1976 Ferrari 308 GT4

Dave is the owner of this lovely 1976 Ferrari 308 GT4. He purchased the car 18 months ago, where it already had a nice history file and had been a well maintained and looked after car.

Manufactured by Ferrari SPA, Maranello Italy in 1976, it was then sent to the UK distributor, H R Owen London who supplied it to the first owner on 16th September 1976, and was registered with its current registration number.

Since purchasing the car, Dave has taken it to the next level in refreshing the paintwork with a full respray. The Ferrari hadn't been touched for years and was looking a little flat in places, hence the reason for the respray. Respray complete, a full service has ensured the 308 is as good as it can be. Purchased with the intention to keep it, Dave has enjoyed owning the 308 and getting it to a state he was happy with (which has involved a considerable amount of money). So if it was a keeper, why sell it you might ask? The short side of the answer is, it’s basically too low to get into and Dave has struggled with this. His replacement is still a classic, but this time a Porsche which is not so low seated.

Finished in Nero 20-B-50, this 1976 308 GT4 is in a stunning condition and extremely well presented. As mentioned, it was repainted 12 months ago to freshen up the 45 year old paint. From the front, the lower valance has avoided any contact with high kerbs and is nice and straight. The lower grille section bars are also straight with a bright finish. Hiding just behind are two fog lights with no chips to them and in place is the famous prancing horse. Just slightly above, the bumper is free from any noticeable scuffs and then we get to the all important cool bit…yes the pop up lights are working just fine. Stone chips to the front nose of the 308 are minimal. The bonnet aligns nice and straight with the wings and front panel.

Around to the side profile of the Ferrari and it sits there, looking just right! Follow the lines down the car and there are no dinks or dents that we could spot, the door shut lines are equal to both sides. The chrome trims around the windows have a bright finish to them with no real signs of any tarnishing or pitting to them. The glass all looks to be scratch free other than any age related marks. The door mirror does have a bit of paint that's come off, but nothing a rattle can of satin black wouldn’t sort out. Fitted with an optional sunroof, this slides back as it should and closes up nice and level.

To the rear, the light clusters are free from any cracks and the chrome surround is in a nice condition. The bumper, like the front, has no scuffs, and the twin tail pipes that the Ferrari sings from have a polished finish to them. The boot lid and engine cover sit nice and square.

The five spoke Ferrari wheels were ordered as wider items when the 308 was purchased. There are a couple of light scuffs to the rims but nothing drastic and could be easily sorted out by a wheel refurbish if required. The tyres do have some life left in them, but were noted as an advisory on the recent MOT as slightly perishing, and the nearside rear is worn on one edge.

Open the door and the interior is finished in Nero VM8500 hide which shows signs of patina but no real damage. It could be recoloured if required but it does look nice and original with some character as it is. The dashboard is free from any cracking. The instruments and controls are all at hand from the driver’s seat. The steering wheel does have some patina to the leather, but it’s not split, just lightly worn. The switches for the lights and wipers are all in good condition with the writing above them not worn. All but one of the instruments are working as they should and the odometer has a reading of 88,924 miles. We need to mention the speedometer is working but the odometer side stopped working around 12 months ago.

The centre console retains the original radio cassette and of course the famous Ferrari H shift pattern with the original gear knob. The door cards are finished in matching Nero leather and material which are in good condition, and free from any noticeable wear other than age related.

The carpets in the car are nice and clean with no real signs of any wear. Looking under them the floor is also clean with no areas of concern to mention that we could see. Up above is the headlining which does have a small section that has come away near to the sunroof aperture. Into the boot area, and this is clean and tidy with just enough room for an overnight bag, or maybe the golf clubs.

The underside of the 308 GT4 is in excellent order and it's quite obvious it has not seen much or any water for many years. There is no real surface rust on the suspension components that you would normally get if a car has been stored somewhere damp.

The Ferrari has benefited from a new clutch in 2002 at around 84,000 miles, and also timing belts, tensioners and water pump in 2017, where since then it has covered very little miles.

The Italian 2.9 litre V8 starts up with ease at the flick of the key and sounds fantastic, with no noises creeping in that shouldn't be there. The seller reports the car drives lovely and the 308 pulls strongly through all the gears, with the change nice and precise thanks to the H gate pattern. The brakes bring the Italian classic to a halt nice and sharply whilst keeping the car nice and straight.

Dave certainly knows his classic cars and, more importantly, knows his classic Ferrari’s, and he has commented that you will struggle to find a 308 GT4 that is as well sorted as this one. As mentioned, purchased as a keeper he has made sure everything was just right for himself to enjoy.

It's quite clear from the invoices and MOT history that the Ferrari has definitely not been used to its full potential since around 2007, as it has only covered just a few hundred miles since then. It looks to have been pampered and worked on rather than being driven, having had the new clutch as mentioned in 2002 at approximately 84,000 miles, and the heads were skimmed in 2004 along with new oil seals and crank seals. In 2016, new fuel pipes were fitted, along with new electric window motors and spark plugs at 88,922 miles……yes, 5 years ago but only around 200 miles ago. There has also been a full service carried out in 2020 ready for the new owner to enjoy the Italian classic.

An extensive history file with some interesting invoices dating back to 1982 that you probably wouldn't want to add up. There are also lots of previous MOT certificates, again dating back to the early 80’s. Dave has recently put a fresh MOT on the car which expires on the 24th June 2022. This was carried out by Stratton Motor Company in Norfolk, who only specialise in prestige classic cars.

Certainly a reasonable way to step into the world of classic Ferrari ownership and, yes, you would be getting a well maintained classic which has already had a lot of expensive work carried out like the clutch, heads skimmed, timing belts, tensioners and water pump done, plus lots more. All of this work has been carried out since around 2002 and onwards, but the car has only done approximately 5,000 miles since then.

Repainted in the original Nero black colour and with the interior in the original Nero Black leather, with a sunroof and wider magnesium wheels which were ordered from new. Some say a Ferrari has to be in Red, but to be honest, Gloss Black definitely works, wouldn't you agree?

We estimate that this Italian classic will fetch in the region of £35,000 - £45,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00pm. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.