechia. Following importation and registration it was treated to an extensive mechanical refurbishment in March 2023. Costing 13,000euros the work included timing belts, brake overhaul and fuel pump work. The full invoice is visible in the photographs and covers two carefully detailed pages of parts and work.

Summary

The original 246 Dino introduced mid-engined motoring Ferrari’s roster but it was the 308GT4 that established the profile followed by cars like the 328 and 512BB. A Gandini masterpiece, it cleverly disguises the car’s 2+2 layout whilst delivering near perfect weight distribution.

This low owner 308GT4, classically finished in Ferrari red over cream, is a clearly well cared for car that retains all of the jaw-dropping presence this car had in period. Delicate and delightful, it also has the benefit of a significant mechanical overhaul. It surely ticks most if not all the boxes for any prospective buyer.

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