It took me a while to realise my late Father was rather cool, my parents sent me to a local public school as a weekly Border and would pick me up on Saturday from 1976 -82 in either a 308GT4, a Lotus Europa twin cam, in jan 1977 he picked me up in A Rover SD1 V8 people forget what a wow car the Rover was, unfortunately the power steering failed on the Way home, and in the six months he owned it he had almost every BL car as a courtesy car, in March he had enough and that weekend picked me up in a Gordon Keeble that he purchased via Eddie Knott in Brackley, on his 70th Birthday he treated himself to a 996 Turbo S, he sold the 308 when he was 75yrs old as he struggled to get In and out .. a life well lived ❤
In around 1985 my dad took his Jaguar in for service, and the owner of the shop gave him his SD1 to take home as a loaner. This is in Canada, where Rover has never been sold. I remember thinking it was amazing. Never seen another in North America before or since.
Always remember an article in Classic Car magazine from the 90's where the owner said "When I'm looking at it in the driveway I wish I had a GTB, but when I'm driving it I'm glad I've got a GT4"
I have a 308 Gt4 exactly like this one. Mine is Metallic Silver with cream leather interior and blue carpets and is a 1978 model born with the Ferrari badge. I bought her in 1997 and she is still with me,after 27 years of total reliability. This is a wonderful car to drive,if you go slow everything is heavy: the steering,the clutch,even the brake pedal,but if you let her go she becomes a dragonfly,light and easy,sharp as a knife in the bends,with a perfect balance,something amazing for a 50 years old project. When you drive this car you feel all the knowledge,all the know how,all the experience they had in Maranello in making road cars with the experience of racing cars. You feel the idea,that came from Enzo or from some of his closest collaborators,the work of the designer team made with pencils and drawing board,the ability of factory workers,and the experience of the test drivers in a hand build car. Of course is not a perfect car but the good thing is that you feel all of her heritage and of her soul.
I´ve put about 120.000Km on the country roads and the autobahn on mine - always as fast as possible in the 80ies in Germany/France/Italy. I sold it with 190.000Km on the first engine and gearbox. It was super reliable and I loved the engine sound - sweet memories, thanks for showing!
The right cars at the right times - I´ve also put 210.000Km on an Integrale 8v without cat (first edition with tuned Hörmann engine wich lasted only 35.000Km the original engine with slightly chip tuning lasted about 170.000Km, perfect car) - now I am driving a MB W203 C320with a bit more HP@@fragu123
Great that you finally got a GT4 in The Garage, Harry. You did it justice with a very fine, well-considered review. I adore mine; had it over 20 years - raced, rallied it and taken my daughters to their weddings in it! We're off across France in it next month to Monaco Historic - can't wait. They are just brilliant - if you know, you know...
I also always liked the least liked Ferraris, probably because I don't like Ferrari that much. Not a fan of Pininfarina with his wavy lines. Straight, edgy, clean I want, this is a bit of an odd one out in all respects, but it's got stance and the geometry of the butresses is just gorgeous.
I moved a 400i for a guy not long ago……. Lovely ❤ As a lad, a local villain used to let me sit in and rev his 512BB after I pumped his petrol at my Saturday job…… 🙂🇬🇧
Was wondering when you would get around to this! ;-) 3 years ago I bought what turned out to be the original UK press car (delivered to Dick Lovett in Wroughton in 1974), badged as a Dino in Rosso Chiaro. Currently restoring it. Wonderfully unique and underrated.
The GT4 is an amazing drive, it is still fast, it is slightly discrete and at gas stations always draws a crowd as it is seen as exotic but hard to place. This is more so for non red versions. Is it a lambo? Is it a stratos?- Make no mistake the GT4 is the most under valued non mass market hand made Ferrari made, and its star is rising fast. Finally time has shown the Bertone design to be very cool indeed and vogue. Its masterpiece engine is the grand daddy of the v8's, in fact it is 3/4 Ferrari Daytona for goodness sake! and small numbers of good ones exits. Less were made than the 750k value 246. Less than 600 RHD cars were made and only 2800 ever- and it is estimated 30-40% have been raced, parted, wrecked as they were not popular in the 90's... The dash of the GT4 is crazy cool, one of the best ever. I own an immaculate 1979 Porsche 930, and a 1976 Dino GT4. The Porsche is ferocious on acceleration over 3500 rpm- and the breaks are just ridiculous in how they work, but.... the fact is, the click, clack gate shifting, screaming hand made Ferrari 308 engine is the more invigorating drive . At 120 mph it is the Dino that feels rock steady, unlike the Porsche that has boost to come, but I'm feeling like it wants to lift off as the front is so light. In the mountain roads the five clicking gears beat the long leg Porsche. I have had a Ferrari 355, a 360 and for a while drove my father's 246, and the GT4 is the best of the lot on the road. 355 is soooo close. The point is this is a masterpiece. It just never looked Like a Ferrari so it was demonised, but due to this real drivers bought it and like us fell in love with it.
It seems hard to believe now that, and for a very long time, nobody seemed to want these cars. What was everyone thinking? Well, it's great to see that, at long last, the 308 GT4 is finally getting the love it deserves. Brilliant video, as usual!
