Ferrari 308 GTBi

At the end of the 1960s, Enzo Ferrari decided to launch a new model on the market. The idea was for a vehicle with a mid-engine, as was already known in motor racing. For the road, however, the mid-engine design was new territory.

Despite the unknown prospects of success for the model, Ferrari's chief designer Sergio Pininfarina was entrusted with the construction of a prototype based on a six-cylinder engine. This was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1965 and received positive reviews. This prompted Enzo Ferrari to have the car mass-produced three years later under the name Ferrari Dino.

The Dino was reasonably successful and a successor was needed for the ageing model. In 1975, this came in the form of the Ferrari 308 GTB.

Nobody suspected that the 308 would become one of the most popular sports cars of its time. The first models were fitted with a GRP body, which had to make way for a steel body after around 600 vehicles had been built due to the time and cost involved. Another reason for the change of material was the approval in the USA, which the GRP models failed to meet. The 308 GTB shared the chassis with the Dino 246 GT, but had a slightly wider track and the same transverse-mounted V8 engine and transmission of the 308 GT4. The camshafts of the engines were not driven by chains as in the Dino 246 GT, but by toothed belts. The air intake behind the driver's door supplied the oil cooler behind it and the one on the right led to the air filter.

In 1977, the Targa version of the 308 GTB took its place in the showrooms of Ferrari dealers and was given the name 308 GTS.

Between 1975 and 1981, a total of 2897 units of the 308 GTB and 3219 units of the 308 GTS were sold.

The 308 GTBi/GTSi was offered from 1980. The i appended to the model name stood for „iniezione“ and signified the end of the carburetor era. The fuel now found its way into the combustion chambers of the eight-cylinder engine via an intake manifold injection system (Bosch K-Jetronic), which reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

From 1980 to 1983, 494 GTBi and 1743 GTSi were sold.

In 1985, the Ferrari 328, which was very similar in appearance but less filigree, succeeded the 308.

Interesting note: The Ferrari 308 became a TV legend in the 80s thanks to its appearances in the US series «Magnum». It is said that the producers of the series «Magnum» with Tom Selleck had already decided on a Ferrari 308 long before filming began, although they had been made other offers. Rumor has it that one of the models was only used for the stand settings, for which the seat had to be modified. At almost 1.90 m tall, Tom Selleck was supposed to look natural in this car and show that a car of this size is also something for tall people.