Ferrari 308 Price Guide

The Ferrari 308 GTB and GTS is the Ferrari that made the prancing horse accessible. It was a mid-engined V8 sports car in a Pininfarina body of near-perfect proportion that sold in substantial numbers from 1975 to 1985. It became genuinely famous through the television series Magnum P.I., in which Tom Selleck drove a 308 GTS. It is the entry point to mid-engined Ferrari ownership and has been for four decades.

The Range

The 308 family covered multiple variants: the original fibreglass-bodied GTB (Vetroresina) of 1975–1977 in 2,926cc carburettor form; the steel-bodied GTB and GTS from 1977 with improved rigidity; the 308 GTSi with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection from 1980, reducing power from 255bhp to 214bhp but improving throttle response; and the Quattrovalvole from 1983 with four valves per cylinder recovering power to 240bhp. Individual variants are covered below.

What Goes Wrong

Cam belt changes every three years or 30,000 miles are absolutely non-negotiable; the 308 V8 is an interference engine and a broken cam belt destroys the engine. Any 308 without a documented recent cam belt change should have it done immediately on purchase. Rust affects the steel-bodied cars comprehensively so check the sills, floors, and rear suspension mounting points. The Bosch injection on the GTSi requires specialist attention when it misbehaves. Rear suspension geometry must be checked carefully.

Buying

The fibreglass GTB is the lightest and fastest 308. The steel GTS is the most numerous and most practical. The Quattrovalvole restored the power lost to emissions equipment. Cam belt history is the single most important document to obtain.