I bought a 308 gt4 new from auto Becker in Dusseldorf bilk I was living in Germany at the time 1978.. I ordered mine In dark blue with beige leather seats. About two months later I got a call to say that my car had arrived but something had gone wrong with the order, they asked me to visit to sort things out. I arrived 8 o'clock pm and was shown into the workshop to inspect my car. Under the bright overhead lights there stood a bright red GT4 With black fabric seats. It looked amazingly, beautiful. The salesman explained that there had been some kind of mixup. Yehh sure 😃 this one is slightly cheaper due to the fabric seats DM 53,000. And I didn't have to take delivery, up to me. Well what the hell, they didn't have to twist my arm. The next hour was taken up with the do and don'ts . Not to rev over 4000 for the first 1000 km Etc Not to keep at constant speeds , but veriable and to use second gear to start until the gearbox warms up. And not to miss the first important service ( free.plus oil ) be on time. The GT4 in Germany was only allowed 236 PS ( BHP ) this was a regulation ordered by the German TUF . ( Technical department) I could never understand why. My drive back to the north was in heavy rain with no problems. This was my first Ferrari I have owned 4 since including a Testarossa . The GT 4 was the most reliable, most fun, and handled better than all put together. In 1978 not many Germans knew what a Ferrari was. I always got comments like, that is a funny looking Auto Is it a kit car. Why don't you buy a Porsche? Well the GT 4 was quicker than the 911 of the day, and real fun on the Nordschleife . Just for interest when I ordered my car I had a long chat with a very nice guy who was drinking coffee with the sales staff.( I speak German) He was explaining to me things about the GT4 and the handling , I had no idea who he was. It was my German wife who told me on the way back home That I had been talking to Joachim Stuck . Amazing. I shall never forget the first time I actually put my foot down ( after 4000 km running in) The experience was unbelievable it handled like the go/kart I owned. And upgrading From a BMW , the acceleration was mind blowing. Remember this was 1978. Though the years I found a new Ferrari engine is quick But tend to slow down after 20.000 km.
My dad was a foreign office comms officer and we were posted to Rome in 1980-82. A gt4 lived near our flat and I was smitten the first time I saw it. Vastly underrated for decades, I'm still in love. Yet another just superb Gandini design. The gt4 issue is the only one of about 25 years worth of collected Classic and Sportscar mags that I've kept. Thanks for reviewing it!
308 GT4 is the hidden gem of the range. Many consider them one of the best handling classic Ferraris, more of a driver's car than the 308 GTB/GTS. A lot of components shared with the 205/206 Dino for 1/5 of the price. Thank you to Harry for still reviewing all these classics.
It looks a seriously underrated car... This was the first Ferrari I ever saw as a 7 year old in 1978 in Doncaster... It took my breath away. I think it looks better than the Mondial that replaced it.
Stunning and one of my favourite Ferrari's - Its interesting to me how well the wedge aesthetic looks today. This and early Esprits with their purity and elegance are just great looking cars.
That was a very fair assessment.I ordered mine in 1978 and still enjoy it today. These really are very practical cars.I updated the suspension on mine to take advantage of the new P7 low profile tyres .This has taken the handling to a new level .
My favourite car of all time ever. My uncle had one when I was a child and took me to school in it one time and I was king of the school for the rest of my life. We used to go to the Lake District in it regularly. Fantastic car. Just powerful. Not in the way that a modern car would be powerful but for its age just the size of the engine and the eight cylinders and all the torque and everything. Just a beast of a car. Real prescience. You would say nothing else like it on the road at the time.😮.
I’ve owned four 308 GT4’s from very early ones to 1981. In my 1979 version I covered around 70k miles between 1985 & 1994, as it was a delight to drive. My last one was a 1981 built and I bought it from a Main Ferrari dealer in 2000 with 19,000miles on it. After 1500 miles on a trip into Europe to Monaco, the 19year old tyres gave out! That was a beginning of considerable cost including rebuilt suspension & a top of engine rebuild, all because of its lack of use until I bought it! It was a great drive and I would have kept it but spare parts were hard to find. The non-working Speedometer required a tiny angled drive, which after 10months was found in a US scrap yard, being typical. I replaced the tyres with modern lower profile Pirelli’s which were much better for grip & handling. I’d describe the 3rd gear ability to almost dance down a line of spaced out cars on overtakes, as just wonderful & very controlled. The brakes need careful attention and these cars have no ABS, no power-steering nor traction-control. Remember not to use 2nd gear until the oil temperature is thoroughly warmed up, usually after 10 miles of gentle driving, & worth waiting for! After the stint with 308GT4’s I’ve moved onto Mondial Coupes. I owned a 1993 3.4t first which no-one mentions the engine has to be removed on its sub-frame to service it!!! The chassis is not as stiff because of the sub-frame and servicing costs start at £2,500! Wow, 3.4t’s have this costly requirement so I now drive a 1988 Mondial 3.2 Quattro-valve which has a stiff chassis and ABS but still no power-steering. This is a delight to drive. Not quite as nimble as the 308 GT4, but the spares situation is good & many are in use in Historic Racing. The Mondial 3.2 shares its engine with a 328, and has a fine reliability record. It cost just £31,500 in 2019! A big saving on the £55,000 for the 308GT4. Values now are slightly up to £35,000 ish but finding a Mondial 3.2 might be a challenge. Chris Harris has a Mondial 3.0 QV Cabriolet which he likes so much, it’s being rebuilt! The 308GT4 & Mondial’s are the forgotten V8’s lurking in the low price ranges but offer a manual gearbox, and I like it that my car shares the Steering-wheel, keys, instruments etc, with a F40! On Shell V-Max (E5) the 308 GT4 will do 15-18 mpg unless one is getting on a bit when 8mpg is possible. All my four liked oil at a litre every other fill up depending on your speed! The Mondial 3.4t and 3.2 are better on fuel consumption at 19-22mpg and oil consumption is way better than the 308GT4’s. Servicing costs on 308’s and 3.2 Mondial is around £300 plus vat for an oil, brake fluid & check brakes, service. These cars need their Cambelts and pulleys renewed on average about every 3-years at on my Mondial 3.2 £500 plus vat at Graypaul Ferrari. Rust is an enemy of 308GT4’s with no factory rust-protection and just like Dino 246’s they can rust badly. (I owned a £12,000 Dino which was rusting away!)
Remember watching these being raced in the Marenello challenge at Oulton Park , it was said that they handled better than the 308GTB. Remember as a car mad young teenager seeing a white one in rush hour traffic every evening, a friend (who was no car nut) was cheeky enough to ask the young driver for a ride, he took him up the road and back, we never heard the end of it as he boasted next day in school. Looking at cars like this and the Countach, Boxer, Espada and many more, makes me realise how lucky I've been to be an enthusiast through a great time in design and innovation, I'm not keen on most of the new ones though. Thanks Harry.
