Deciphering Collectibility With Pre-Owned Ferrari 308s

Looking to buy a pre-owned Ferrari 308? Congratulations, you are looking at one of the best Ferrari models ever made in my opinion!   As you start your search online you will notice 308s priced all over the place and, if you are a first-time Ferrari buyer, you may become quickly confused and overwhelmed.  I thought it would be helpful to outline this model a bit and help decipher what makes some models more expensive and more collectible than others.

The Ferrari 308 was made in a Pininfarina design from 1975 to 1985 to replace the Dino 246 GT and GTS.  During that time frame, there were many different configurations, which is why some of the 308s are $50,000 and others are $500,000.  The early 1976 Ferraris are fiberglass cars so they will bring a premium just like today’s used Ferraris with a manual transmission, they will bring a premium simply because they are manual.  This 308’s body was made entirely of a glass-reinforced plastic, which made it very lightweight and Ferrari manufactured these until mid-1977 when they switched to steel bodies.  It is important to note that because these particular 308’s are the most collectible, that does not mean that fiberglass Ferraris are the most comfortable, fun, or easiest to drive, it is simply that Ferrari made fewer of them and they are of the most collectible 308s.

Ferrari also made carbureted Ferraris from 1977 to the early ’80s, which people speculate these to be collectible.  There are also fuel injected Ferraris, and then from 1983 to 1985, Ferrari made Quattrovalvole cars.  The Ferrari 308s came with either a GTB Berlinetta hardtop or a GTS Targa roof, so when you are looking at vehicles you need to consider first, do you want a removable top, or do you want a hardtop, and second, you need to understand that Ferrari made less Berlinettas so they will always bring a premium.

To recap, the most collectible, expensive Ferrari 308s will be the fiberglass cars made in 1976.  The second most collectible 308s will be the 1977 to early 1980 carbureted car and the 1983-1985 Quattrovalvole in the Berlinetta hard top roof.  The third most desirable 308 will be the GTS, Targa roof, version of the carbureted and Quattrovalvoles.   Finally, the least collectible of this model is the fuel-injected 308s.  Hopefully, this will help navigate the differences in the 308s, but as I always say, it is crucial to consider not just the cost of the actual Ferrari, but also pedigree and Ferrari service and maintenance required to make a good purchasing decision.