1981 Ferrari 308 GTBi

This Ferrari 308 GTBi was first registered in August 1981. The current owner has known this car since 1997. In fact he helped a friend buy it in that year and would later go on to acquire the car from his friend in 2003. He drove it for a number of years and believes it was last on the road in 2008. A house sale and subsequent move meant the Ferrari sat outside for a number of years. The seller states it has been stored in his garage for the past 5 years.

This Ferrari 308 GTBi is clearly a restoration project that has suffered from being stored outside. Any classic, especially an Italian one is not going to enjoy being left out in the elements in the UK.

There are obvious rust issues visible around the car, in particular around the door bottoms, lower wings and where a section of paint had chipped away on the left side nose area. The once shiny Rosso red paint has faded to pink on a lot of the flat surfaces.

The seller states that the car spun on him on black ice one time, which lead to damage on the drivers side sill and the front fibre glass chin spoiler.

The passenger door doesn’t currently open and he adds that the rear bumper is missing part of its trim surround, which is believed to be in the boot.

However despite its scruffy condition there is something alluring about this car. A lot of this is down to the attractive wedge styling that was a trade mark of Ferrari sports cars of this era.

This 308 GTBi has the famed Connolly leather interior with red piping to the seats, which goes well with the Rosso paint and certainly would have looked the business when it was younger.

There are obvious signs of wear and use on the seats, the steering wheel and the switch and gauges. Everything clearly needs a careful detail but it all appears to be present and intact which is a good sign. With time and attention it should be possible to bring the interior back and return it to its former glory.

The seller states that the Ferrari’s 3.0ltr V8 was running well when he took it off the road in 2003. It was treated to a service at JCT600 in October 2002 at a cost of £2,888.67.

As the car has stood for so long the engine has not been started due to the risk of the belts snapping. The seller adds that the cooling system has been drained and the pipes disconnected.

The underside of the Ferrari does show evidence of surface rust after its time standing outside. Any prospective buyer will have to plan for a full suspension strip down and rebuild and an overhaul of the underside.

The seller states that the spare wheel comes with the car and has some damage as it was the wheel that was caught during its spin on ice.

The seller believes that the Ferrari’s mileage of 68,645 is genuine. One of the oldest MOT’s in the history file, which dates from 2nd June 1988 notes it had covered 39,526 miles. The most recent MOT is from June 2004, by which time the car had covered 61,610 miles.

He adds that he believes the car was originally painted black, which is noted in one of the history checks on the car. An MOT from March 19992 notes the cars colour was black and the next test in the history file in September 1996 notes it was red.

The seller goes on to say that he is the cars 13th/14th owner.

The history file includes numerous old MOT certificates, service invoices, old tax discs and a Ferrari V8 manual and wallet. The car comes with one set of keys with an alarm/immobiliser key fob.

Unfortunately the Ferrari’s original toolkit is no longer with the car. However the seller does have a set of 16” split rim Compomotive alloys, which are available by separate negotiation.

Values of the Ferrari 308 have steadily risen in recent years, which is without doubt linked to the resurgence of 1980s nostalgia. It’s a Rosso Red Ferrari with a V8 engine and pop up headlights… just like the one in Magnum P.I. While this 308 GTBi has fallen from grace, it wears it scars on its sleeve and hasn’t been dressed up to try and hide its issues. This is clearly a restoration project that will require a complete strip down and rebuild to return the car to its former glory. And there is something very appealing about recusing this Italian Stallion and getting it back on the road.

We estimate this Ferrari 308 to fetch between £20,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.