That was my first Ferrari! I bought a 1975 for my 30th birthday in 1995. Glorious engine note with carbs and handled better than my 308GTS QV and had more power! I wish I still had it. I traded it in on a Lamborghini Countach 5000QV after 4 years of ownership.
When I was a lad…..the local chip shop owner had one. Usually parked outside the shop. Rumour has it he won and lost the car gambling! Was a bit rough but to see a Ferrari back in the late 70’s/early 80’s was a rare thing. Not my favourite Ferrari but that example is stunning and it drives so well. Well done Mr M for another great film, I personally love the older car reviews and the restoration films closely followed by your epic road trips! Good work and thanks.
I ‘considered’ one in 2002, when they were under £20k. I always thought Enzo hated Gandini so much for the Muira and Countach, he wouldn’t let him design Ferraris! My favourite Gandini design, the X19, also has that 2 button affair for the 2 top rear panels, so that was the idea of a genius, too. RIP Marcello Gandini 💚🤍❤
Well, the 308 GT4 was not a Ferrari at the begin of production, so Ferrari had to call it a "Ferrari" later to enhance the sales. For purists any "Ferrari" without a V12 is still not a true one. Thats wha Enzo didnt see any problems to let Gandini design a "Dino".
30 years ago, I bought a couple of Classic cars that were not in fashion at all, but I thought were fabulous. A Jaguar XJ12 Coupe, and a 308 GT4. Glad Harry agrees with my choices! I love them both
For me, one of my favorit Ferraris ever made. A very modest and usable Gandini sports car design - but also a beautiful car! They were not so exotic and rare cars in the 70s and 80s here in Carinthia. And it was the time of colors: I knew them in silver (these were the most) metallic blue (light blue or in a wonderfull dark blue) red, yellow, maroon brown, gold. Most of them disappeared from the streets in the late 80s, due to the rust. They were often used as daily divers, like the Porsche 911 and the salt in the winter kills them in a few years! Technical, they were quite robust cars - and most of the owners took them to Italy regulary for service. The costs in the workshop near Udine were much lower (and way better) than in Austria - and it was only a two hour drive... Nice car, great video! Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹!
I was a child in the 70s. was always a fan of the Dino 246 styling but used to get confused between the looks of the 308 GT4 and Lotus Esprit often thinking they were the same. the 308 GT4 styling was also quite conservative for an Italian sports car of its era. superb example in this video though
Enjoyed this video Harry. Back in 2004 I helped to EFI convert and dyno tune an engine of very similar GT4. Outside of EFI hardware and different throttle bodies, the engine was factory stock. If I remember correctly, with EFI it was making close to 280HP on a Superflow engine dyno. Have not driven the car but it did move and sound glorious. The GT is aerodynamically cleaner than the 308 GTB/GTS so I would expect a higher top speed.
I’m happy this little overlooked and for many years forgotten, classic Italian beauty is finally getting the attention and recognition it deserves ☺️ Fantastic video as always, Harry, thank you 🙏🏼
GT4 AL Great wee car. I have owned mine for 24years. Developed it some over the years to upgrade the chassis , engine and brakes. Its a very practical and reliable ownership prospect. Its for sale on pistonheads at the moment. Everyone you meet loves the car always a positive interaction no green eyed monsters. its got class. Harrys comments on the handling are correct. Mine is on 16 s with a thicker antiroll bar at the rear and rose jointed adjustable shocks with solid bushing on the a arms. All of which has sharpened up the turn in, grip and responses without(surprisingly) loosing the ride quality. I have tucked the wiper blades out the way by moving them round on the spline, no biggie. Great long distance tourer. So give me a call if you would like to take it on for the next 20 years.
Great video capturing it's strengths, it is shorter than a GTB/S but has a longer wheelbase. That's a very nice example, although the handbrake should be straight and the wipers definitely should park lower. The great thing about these cars is the sheer amount of different sounds you can elicit from the engine, it's like playing a musical instrument.
I have one - agree about the wipers - mine are much lower. Just an easy adjustment. My handbreake also points inwards though possibky not quite so much.
A fine example of a classic car demonstrating that less power/weight/bulk is more in terms of driving pleasure, compared with some of the supercar behemoths lumbering around these days. Greta to see this car so beautifully kept & restored.
I have a 308 Mondial QV which is the updated version of this car. Mine is everything that Harry said. so roomy, great handling and totally practical. Ive had mine for 18 years now and no issues.
The GT4 has always been one of my favourite Ferraris and certainly my favourite 70s Ferrari. Despite being the Bertone black sheep in the sea of Pinin designs, I think the styling is wonderful - it makes the 308 GTB look quite fussy. Wonderful example too.
I never drove one on the road, but we used to get them now and again in the Sydney Hilton car park where I worked in my student days in the mid-70s. Even driving one at parking speed underground was a thrill back then!
I grew up in San Francisco, and just north across the bridge in Belvedere lived a beautiful blue example, circa 1978. Always saw it around Marin county with its custom license plate that read, Bad Co. Lovely car, hope it’s still on the road.
❤❤❤yes, imho also yet another ‘time’-bomb, from Nuccio’ BERTONEs hayday design department. And only now’, after almost all the ol’ maestro’ stylists, have gone, does the scarcely surviving examples, of their period works, fetch some kind of attention’, beeing refitted and fully serviceable, still, commanding good money in exchange for title, and iconic status❤❤❤
The 308 GT4 handles well because Nikki Lauda was involved in its development. Also, they share the same wing mirrors as the 1976 Ferrari F1 car! Love the 308 gt4 - glad that you reviewed one.
Not so. That was a false marketing claim by Chinetti, the USA importer. Lauda only signed a contract with Ferrari teh month the GT4 was launched, too late for any design input. Also - mirrors vary and were not factory specific.
This and the 400i my favorite Ferrari's because they are not the obvious 'go-to' Ferrari's. Nearly bought one many years ago opted for a 98 Alfa GTV Lusso..no regrets ..sort of.
First Ferrari I went in my mate at school his dad had one, all the other kids in our road where amazed when he dropped me off in it even more so when he dropped me off in his Lamborghini Countach Anniversary 😂
I never understood why this was so underrated and unloved by Ferrari enthusiasts. I’ve always loved this car. Great styling would be great in Harry’s garage permanently.
