Tuesday, January 27, 2015

This 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB is Pin-Up Perfect

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.


 
1979 Ferrari 308 GTB photo

Poll any group of Ferrari fans on which Prancing Horse is the most beautiful and you’re likely to get quite a few answers. Ferrari designs tend to hit rather than miss. But listen closer to those responses and you’ll undoubtedly hear a common number and letter combination: 3-0-8 G-T-B.

The Pininfarina designed Ferrari 308 looks just as stunning in 2015 as it did at its Paris Motor Show debut in 1975, certainly not something you could say about all mid-’70s automotive designs. This 308 GTB is up for sale on eBay, it sports an extensive restoration, and we can’t imagine a reason not to buy one.


1979 Ferrari 308 GTB rear fascia photo

Fittingly, the 308 was born to replace another piece of Ferrari eye-candy, the Dino 246 GT, and there’s a familiar recipe: mid-engine, five-speed manual gearbox, and rear drive. But where the Dino had to make due with 2.4-liters of V6, the 308 boasted 2.9-liters of V8. American versions got 240 horsepower and could nearly kiss the 160 mph barrier.

This version, originally spec’d in Rosso Rubino paint, received a bare-metal respray in Ferrari’s iconic Rosso Corsa hue and underwent a thorough restoration using many new-old-stock parts, including the sought after Euro-spec front and rear bumpers. Inside, the 308 GTB sports new carpet and leather upholstery, but the real masterpiece lives in the boot. The pint-sized V8 engine was blueprinted and fully rebuilt at 36,000 miles, and now churns out 300 horsepower up to a screaming 7,500 rpm. Not bad.


1979 Ferrari 308 GTB rebuilt engine photo

With 57,876 on the odometer, it very well might be time for another service, though all looks in order from the photos. Magnum, P.I. made the targa-topped 308 GTS a cultural icon, but the hard-nosed 308 GTB is still the one we’d have.

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