1986 Ferrari 328 GTS

This beautiful Italian-delivered LHD Ferrari 328 GTS is finished in Rosso Corsa with tan leather seats and carpets.

Bought new by a Florentine man in 1986, the car was dry garaged for 15 years by his family after his death in 1999. 

The vendor, who is Italian but lives in the UK, bought the car in 2016, had it registered in the UK, and began the long and expensive process of having the car fully recommissioned and the engine rebuilt by highly respected authorized Ferrari specialists, INECO, in Italy. 

 The car has covered only 260km since the full engine rebuild and, aside from various new or refurbished mechanicals, is gloriously authentic both inside and out – right down to the original paintwork.

Over the course of 3 years, the following work was carried out (among much else):

• Full engine rebuild 
• Bosch ignition fully refurbished 
• new brake calipers, hoses, discs and race pads 
• new and/or refurbished suspension
• new original-spec Ferrari exhaust 
• gearbox checked
• new clutch
• new steering rack

The work was completed in 2019 at a cost of over €30,000. 

As the engine has covered only 260km since the rebuild and is still being ‘run in’, we’ve been advised that it needs to be limited to 2000rpm (at least when cold) until it’s got around 1,500km on the clock. 

So, we know that it starts on the button, that it sounds fabulous, and that it will happily pootle around the outside of our HQ without troubling its rev counter too much. 

But we haven’t been able to drive it ‘in anger’, so to speak. 

There are very few visible faults with this highly original car and we will, of course, describe them for you in a moment. 

Overall though, this is clearly an extremely good example where all the heavy (and expensive) lifting has been done by other people.

The Rosso Corsa paintwork is in really good condition and the finish has an impressive shine and lustre to it. 

It’s a tribute to the care (and lack of use) given to this car that its 1986 paintwork can look this good.

Remarkably, the front end of the car is free from stone chips & there are no scuffs, dinks, dents, ripples, chips, creases or folds of any note. 

The sensuously sculpted flanks are formed from pretty much unblemished panels with good shut-lines and door gaps. 

There is no rust to speak of that we can see, which is, perhaps, less surprising than you might think given that Italian steel of this era was famously inclined to crumble to a mound of brown dust at the mere thought of going outside on an overcast day. 

Not so the 328, which had a galvanised body. 

And this one benefits from having been kept indoors most of the time and only occasionally let out for a quick run in the delightful climate and surroundings of the Tuscan hills around Siena.

All the trim and badging is as it should be, and the louvres on the side panels, engine cover and bonnet haven’t faded or otherwise suffered.

The 5-spoke alloys have a few black marks on them in places, but are otherwise untroubled by use, age or, it would seem, kerbs. 

The matching Goodyear Eagle tyres have plenty of tread left on them.

The lift out roof fits snugly, can be removed and replaced quickly, and isn’t peeling, cracked or faded.

Frankly, it’s a fabulous looking car.

The good news continues on the inside, where you’ll find a delightfully authentic interior. 

The tan leather seats are firm, comfortable and supportive, with the

only real sign of wear being some creasing to the bolsters on the front seats. 

It’s a 35-year-old car. 

Any 35-year-old who’s lived a bit should think himself lucky to have nothing worse to complain about than a bit of characterful creasing around the bolsters. 

Otherwise, the Connolly leather is supple and in remarkably fine fettle.

The door cards are good, except for a few marks of wear and tear where they meet the leading edge of the inner door. There is a split to the passenger door’s ‘A’ pillar trim and a little rust dust has crept into the space provided. 

There are some scuffs and marks to the fabric covering the shelf behind the seat headrests. A little soap and water might go a long way to rectifying this.

The lift-out roof panel, dashboard and centre-console are all in broadly very good nick, as is the gear lever and gate, the Momo steering wheel, and all dials and gauges.

Virtually everything is original, apart from the carpets, which are new, authentic and correct. 

The ‘boot’ is smart and tidy as is the space under the bonnet. Lifting the carpets here or anywhere else on this car reveals…no rust that we can see.

The original Ferrari toolkit is missing. 

The air-con isn’t currently working and would need re-gassing. The radio has also retired hurt but the arial still works.

As far as we can ascertain, all other knobs, toggles, flaps, levers, buttons and switches do what they’re meant to do. 

All in all, this cabin is a delightfully authentic and very special place to spend some quality time.

The undersides of this vehicle are fair bristling with shiny newness. 

New and refurbished suspension, brake and exhaust components are all in evidence. There’s very little road grime, only the faintest hint of rust dust on one or two bits and pieces, and generally nothing to raise a frown or prompt a tut. 

It all looks as solid as a rock to us.

Given that the engine has only clocked up 260kms since being rebuilt it is unsurprisingly tidy, clean and looks to have everything in its right and proper place.

This car has had 2 owners from new, has 69,939kms on the clock and a rebuilt engine that isn’t yet ‘run in’. 

What it doesn’t have is an encyclopaedic history file covering every service and oil change.

Instead, it has all the bills, receipts and invoices for work done by INECO of Vicenza. You may have to brush up your Italian if you want to know the precise meaning of every word on them.

It comes with a clear RAC history check and, currently, no MoT.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we always encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Two owners from new?

Low mileage?

Mechanical recommission and engine rebuild by authorized Ferrari experts in Italy?

Solid chassis?

Solid body?

Highly original exterior and interior?

No reserve?

We’re really struggling to find anything not to like here.

We think it’s a cracking example of a gorgeous car.

Consequently, we’re happy to offer this exceptional vehicle for auction with an estimate of £55,000 - £70,000, without reserve!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our headquarters near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, so to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.