This is an hypnotically beautiful, timeless design, that I've loved from the first time I saw one. Wheeler Dealers did one up a while back, and it was surprising how practical it was. I can't really understand how some people don't like the car.
The 2+2, Ferrari 308 engines and bodies have always been my favorites amongst the Ferrari family lineup. Always absolutely beautiful and functionally designed cars! The 2+2’s were really quite practical and usable for what they were. That one is a gem!
Always liked the gt4, one of the first Ferrari i worked on when i finished school. I still remember my boss telling me strictly to avoid second gear with a cold gearbox. Happy days 😊
Great video Harry. Sums up the car really well. I always think of it as large go-kart. You can just chuck it round corners and know it will stick.I know the car in your video and the owner. I've had my blue GT4 now for 10 years and 35K miles and after a bare metal respray over this winter it is arguably on a par in terms of condition. Have to say the wipers never worried me. No doubt I will now notice them all the time. I do agree that it could probably do with a 6th gear.
Love these blast from the past videos, taking us back in time to the historic Dino to test the car parameters that were common during the late 70’s era of sports cars, supplemented as well by Harry’s access to the 1979 options price list.
What a car! One of my favorite cars from my days at The Sports Car Exchange in Dearborn, Michigan.....so visceral! The intake song undamped (not like the 308GTB/GTS), the immediacy of your sensing turn-in to corners, as you where placed so much further ahead to the front wheels than it's two-seater counterparts. AND, if you were lucky enough you had a one of the fiberglas body units that were so much lighter than the steel bodied versions. Love it LOVE IT!
A visual masterpiece which inhabits space in a way which two dimensional images can't really convey. You have to see with your own eyes. It exudes an understated brutal elegance. Absolutely beautiful. So is the Urraco.
We had a '79 Series 2, pretty much identical to this one. I'm lucky in that I'm only 5' 9" and have short legs and long arms; it fitted me like a glove! It taught me how to heel-and-toe and it did 4 or 5 track days with the FOC every year for 10 years. I decided to sell before the rust got too bad but I still look back on it very fondly.
Please bring back decent depth of sidewall on tyres. Maybe we wouldn't worry so much about rough roads and potholes. That's a beautiful car by the way.
That is one of my favorite Ferrari designs of all time. I know many don't like it but I don't care. It just looks so cool to me. Gandini was a real artist.
Completely love these, it’s the perfect Ferrari to have today, you can rev it all the way out & your not doing a million, while sitting in that gorgeous interior and hearing that fabulous noise
My pa bought a '78 in 1980, passed it to me in 2000 just before he died. I kept it until 2015 and it is now in the custody of my nephew. I still miss it in a way but felt that I and my wallet needed a break after 15 years "at the coalface"! Fun fact: Elvis owned a black one on chrome wire wheels which I believe is still at Graceland.
I really like that. It feels like a big brother to your Lancia. Short gearing, rev happy and friendly handling from a car thats not over powered. It seems the kind of car you could really get stuck into and enjoy without too much bother. Apart from the wheel wobble (easily rectified) it seems to be in excellent condition too. What a lovely car. Someone is going to be very happy with that one.
I worked for a dealer and we had a lot of trouble with door fit and latching on our cars- the other major complaint was clutch effort, it was brutal compared to car it replaced the 246.
This was possibly the 1st Ferrari , I had a strong liking to as a teen in the early - mid 1970s. Its wedge shape , to me was oh so modern at the time. Yes I loved the 246 in The Persuaders driven by Tony Curtis , who doesn’t , but if you look at it closely it’s burning oil all over the place(!) , but this seemed a whole modern approach at the time, especially liked the alloy wheels which suited the shape. 1st saw one in black pictured in On Four Wheels magazine , one of these mags you collected and put them into binders . Obviously the Fiat parts bin was added here , 132 door handles , bonnet / boot levers from the Bertone Fiat Dino coupe , but to me that adds to the charm . Nice car
First thing I noticed when I drove one was the handling, I couldn't believe it, they are such an engaging car to drive!! I'd have one in a heartbeat, they always look better in the flesh too...
I’m a gt4 lifer- dad brought me home from being born in her. He passed and she’s mine now. Coming up on 50 years old.
I read that as you being born in a Ferrari!
Things I can't say....I was born in a Ferrari
@@Daredevil311-g9ltotally beats silver spoon
It would be even more impressive if you’d been conceived in it!
*You guys are lucky, all I can say is that I got an apology letter from Durex* :(
RIP Marcello Gandini
Legend !
What a great man. One of my heroes. It is a sad day in the design and car world.
I haven’t owned one of his cars yet. One day…
A Khamsin would suit nicely.
My hero. I studied automotive design and he was my idol.
It took me a while to realise my late Father was rather cool, my parents sent me to a local public school as a weekly Border and would pick me up on Saturday from 1976 -82 in either a 308GT4, a Lotus Europa twin cam, in jan 1977 he picked me up in A Rover SD1 V8 people forget what a wow car the Rover was, unfortunately the power steering failed on the Way home, and in the six months he owned it he had almost every BL car as a courtesy car, in March he had enough and that weekend picked me up in a Gordon Keeble that he purchased via Eddie Knott in Brackley, on his 70th Birthday he treated himself to a 996 Turbo S, he sold the 308 when he was 75yrs old as he struggled to get In and out .. a life well lived ❤
Do you mean Ernie Knott? I think Ernie even commissioned a white metal scale model of the Gordon Keeble.
In around 1985 my dad took his Jaguar in for service, and the owner of the shop gave him his SD1 to take home as a loaner. This is in Canada, where Rover has never been sold. I remember thinking it was amazing.
Never seen another in North America before or since.
