Ferrari 308 – The Car’s the Star

With so many Ferraris to choose from it can be difficult to pick a favourite, or to pick one that defines a particular era, but they do exist. Those models that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of their time, firmly ensconcing themselves in the collective consciousness of car fans the world over. Sometimes, they’re given a bit of a shove into the spotlight, a little helping hand from Hollywood that raises them on a pedestal, because let’s face it, if a car appears in a good movie or TV show then it’s almost guaranteed to be a hit with the prevailing petrolhead population. It’s a story we’ve seen countless times, a story that perfectly encapsulates the rise to stardom of the Ferrari 308, for instance.

It happened to the Testarossa, too. We see cool-as-a-cucumber Don Johnson cutting about in a white Monospecchio in the hit ’80s TV show Miami Vice and all of a sudden we’re grabbing the nearest pair of Wayfarers, rolling up our jacket sleeves and salivating at the prospect of driving or owning that very same car.

But it wasn’t just Enzo and co. who were making waves by showing off their wares on screen. Seemingly everyone was in on the act. Look at Templeton “Faceman” Peck’s Corvette from the A-Team, or the Countach from Cannonball Run. It’s the same deal. We see it, we want it.

Ferrari was a repeat offender though. Alongside the aforementioned Miami Vice Testarossa, they were also at it with the 308 in Magnum PI, which actually came out a whole four years earlier. Here was another hit TV show about a crime fighting hero who drove a Ferrari. Featuring a much more rugged looking Tom Selleck in the titular role of Thomas Magnum in place of the suave Don Johnson, and with a red 308 GTS instead of a white Testarossa, Magnum P.I. took the tried and tested crime drama formula but presented it in a way that really resonated with audiences, birthing a legend in the process.

The show – one that ran for eight whole seasons from ’80 to ’88 – revolves around the exploits of private investigator Thomas Magnum (played by Selleck) solving crimes on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, with all the sun, sea and sex the producers could cram in. And if sunshine, palm trees and red Ferraris doesn’t scream 1980s then we don’t know what does. Zeitgeist, remember.

Living a life of luxury, Navy veteran Magnum loafs about on the island using a beach front estate by the name of Robin’s Nest as a base, living there at the behest of its owner. Magnum comes and goes as he pleases, does just enough work to get by and keep busy, and has full use of the estate and its amenities, including the Ferrari 308.

It’s not a one man show, however. The uptight Ying to Magnum’s laid back Yang is ex-British Army Seargent Major Higgins. The caretaker of the estate, Higgins not only provides some comic relief by virtue of the nature of his relationship with Magnum but also the keys to the aforementioned Ferrari.

Initially the producers of the show wanted to go with a Porsche 928 as Magnum’s whip but as the story goes the German firm wasn’t prepared to modify the car for Selleck’s gargantuan, six-foot-four frame and so they turned to Ferrari instead who was more than happy to chop the interior about to accommodate the actor’s gangly proportions.

Three versions of the Ferrari 308 would feature heavily throughout production. Beginning with a 1979 308 GTS in series one, that car would be replaced with an ’81 308 GTSi for the following six series and subsequently finishing with an ’84 Quattrovalvole for series seven and eight; all red and all unequivocally cool.

In reality, the two-seater, Pininfarina-designed 308 arrived in ’76 as a replacement for the Dino 246 and was available as either a hard top GTB Berlinetta or targa-topped GTS. Both models featured the 2.9-litre Tipo V8, mounted midships and mated to a five speed manual gearbox. With 252bhp on tap the pre’77 cars were slightly faster due to their fibreglass bodies but Ferrari then switched to steel which made later cars a tad heavier.

The GTSi (and GTBi) arrived as the ’70s turned into the ’80s and brought with them fuel injection, as noted by the “i” on the badge, obvs, but it would only be a couple of years before it was superseded by the 308 Quattrovalvole, again available in either GTB or GTS guise. For the linguists among you you’ll know that this is in reference to the engine and its new DOHC 32-valve cylinder heads which restored power after a drop in the previous model due to emissions bits and bobs. Various exterior and interior updates were also introduced but the apple hadn’t fallen too far from the original 308 tree in terms of design and performance.

The 308 also enjoyed some motorsport success under the expert watch of Ferrari dealer and race-prep workshop Michelotto, racking up wins in Group 4 circuit racing as well as Group B rallying, but it’s the road cars that the 308 is most remembered for, and those Magnum P.I. models in particular.

The quintessential Ferrari for many who grew up in the ’80s, the 308 has become truly iconic. You know a car is culturally and significantly important when it’s colloquially known by the media in which it appears and the “Magnum Ferrari”, as it’s commonly known, is certainly that, so if we’ve inspired you to seek one out, whether it be a hard top or a targa, then take a look at the various models we have available right now on Car & Classic. Hawaiian shirt optional.