1976 Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino

Given that 2+2 Ferraris have been somewhat of a specialist interest until more recent years, finding one that has been cherished, fettled and kept in great condition is somewhat tricky, with many 308 GT4s (and its successor, the Mondial) falling victim to cut corners, cheap maintenance and only half-competent home mechanics. Thankfully, this GT4 falls foul of no such things, and is almost certainly the best one that we’ve seen.

Before even being known to our seller, this RHD GT4 spent some time in a Dutch automotive museum almost from new, being repatriated to the UK in 2002 and subsequently recommissioned.

Known to the current owner for a number of years prior to purchase, it was bought as a non-runner following a trip to Germany, following what our seller calls a ‘silly offer’ that he never expected to be accepted.

What started as a cheeky offer soon snowballed into a full restoration, with the majority of the mechanical work being carried out by the seller himself, due to plentiful history working in the automotive trade.

The bodywork was stripped back to bare metal, had new inner/outer sills fitted on the offside, and then painted in the classic shade of Rosso Corsa. The engine has received a full top-end rebuild due to the known issue of Sodium-filled valves breaking and destroying the engine, so after some light smoke was seen on overrun the choice was made to get ahead of the issue, and the resulting works included re-finishing the cylinder heads, fitment of 4x new camshafts, new non-Sodium valves, guides and seats. Whilst the engine was out, a new clutch assembly was fitted, along with replacement drop gears and bearings. The braking system hasn’t escaped attention either, with a new master cylinder, brake pipes and hoses being fitted.

Elsewhere, a number of considerate upgrades have been carried out, such as conversion to programmable electronic ignition, fitment of a high-torque starter motor, a full cooling system overhaul including a re-cored radiator, new water pump and header tank, a full suspension overhaul including new bushes all-round, and fitment of Koni shock absorbers and springs.  The oil cooler and associated pipework has also been replaced, and the carburettors refurbished, re-jetted and correctly setup to make sure this GT4 starts on the button.

The key ethos behind this pattern of upgrades was to make the car as reliable and usable as possible, and upgrading areas in which our seller felt Ferrari fell short during production. A great example of this way of thinking is replacement of the original brake discs and calipers with a set of upgraded vented discs and 4-pot calipers to inspire more confidence when stopping.

In addition to making the car as mechanically reliable and dependable as possible, a few other modifications were carried out, the most notable of which being a stainless exhaust system, including new manifolds.

The cabin hasn’t escaped our sellers’ attention either. The interior has been reconditioned, the radio removed - ‘you want to listen to the wonderful V8 noise!’ - and new aluminium pedals, door cards, carpets and seatbelts have been installed.

With all the works carried out above, along with regular cambelt changes (despite the minimal mileage covered) and routine oil changes being carried out at circa 1,000 mile intervals, there are still a few little snags to take care of. We’re told there is a tiny leak from the fuel tank, though we couldn’t notice any issues during our photo shoot, but a new tank will be supplied with the car. Therefore the vendor hugely encourages that the winning bidder does trailer the car and new fuel tank away for obvious safety reasons.

In addition to this, a failed nearside electric window mechanism has entered the motor inoperable, but the replacement part for this will also come with the car.

Sadly, a broken femur has put thrown a spanner in the works for our seller, who wanted to enjoy this 308 GT4 long term - “it was built to be a keeper” - and the resulting mobility difficulties make getting in/out of this GT4 a nigh-on impossibility, as well as meaning the above two ‘snagging’ items are unable to be addressed. The choice has therefore been made to move this beautiful 2+2 on to pastures new - could it be the one for you?
 

Originally delivered in the somewhat unusual colour scheme of Gold (Oro) over beige leather but now sporting the much-loved Rosso Cross over cream/tan colourway, this 308 GT4 presents in very good condition throughout, on account of its aforementioned bare-metal restoration.

Up front, we note some usual stone chips and minor blemishes to the front end, which are par-for-the-course on even low mileage Ferraris of this era. Moving along the flanks of the car, we can’t see any dents, damage or impact issues, though we’d expect to find one or two minor blemishes up-close.