Always remember an article in Classic Car magazine from the 90's where the owner said "When I'm looking at it in the driveway I wish I had a GTB, but when I'm driving it I'm glad I've got a GT4"
I have a 308 Gt4 exactly like this one. Mine is Metallic Silver with cream leather interior and blue carpets and is a 1978 model born with the Ferrari badge. I bought her in 1997 and she is still with me,after 27 years of total reliability. This is a wonderful car to drive,if you go slow everything is heavy: the steering,the clutch,even the brake pedal,but if you let her go she becomes a dragonfly,light and easy,sharp as a knife in the bends,with a perfect balance,something amazing for a 50 years old project. When you drive this car you feel all the knowledge,all the know how,all the experience they had in Maranello in making road cars with the experience of racing cars. You feel the idea,that came from Enzo or from some of his closest collaborators,the work of the designer team made with pencils and drawing board,the ability of factory workers,and the experience of the test drivers in a hand build car. Of course is not a perfect car but the good thing is that you feel all of her heritage and of her soul.
Great comment.
I´ve put about 120.000Km on the country roads and the autobahn on mine - always as fast as possible in the 80ies in Germany/France/Italy. I sold it with 190.000Km on the first engine and gearbox. It was super reliable and I loved the engine sound - sweet memories, thanks for showing!
…yes, great memories live forever! What are you driving today if I may ask..?
The right cars at the right times - I´ve also put 210.000Km on an Integrale 8v without cat (first edition with tuned Hörmann engine wich lasted only 35.000Km the original engine with slightly chip tuning lasted about 170.000Km, perfect car) - now I am driving a MB W203 C320with a bit more HP@@fragu123
Great that you finally got a GT4 in The Garage, Harry. You did it justice with a very fine, well-considered review. I adore mine; had it over 20 years - raced, rallied it and taken my daughters to their weddings in it! We're off across France in it next month to Monaco Historic - can't wait. They are just brilliant - if you know, you know...
The 308GT4, 400i, and the Berlinetta Boxer were the fantasies of my childhood. I’ve always loved this car.
I also always liked the least liked Ferraris, probably because I don't like Ferrari that much. Not a fan of Pininfarina with his wavy lines. Straight, edgy, clean I want, this is a bit of an odd one out in all respects, but it's got stance and the geometry of the butresses is just gorgeous.
I agree on the 400i, oddly a very cool car
400….here here!!
I moved a 400i for a guy not long ago……. Lovely ❤
As a lad, a local villain used to let me sit in and rev his 512BB after I pumped his petrol at my Saturday job…… 🙂🇬🇧
100% with you on that! Three of my favourite classic Ferraris, especially the BB.
This model was the first Ferrari I ever rode in. Was in CA back in 1995. I remember that it was a lot of fun. It was slow but it sounded soooo good.
Was wondering when you would get around to this! ;-) 3 years ago I bought what turned out to be the original UK press car (delivered to Dick Lovett in Wroughton in 1974), badged as a Dino in Rosso Chiaro. Currently restoring it. Wonderfully unique and underrated.
The GT4 is an amazing drive, it is still fast, it is slightly discrete and at gas stations always draws a crowd as it is seen as exotic but hard to place. This is more so for non red versions. Is it a lambo? Is it a stratos?-
Make no mistake the GT4 is the most under valued non mass market hand made Ferrari made, and its star is rising fast. Finally time has shown the Bertone design to be very cool indeed and vogue. Its masterpiece engine is the grand daddy of the v8's, in fact it is 3/4 Ferrari Daytona for goodness sake! and small numbers of good ones exits. Less were made than the 750k value 246.
Less than 600 RHD cars were made and only 2800 ever- and it is estimated 30-40% have been raced, parted, wrecked as they were not popular in the 90's...
The dash of the GT4 is crazy cool, one of the best ever.
I own an immaculate 1979 Porsche 930, and a 1976 Dino GT4. The Porsche is ferocious on acceleration over 3500 rpm- and the breaks are just ridiculous in how they work, but.... the fact is, the click, clack gate shifting, screaming hand made Ferrari 308 engine is the more invigorating drive . At 120 mph it is the Dino that feels rock steady, unlike the Porsche that has boost to come, but I'm feeling like it wants to lift off as the front is so light. In the mountain roads the five clicking gears beat the long leg Porsche. I have had a Ferrari 355, a 360 and for a while drove my father's 246, and the GT4 is the best of the lot on the road. 355 is soooo close.
The point is this is a masterpiece. It just never looked
Like a Ferrari so it was demonised, but due to this real drivers bought it and like us fell in love with it.
It seems hard to believe now that, and for a very long time, nobody seemed to want these cars. What was everyone thinking? Well, it's great to see that, at long last, the 308 GT4 is finally getting the love it deserves. Brilliant video, as usual!
I bought a 308 gt4 new from auto Becker in Dusseldorf bilk I was living in Germany at the time 1978.. I ordered mine In dark blue with beige leather seats. About two months later I got a call to say that my car had arrived but something had gone wrong with the order, they asked me to visit to sort things out.
I arrived 8 o'clock pm and was shown into the workshop to inspect my car. Under the bright overhead lights there stood a bright red GT4
With black fabric seats. It looked amazingly, beautiful. The salesman explained that there had been some kind of mixup. Yehh sure 😃 this one is slightly cheaper due to the fabric seats DM 53,000.
And I didn't have to take delivery, up to me.
Well what the hell, they didn't have to twist my arm. The next hour was taken up with the do and don'ts . Not to rev over 4000 for the first 1000 km
Etc Not to keep at constant speeds , but veriable and to use second gear to start until the gearbox warms up.
And not to miss the first important service ( free.plus oil ) be on time. The GT4 in Germany was only allowed 236 PS ( BHP ) this was a regulation ordered by the German TUF .
( Technical department) I could never understand why.
My drive back to the north was in heavy rain with no problems. This was my first Ferrari I have owned 4 since including a Testarossa . The GT 4 was the most reliable, most fun, and handled better than all put together. In 1978 not many Germans knew what a Ferrari was. I always got comments like, that is a funny looking Auto
Is it a kit car. Why don't you buy a Porsche?
Well the GT 4 was quicker than the 911 of the day, and real fun on the Nordschleife . Just for interest when I ordered my car I had a long chat with a very nice guy who was drinking coffee with the sales staff.( I speak German) He was explaining to me things about the GT4 and the handling , I had no idea who he was. It was my German wife who told me on the way back home
That I had been talking to Joachim Stuck .
