1977 Ferrari 308GTB

This 1977 Ferrari 308 GTB, in left hand drive, is one of the first of the steel bodied 308s and as it’s a fixed-roof berlinetta there should be no temptation to don a Hawaiian shirt or grow a thick moustache to be seen out in it.

Originally supplied in the south of France to its one and only owner, we understand that the car spent its early years near Barcelona, around 17 years off the road and then a few years in Monaco before being imported into and registered in the UK in 2008. This great-looking Rosso Corsa (racing red) berlinetta with carburettor and dry-sump engine has covered just 39,000 km - that’s less than 1,000 km a year on average.

Largely, and wonderfully, original and unrestored, it comes with standard wheels and its original chin spoiler - something that many owners have modified - all handbooks and correct Ferrari branded wallet (owner’s manual, warranty card book with early service stamps plus sales and service manual) and full original jacking and toolkits in their bags, which are rare and worth good money today. It has also just received a significant service/overhaul including cambelts.

The bodywork presents in great condition and the super finish of the paint suggests that this car has been garaged and well looked after for all of its jet-set life. There are a few small cracks or splits in the paint in the seams around the engine cover/boot opening but otherwise the more visible expanses of gorgeous rosso corsa paint are very strong indeed. As you would expect, the vulnerable front valance, chin spoiler and wheelarch lip surfaces are coated in a body-coloured stone guard finish. There are no signs of corrosion on the body, including around those wheelarch lips. This 308 is quantifiably better than most of those out there.

The black trims around the car are also largely sound although the top-most lacquer on the driver’s door window frame has peeled off in places and there are a few scuffs on the leading edge of the door mirror. Tiny details, and nothing that couldn’t be rectified relatively easily so they present as well as the rest of the car.

The original 14” Speedline alloy wheels are in good order for their age with the odd scuff here and there and a slight bend in the left rear outer rim. All have matching Pirelli tyres which were newly fitted in 2019.

As you can see in the photo gallery, for a 42 year old car this is a real beauty - but you don’t have to take our word for it, we’re looking after this 308 during the auction at our facility in Oxfordshire so why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the page to arrange to get a much closer look.

The black interior is almost as well preserved as the outside. The dash top, instrument panel, centre console and door cards are in very good condition with none of the dried-up cracking and peeling state that you might expect for an unrestored car of this age coming from a sunny Mediterranean climate.

The leather seats look a little lived in - especially around the driver’s seat side bolsters - but could no doubt be rejuvenated by some appropriate leather treatment. The seats themselves are strong and supportive without any collapse or similar. Whilst inside, with the doors open a look at the door bottoms shows them to be free of rust.

Most of the electrics we’ve tested are functioning including the fan, driver’s window, heater, wipers and lights. Notable as needing attention is the left-hand headlamp - which lights but doesn’t pop-up – and the passenger electric window motor which falters occasionally. Both of these were reported by the vendor as working prior to us taking delivery so neither is likely to be anything major. It is fair to say that Italian car makers weren’t the envy of the world for their electrics back in the ‘70s so such things should be expected. The driver’s seatbelt is sometime reluctant to hand over the clasp.

Another strange one is that flicking the switch to extend the electric aerial seems to have no effect whatsoever. Although, as there is no radio fitted it does seem a moot point.

In the loadspace compartments - front and rear - the story of this car’s amazing condition continues. The rubber seals around the openings appear fresh, the zippered cover for the spare wheel in the front survives intact and its equivalent in the rear over the luggage space is a new replacement and therefore in excellent order.

The spare wheel appears solid but the older tyre may benefit from being replaced - you never know when you’ll need the spare wheel so it’s always a good idea that it’s up to the job of getting you home or to a tyre fitter.

The engine bay looks very clean and tidy with belts, leads and hoses replaced at the recent major service. Underneath the car there is nothing of concern with good underseal across the floor-pans and little or no corrosion on any of the structural members or suspension components. The stainless-steel sports exhaust system still gleams and the chorus of its four tailpipes sounds pretty good too, only matched by the induction roar in to the carburetors. As part of his works on the car, the current owner has taken the precautionary measure of professionally welding strengthening plates to the suspension pick up points, a known weak spot on the 308 (shown on invoices in the documents section of the gallery). We stress that there was no corrosion found on the car. 

A brief test confirms a very strong drive, the brakes, gearbox and engine are all combining well. The engine shows at, or just above, 6 kg/cubic cm for the whole journey. The car feels tight, unlike many supercars of the ‘70s that have needed a rebuild or two by now.

We have no reason to believe that the mileage of 39,000Kms is anything other than genuine and along with the UK V5 document there are also some old Monegasque copies of title and other papers bearing the owners name.

There is a gap in the history between the mid-80s and around 2000 when, according to the owner, the car was off the road - apparently he had a number of Ferraris and found little use for the 308. Lucky for us that he did as that time certainly has kept many miles off the car.

There are several recent MOT certificates in the history file, the most recent expiring in October 2019.

Further invoices in the history file show that in October 2019, £6,000 was spent on servicing with specialists Kent High Performance Cars which included cambelts and replacement suspension bushes, brake caliper rebuild, new steering gaiters, new engine mounts, ignition overhaul, new fuel hoses and carburettor tune-up. Its cooling system was also overhauled including new header tank and cooling hose replacement. In February 2019, the car was fitted with four new Pirelli tyres.

We’re looking after the car during the auction so we’ve selflessly taken it for a little test drive to give you our views. The car starts brilliantly with no choke required and changes through the gears well. With the additional work done to the suspension and brakes, the car holds the road very well and remains fully under driver control through the bends and during braking. This car's apparent originality, combined with a serious recent specialist inspection and repair, is all too clear when taking it for a run.

Although being left hand drive this car may have lower appeal for domestic UK consumption - it is perfect for our European neighbours who still choose to pass each other on the left-handed side (as ordered by Napolean) - or for any fellow Brits who fancy something pretty and exotic to take on road trips across mainland Europe (if we’re still allowed) without having to perform contortions to check the blindspot when overtaking.

Increasingly accessible and popular, we have seen asking prices for Ferrari 308s rise in recent years although cooling along with the rest of the market during the last 12-18 months. It’s amazing to find a one owner car in such a lovely original condition, never having been restored. We therefore expect this very original, low mileage, 1 owner, sports car to fetch somewhere between £49,000 and £58,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect as you wish.