At the rear, the lower nearside valence is starting to bubble and crack slightly aft of the rear wheel, and being the particular people that we are, we’d also point out a slight paint run visible on the upper edge of the offside wing, next to the panel gap for the boot lid. Finally, we’d draw your attention to an area of bubbling aft of the offside rear wheel.

Elsewhere, the chrome window trims and badges are lightly faded and patinated, as are the gorgeous Campagnolo wheels, but this isn’t anything we’d consider outside the realm of commensurate ageing.

Both pop-up headlights work without a hitch, with no delays or difficulty noted with either motor during our photo shoot. All panels and doors open and close without fault, and whilst the panel gaps will never be perfect - this is a 70s Ferrari after all - they look good to our eye, with no obvious mis-alignment issues.

Overall, it’s clear to see that this GT4 has been a product of love by our seller, and we have no doubt it’ll continue to draw admiring glances for many years to come, while still giving its next custodian some small areas to fettle with an improve should they wish to do so.
 

Moving inside, the classic tan/crema leather interior presents very well overall, having been reconditioned during the restoration of the car, as well as receiving new door cards, carpets and seatbelts.

We note some light patination to both front seats, as well as some light staining or usage dirt around the centre console, door pulls and other high-traffic areas.

In the rear, both seats are in excellent condition with only one or two indentations, likely on account of the fact that the rear seats are there in spirit, more than being a practical addition to the vehicle! Being very fastidious, we’d likely give the full interior a deep cleaning, wipe-down and treatment once again to bring it back to its best.

The seller notes that the Nardi steering wheel is the original item, and is complete with Nardi’s signature engraving.

Looking closer, the chrome door sill trims are scratched from years of use, there is some wear to the carpets around the leading edge of the door jambs, and the various switches and displays wear a commensurate age-related patina, all of which adds to the character of the car.

Other than the aforementioned window regulator failure on the nearside window, there are no reported faults or issues to note.

The first production Ferrari to feature the now-synonymous mid-engine V8 setup, this 308 GT4 is reported to be in excellent mechanical health, and has benefitted from significant investment, time and experience over the course of our seller’s ownership.

Firing into life with ease and settling into a steady idle without the need to use the choke (in fact, it has been removed from this example) the engine sounds healthy and free of any concerning rattles, taps or knocks, though the seller does note that having been used so sparingly in his ownership, a good long run and ‘Italian tune-up’ would likely be beneficial.

Looking in the engine bay itself, we can see no causes for concern, and the same level of attention-to-detail that the rest of the car has received is evident here also.

Underneath, the chassis and suspension setup looks fantastic to our eyes, having seen only the lightest of use out on the open road in-between restoration periods and further fettling, and even more limited use in recent history owing to the vendors’ recovery from a broken femur. 
 

We’d suggest setting aside a good evening and a glass or two of Italy’s finest to go through the history of this GT4. Organised into 4 folders (plus the two workshop/maintenance manuals that are also included in the sale) our seller has meticulously documented every pound and penny spent on this GT4, with reams and reams of parts invoices, the majority of which were from Superformance.

Owing to the majority of the work being carried out by our vendor himself, there is little in the way of current-era labour invoices, though a few specialist jobs - such as setting up the carburettors and re-coring the radiator - were outsourced, and the documentation for these jobs is present.

In addition to parts invoices from the current owner, there is also a healthy amount of pre-ownership documentation, including invoices from well-known marque experts DK Engineering following the cars’ repatriation to the UK, as well as other miscellaneous expenditure.

The V5 is present, showing 12 former keepers.

In addition to the documentation, the tool roll is located in the front luggage compartment, and the car will be supplied with 3 sets of keys. 
 

There is a saying to buy a car based on its owner, and if that’s the case, we’d be snapping the hand off our vendor to purchase this 308 GT4. Cosseted, fettled and considerately upgraded to improve reliability and usability without sacrificing the character of this 70s V8-powered 2+2, this Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino is in excellent condition, and would hold its own at any show or pub gathering, whilst still allowing potential for its next owner to fettle and improve as they see fit.

In other words, the ideal car to enjoy this summer, and know you’ll have some excuses to escape to the garage once winter comes!

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £30,000 - £40,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Roche, Cornwall. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.