Amazing. I shall never forget the first time I actually put my foot down ( after 4000 km running in) The experience was unbelievable it handled like the go/kart I owned. And upgrading
From a BMW , the acceleration was mind blowing. Remember this was 1978. Though the years I found a new Ferrari engine is quick
But tend to slow down after 20.000 km.
Thanks for sharing your story, it's great to hear from people that were owners
My dad was a foreign office comms officer and we were posted to Rome in 1980-82. A gt4 lived near our flat and I was smitten the first time I saw it. Vastly underrated for decades, I'm still in love. Yet another just superb Gandini design. The gt4 issue is the only one of about 25 years worth of collected Classic and Sportscar mags that I've kept. Thanks for reviewing it!
308 GT4 is the hidden gem of the range. Many consider them one of the best handling classic Ferraris, more of a driver's car than the 308 GTB/GTS. A lot of components shared with the 205/206 Dino for 1/5 of the price. Thank you to Harry for still reviewing all these classics.
It looks a seriously underrated car... This was the first Ferrari I ever saw as a 7 year old in 1978 in Doncaster... It took my breath away. I think it looks better than the Mondial that replaced it.
Stunning and one of my favourite Ferrari's - Its interesting to me how well the wedge aesthetic looks today. This and early Esprits with their purity and elegance are just great looking cars.
A thing of beauty.... Modern Ferrari have lost that aspect of their design, id still have one, but the old ones look so much better
That was a very fair assessment.I ordered mine in 1978 and still enjoy it today. These really are very practical cars.I updated the suspension on mine to take advantage of the new P7 low profile tyres .This has taken the handling to a new level .
Another cracking video Harry, I've always loved the 308GT4, an absolute gem from Gandini, the master.
My favourite car of all time ever. My uncle had one when I was a child and took me to school in it one time and I was king of the school for the rest of my life. We used to go to the Lake District in it regularly. Fantastic car. Just powerful. Not in the way that a modern car would be powerful but for its age just the size of the engine and the eight cylinders and all the torque and everything. Just a beast of a car. Real prescience. You would say nothing else like it on the road at the time.😮.
I’ve owned four 308 GT4’s from very early ones to 1981. In my 1979 version I covered around 70k miles between 1985 & 1994, as it was a delight to drive. My last one was a 1981 built and I bought it from a Main Ferrari dealer in 2000 with 19,000miles on it. After 1500 miles on a trip into Europe to Monaco, the 19year old tyres gave out! That was a beginning of considerable cost including rebuilt suspension & a top of engine rebuild, all because of its lack of use until I bought it!
It was a great drive and I would have kept it but spare parts were hard to find. The non-working Speedometer required a tiny angled drive, which after 10months was found in a US scrap yard, being typical. I replaced the tyres with modern lower profile Pirelli’s which were much better for grip & handling. I’d describe the 3rd gear ability to almost dance down a line of spaced out cars on overtakes, as just wonderful & very controlled. The brakes need careful attention and these cars have no ABS, no power-steering nor traction-control. Remember not to use 2nd gear until the oil temperature is thoroughly warmed up, usually after 10 miles of gentle driving, & worth waiting for!
After the stint with 308GT4’s I’ve moved onto Mondial Coupes. I owned a 1993 3.4t first which no-one mentions the engine has to be removed on its sub-frame to service it!!! The chassis is not as stiff because of the sub-frame and servicing costs start at £2,500! Wow, 3.4t’s have this costly requirement so I now drive a 1988 Mondial 3.2 Quattro-valve which has a stiff chassis and ABS but still no power-steering. This is a delight to drive. Not quite as nimble as the 308 GT4, but the spares situation is good & many are in use in Historic Racing. The Mondial 3.2 shares its engine with a 328, and has a fine reliability record. It cost just £31,500 in 2019! A big saving on the £55,000 for the 308GT4. Values now are slightly up to £35,000 ish but finding a Mondial 3.2 might be a challenge. Chris Harris has a Mondial 3.0 QV Cabriolet which he likes so much, it’s being rebuilt!
The 308GT4 & Mondial’s are the forgotten V8’s lurking in the low price ranges but offer a manual gearbox, and I like it that my car shares the Steering-wheel, keys, instruments etc, with a F40! On Shell V-Max (E5) the 308 GT4 will do 15-18 mpg unless one is getting on a bit when 8mpg is possible. All my four liked oil at a litre every other fill up depending on your speed!
The Mondial 3.4t and 3.2 are better on fuel consumption at 19-22mpg and oil consumption is way better than the 308GT4’s. Servicing costs on 308’s and 3.2 Mondial is around £300 plus vat for an oil, brake fluid & check brakes, service. These cars need their Cambelts and pulleys renewed on average about every 3-years at on my Mondial 3.2 £500 plus vat at Graypaul Ferrari.
Rust is an enemy of 308GT4’s with no factory rust-protection and just like Dino 246’s they can rust badly. (I owned a £12,000 Dino which was rusting away!)
None built n 1981, last built in early 1980. Maybe first registered in 1981. That was possible My July 1978 built car wasn't registered till Aug 1979
Remember watching these being raced in the Marenello challenge at Oulton Park , it was said that they handled better than the 308GTB.
Remember as a car mad young teenager seeing a white one in rush hour traffic every evening, a friend (who was no car nut) was cheeky enough to ask the young driver for a ride, he took him up the road and back, we never heard the end of it as he boasted next day in school.
Looking at cars like this and the Countach, Boxer, Espada and many more, makes me realise how lucky I've been to be an enthusiast through a great time in design and innovation, I'm not keen on most of the new ones though. Thanks Harry.
That was my first Ferrari! I bought a 1975 for my 30th birthday in 1995. Glorious engine note with carbs and handled better than my 308GTS QV and had more power! I wish I still had it. I traded it in on a Lamborghini Countach 5000QV after 4 years of ownership.
