308 GTS QV

The Ferrari 308 is a sports car from the manufacturer Ferrari, which was sold from 1975 to 1985 as a coupe (308 GTB) and Spider (308 GTS). Pininfarina was commissioned to close the gap between the 246 DINO and the 12 cyl. 365 GTB with the 308 GTB / GTS model series. The result is one of the absolute masterpieces of the coachbuilder. (Some say that a ” Michelangelo ” could not have done better). In the designation 308, the first two digits stand for the displacement in deciliters, so here for engines with three liters of displacement. The third digit indicates the number of cylinders. As a 1985 Quattrovalvole (four-valve), this is one of the very late examples with all the detail improvements.

The following letters “GT” stand for Gran Turismo. In the case of the “GTB”, the following letter describes a “Berlinetta”, i.e. a small Berlina sedan. In the case of the GTS, the “S” describes the open version Spider, which in the case of the 308 is equipped with a targa roof that can be stowed behind the seats. To fill the gap in the portfolio, the 308 GTB was introduced in 1975, establishing a successful series that would last a total of 10 years. The first 308 GTBs had a GRP body (called “Vetroresina” in Italian), but Scaglietti switched to a conventional steel body after only about 400 to 808 (the figures for the exact number of units are contradictory, and there is often talk of almost 600 polyester bodies being produced) models had been produced, as the production of the body in glass-fiber-reinforced plastic was too time-consuming, and provided them with the 308 GTS, a Targa with a removable roof. The 308 GTB was based on the same chassis as the Dino 246 GT (21 cm shorter than the 2+2-seater Dino 308 GT4), but had a wider track and the same transversely mounted V8 engine and co-mounted transmission as the 308 GT4. The engine camshafts were driven (already since the Dino 308 GT4) by timing belts, unlike the Dino 246 GT, instead of chains as Ferrari had done until then.

The 308 GTB and GTS built until 1980 had a mixture preparation by four Weber double carburetors 40DCNF. The 308 GTB built until 1980 had an engine with dry sump lubrication. The 308 GTS and all later Berlinetta and Spider successors with intake manifold injection had engines with wet sump lubrication. Externally, it looked similar to the Ferrari 365 GT/4 BB, which had already been launched in 1973. The air intake behind the driver’s door supplied the oil cooler behind it; the one on the right led to the air filter. The 308 GTB was faster than the Dino 246 GT – 255 instead of 240 km/h – and accelerated better.

Between 1975 and 1981, a total of 2897 308 GTBs and 3219 308 GTSs were sold. The subsequent 308 GTBi/GTSi, which were fitted with intake manifold injection due to the stricter exhaust regulations (especially in the USA), sold well but were and still are not as highly regarded as a performance-reduced version as their predecessors, which were much more toxic (and also louder) thanks to the four twin carburetors. Not only because of the low number of units, but also thanks to the lower unladen weight, the examples produced with GRP bodywork from 1975 to 1977 are considered the most popular model series. The successors to the models with intake manifold injection, the offshoots with four-valve technology, were also very popular. The 308 also formed the basis for the later 328 model series with larger 3.2-liter V8 engines.

From 1982 to 1985, the GTBi were equipped with quattrovalvole (four-valve technology), increasing power to 179 kW and top speed to 258 km/h. Within three years, 748 GTB QV and 3042 GTS QV were produced. The model with four-valve technology was replaced in 1985 by the virtually identical 328, which had a displacement of 3.2 liters.