﹒Restoration project
﹒Runs and drives well
﹒Huge history file
﹒Desirable factory options
﹒Dry-sump

The 308 was a landmark car for Ferrari. Before its launch in 1975, the company had never made a mid-engined car with a V8, but it’s a layout that’s proved so popular they’ve never stopped making them since. When the 308 was eventually replaced by the 328 in 1985, that carried on the concept of bolting a V8 behind the front seats. So did the 348 that followed, and the 355, the 360, the F430, the 458, the 488, right up to the F8 that sits proudly in the showrooms today. The entire bloodline can be traced back to the 308.

With a tube frame and separate body, it was actually a pretty simple thing, although it was complex where it counted: the chassis boasted all-independent double-wishbone suspension and disc brakes all round, while the free-revving V8 was transversely mounted with a transaxle, all-synchro dogleg ’box and clutch-type LSD. The body was a gorgeous wedge, very appropriate for the mid-seventies; they were initially made of fibreglass, although construction swapped to steel from mid-1977. The example we have here today, first registered in October 1977, is one of the early steel cars, and being European-spec it has the dry-sump setup rather than the wet-sump that 308s had in Japan, Australia and the US. A bona fide UK 308, with oodles of history, which will make an intriguing purchase for the right buyer.

We have to point out from the outset that this is a car requiring restoration. It’s all complete, it runs and drives well, and from twenty yards away it looks absolutely gorgeous – but there are issues that need attending to with the bodywork and the chassis.

For someone with the skills and inclination to bring it back to its former glory however, this is a tantalising proposition. The car has evidently been loved, as the extensive reams of paperwork and history demonstrate. Furthermore, everything’s here – it’s probably not going to be a restoration involving an irritating worldwide hunt for obscure trim pieces and deleted parts; in fact, the interior is very nice indeed, the drivetrain is in decent running order, and it’s a tasty spec. When these cars were new, only three factory options were available – the front spoiler, the air-conditioning, and the bigger 16” wheels – and this car has them all.
 
Experts always say you should start your project with the best possible base, and as 308s go this one is very desirable.

The history file with this car is extremely extensive. The correct V5 is present, showing the Ferrari to have first been registered in the UK on October 13th 1977. There’s a very large sheaf of old receipts and invoices for maintenance and servicing work over the years, and we can see that the car received a full cambelt service in 2014 when the mileage was 77,208 – that was only c.600 miles ago, so it has been used very sporadically since; the MOT history shows it to have been tested in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

The original warranty card shows the 308 to have been supplied by Cooper Car Sales Ltd to a buyer in Canterbury, and the paper trail indicates that it’s been in specialist care for much of its life.

The interior of this 308 is really its party piece – while there is work to do outside and underneath, this cabin is very impressive. The seats are in excellent condition with minimal wear, and they tilt forward correctly to allow access to the small luggage recess behind. The carpets and headlining are decent, and the dash and doorcards are in very tidy condition. The original-spec steering wheel is very good, and there’s a period radio-cassette fitted (possibly the factory-fit unit). This car is equipped with the optional factory air-con, with the controls down in the centre console. The pedals are good, the switchgear’s good, there doesn’t appear to be anything missing in the cabin.

Inside the front boot, the battery access panel is in place, and the bootlid itself opens and latches correctly.

There’s work to be done here, for sure, but don’t go thinking this 308 is beyond redemption. On the plus side, all of the correct trim pieces, light lenses, badges and mirrors are in place, all the window glass is in good condition, and the panels fit well with decent shutlines. The pop-up headlights work correctly, and the car is fitted with the optional larger alloy wheels (7x16” front, 8x16” rear) which are in superb condition. The optional front spoiler is also here, and the car does present very well from a moderate distance. However, when up close it’s evident that restoration will be required to the bodywork as well as the underside. We’ve tried to highlight the areas in question in as much detail as possible in the photographs, but the main areas requiring attention include (but are not limited to): the lower windscreen surround, the door bottoms and sills, the front wings, the headlight covers, the engine lid, the rear corners adjacent to the taillights, and the rear buttresses behind the windows.

An involved and in-depth undertaking, certainly – but for a buyer with the requisite skills and know-how, the bones are good and there’s strong potential to bring this complete and running car back to life.

It’s very reassuring that this is a running and driving car. As the seller manoeuvred it around for our photoshoot we could see that it starts happily, idles well, and there’s no smoke from the exhausts. They also reassure us that the gearbox is very good. We can see from the paperwork that the engine’s credentials are backed up by a lot of proven service history, including the aforementioned belt change, so the restoration of this Ferrari should be more focused on the aesthetics and structure rather than the mechanicals.

One area that will require particular attention is the suspension at the front and rear of the car – as you can see from the photos, there’s extensive corrosion here so it will be a case of sourcing and replacing the correct components. The car does reportedly drive OK as it is, but the suspension will be needing attention as part of the required overhaul.

For the right buyer, this car represents an excellent opportunity. Unrestored and tidy 308 GTBs are few and far between, and command huge premiums; restored examples are easier to track down, but of course you’re putting your trust in the skills and fastidiousness of whoever it was that carried out the work. This car, however, is a blank canvas: it’s a well-specced example of an early steel-bodied 308, and it’s all complete and – crucially – running and driving. There’s a huge amount of history in the file, so it’s far from an unknown quantity. And once you know what you’re getting into, you’ll be able to carry out the restoration work to your own standards and have the car just the way you want it. There’s work involved here, but the rewards are clear: the right car in the right spec, ready for rebirth and rejuvenation.




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