When I was a lad…..the local chip shop owner had one. Usually parked outside the shop. Rumour has it he won and lost the car gambling! Was a bit rough but to see a Ferrari back in the late 70’s/early 80’s was a rare thing. Not my favourite Ferrari but that example is stunning and it drives so well. Well done Mr M for another great film, I personally love the older car reviews and the restoration films closely followed by your epic road trips! Good work and thanks.
I ‘considered’ one in 2002, when they were under £20k. I always thought Enzo hated Gandini so much for the Muira and Countach, he wouldn’t let him design Ferraris! My favourite Gandini design, the X19, also has that 2 button affair for the 2 top rear panels, so that was the idea of a genius, too. RIP Marcello Gandini 💚🤍❤
Well, the 308 GT4 was not a Ferrari at the begin of production, so Ferrari had to call it a "Ferrari" later to enhance the sales. For purists any "Ferrari" without a V12 is still not a true one. Thats wha Enzo didnt see any problems to let Gandini design a "Dino".
I must be one of the few who actually preferred the GT4 over the GTB. Very sad to hear about the passing of Signore Gandini. RIP.
I am one who agrees with you, Sir.
It was always my favourite looking Ferrari. The rear 3/4 view is the best, interior sublime and nice to hear how well they drive!
I am one of those too. Apart from the first Lambo (Gt350/400), the Urraco is my favorit Lambo.
Finally, a review of a 308GT4 -- my favourite Ferrari. Thank you. Still my favourite.
What a sublime piece of design, the side profile of the car is the one of the best I have ever seen from any car designer.
My favourite Ferrari. Gandini... what a man! what an artist! A real sculptor.
I saw this car being displayed at a shopping mall around 1974 and fell in love. Great memory!
Love when Harry reviews older cars, and brings out old magazines. You can tell the older stuff is where his passion is
That boot release off this GT4 is also the same as on the Fiat X1/9 and Volvo 780 coupe (both by Bertone)
And the door handles 👍🏻
This really was made for a 5’2” Italian snake hipped lothario. Harry looked enormous in those seats - headrest in mid back!
If you are shorter than Harry, all you see out the windshield are the wipers.
See this bump? It doesn't exist! I love it! Number one RUclips Channel in my books!
30 years ago, I bought a couple of Classic cars that were not in fashion at all, but I thought were fabulous. A Jaguar XJ12 Coupe, and a 308 GT4. Glad Harry agrees with my choices! I love them both
For me, one of my favorit Ferraris ever made. A very modest and usable Gandini sports car design - but also a beautiful car!
They were not so exotic and rare cars in the 70s and 80s here in Carinthia. And it was the time of colors: I knew them in silver (these were the most) metallic blue (light blue or in a wonderfull dark blue) red, yellow, maroon brown, gold. Most of them disappeared from the streets in the late 80s, due to the rust. They were often used as daily divers, like the Porsche 911 and the salt in the winter kills them in a few years! Technical, they were quite robust cars - and most of the owners took them to Italy regulary for service. The costs in the workshop near Udine were much lower (and way better) than in Austria - and it was only a two hour drive...
Nice car, great video! Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹!
I was a child in the 70s. was always a fan of the Dino 246 styling but used to get confused between the looks of the 308 GT4 and Lotus Esprit often thinking they were the same. the 308 GT4 styling was also quite conservative for an Italian sports car of its era. superb example in this video though
Yes, not one of Gandini's better efforts style-wise
Stunning and SO underrated!. The design has aged incredibly well. Prettier than 90%
of todays sports cars.
Enjoyed this video Harry. Back in 2004 I helped to EFI convert and dyno tune an engine of very similar GT4. Outside of EFI hardware and different throttle bodies, the engine was factory stock. If I remember correctly, with EFI it was making close to 280HP on a Superflow engine dyno. Have not driven the car but it did move and sound glorious. The GT is aerodynamically cleaner than the 308 GTB/GTS so I would expect a higher top speed.
I’m happy this little overlooked and for many years forgotten, classic Italian beauty is finally getting the attention and recognition it deserves ☺️ Fantastic video as always, Harry, thank you 🙏🏼
Watching this video has made it a great Sunday afternoon.
What a beautiful fun car. the cliche "you can use all the performance' on the UK roads. What a joy Harry....
GT4 AL
Great wee car. I have owned mine for 24years. Developed it some over the years to upgrade the chassis , engine and brakes. Its a very practical and reliable ownership prospect. Its for sale on pistonheads at the moment. Everyone you meet loves the car always a positive interaction no green eyed monsters. its got class. Harrys comments on the handling are correct. Mine is on 16 s with a thicker antiroll bar at the rear and rose jointed adjustable shocks with solid bushing on the a arms. All of which has sharpened up the turn in, grip and responses without(surprisingly) loosing the ride quality. I have tucked the wiper blades out the way by moving them round on the spline, no biggie. Great long distance tourer. So give me a call if you would like to take it on for the next 20 years.
My friends dad has got one of these in the garage. I can’t tell how many times I’ve asked to buy or begged him to do something with it. Love these.
Great video capturing it's strengths, it is shorter than a GTB/S but has a longer wheelbase. That's a very nice example, although the handbrake should be straight and the wipers definitely should park lower. The great thing about these cars is the sheer amount of different sounds you can elicit from the engine, it's like playing a musical instrument.
I have one - agree about the wipers - mine are much lower. Just an easy adjustment. My handbreake also points inwards though possibky not quite so much.
A fine example of a classic car demonstrating that less power/weight/bulk is more in terms of driving pleasure, compared with some of the supercar behemoths lumbering around these days. Greta to see this car so beautifully kept & restored.
I have a 308 Mondial QV which is the updated version of this car. Mine is everything that Harry said. so roomy, great handling and totally practical. Ive had mine for 18 years now and no issues.
308 GT4 with mention of the Uracco and Merak too. Somehow I doubt that old Top Gear challenge can be done today. Prices have gone up quite a bit.
Not forgotten by me! I love these cars. I want one to go along with my '85 308 GTS at some point.
Greedy! 😂
The GT4 has always been one of my favourite Ferraris and certainly my favourite 70s Ferrari. Despite being the Bertone black sheep in the sea of Pinin designs, I think the styling is wonderful - it makes the 308 GTB look quite fussy. Wonderful example too.
I never drove one on the road, but we used to get them now and again in the Sydney Hilton car park where I worked in my student days in the mid-70s. Even driving one at parking speed underground was a thrill back then!
Lovely review and mention of the fantastic designer Marcello Gandini.
I grew up in San Francisco, and just north across the bridge in Belvedere lived a beautiful blue example, circa 1978.
Always saw it around Marin county with its custom license plate that read, Bad Co.
Lovely car, hope it’s still on the road.
Always loved the 308 GT4. Marcello Gandini did a great job designing it.
❤❤❤yes, imho also yet another ‘time’-bomb, from Nuccio’ BERTONEs hayday design department. And only now’, after almost all the ol’ maestro’ stylists, have gone, does the scarcely surviving examples, of their period works, fetch some kind of attention’, beeing refitted and fully serviceable, still, commanding good money in exchange for title, and iconic status❤❤❤
Thanks for the heads up. Rest Marcello and thank you!
What a lovely example! Thanks Harry
The 308 GT4 handles well because Nikki Lauda was involved in its development.
Also, they share the same wing mirrors as the 1976 Ferrari F1 car!
Love the 308 gt4 - glad that you reviewed one.
Not so. That was a false marketing claim by Chinetti, the USA importer. Lauda only signed a contract with Ferrari teh month the GT4 was launched, too late for any design input. Also - mirrors vary and were not factory specific.
6:51 never would have expected a 70's Ferrari to be built so well, the door closes like a bank vault, almost like a 911 of the similar vintage
This and the 400i my favorite Ferrari's because they are not the obvious 'go-to' Ferrari's. Nearly bought one many years ago opted for a 98 Alfa GTV Lusso..no regrets ..sort of.
Same for me, love the 400i.
@@Omegaman1969good call , the 400i , stunning.
One of the best sounding cars you have driven on video.
One of my favourite period Ferraris. Love it
First Ferrari I went in my mate at school his dad had one, all the other kids in our road where amazed when he dropped me off in it even more so when he dropped me off in his Lamborghini Countach Anniversary 😂
I never understood why this was so underrated and unloved by Ferrari enthusiasts. I’ve always loved this car. Great styling would be great in Harry’s garage permanently.
This is an hypnotically beautiful, timeless design, that I've loved from the first time I saw one. Wheeler Dealers did one up a while back, and it was surprising how practical it was. I can't really understand how some people don't like the car.
Thanks Harry, you get the most interesting cars to test.
Good to see the 308 GT4 getting some attention - very much a mostly forgotten model these days.
Stunning example and it's aged so well.
That's a fair point. It looks like Stratos
The 2+2, Ferrari 308 engines and bodies have always been my favorites amongst the Ferrari family lineup. Always absolutely beautiful and functionally designed cars! The 2+2’s were really quite practical and usable for what they were. That one is a gem!
Underrated at the time, this is one of the great classic Ferraris I just love it
Always liked the gt4, one of the first Ferrari i worked on when i finished school. I still remember my boss telling me strictly to avoid second gear with a cold gearbox. Happy days 😊
What an absolutely delightful Ferrari - and you can tell how chuffed Harry is with it. Would prefer that to a new one gotta say 👍
14:20 Really mean how they painted "SLOW" on Harry's favourite fast junction, while he was away in Spain.
Great video Harry. Sums up the car really well. I always think of it as large go-kart. You can just chuck it round corners and know it will stick.I know the car in your video and the owner. I've had my blue GT4 now for 10 years and 35K miles and after a bare metal respray over this winter it is arguably on a par in terms of condition. Have to say the wipers never worried me. No doubt I will now notice them all the time. I do agree that it could probably do with a 6th gear.
Love these blast from the past videos, taking us back in time to the historic Dino to test the car parameters that were common during the late 70’s era of sports cars, supplemented as well by Harry’s access to the 1979 options price list.
What a car! One of my favorite cars from my days at The Sports Car Exchange in Dearborn, Michigan.....so visceral! The intake song undamped (not like the 308GTB/GTS), the immediacy of your sensing turn-in to corners, as you where placed so much further ahead to the front wheels than it's two-seater counterparts. AND, if you were lucky enough you had a one of the fiberglas body units that were so much lighter than the steel bodied versions. Love it LOVE IT!
A visual masterpiece which inhabits space in a way which two dimensional images can't really convey. You have to see with your own eyes. It exudes an understated brutal elegance. Absolutely beautiful. So is the Urraco.
Thanks Harry
This car takes you back to the 70s with its drive, engine sound, detailing. Love it ❤
Wonder why it doesn’t get more coverage 🤷♂️
We had a '79 Series 2, pretty much identical to this one. I'm lucky in that I'm only 5' 9" and have short legs and long arms; it fitted me like a glove! It taught me how to heel-and-toe and it did 4 or 5 track days with the FOC every year for 10 years. I decided to sell before the rust got too bad but I still look back on it very fondly.
Please bring back decent depth of sidewall on tyres. Maybe we wouldn't worry so much about rough roads and potholes. That's a beautiful car by the way.
Ngl this and the Mondial are actually my dream Ferraris, very underrated cars.
That is one of my favorite Ferrari designs of all time. I know many don't like it but I don't care. It just looks so cool to me.
Gandini was a real artist.
Completely love these, it’s the perfect Ferrari to have today, you can rev it all the way out & your not doing a million, while sitting in that gorgeous interior and hearing that fabulous noise
My pa bought a '78 in 1980, passed it to me in 2000 just before he died. I kept it until 2015 and it is now in the custody of my nephew. I still miss it in a way but felt that I and my wallet needed a break after 15 years "at the coalface"! Fun fact: Elvis owned a black one on chrome wire wheels which I believe is still at Graceland.
That Dino is absolutely lovely with all of it's quirks. Sounds heavenly.
Trunk/hood release and door latches are the same as on my Fiat X1/9...pretty cool to see!
Come to think of it, your lovely X1/9 is nothing but 308 GTBs little sister.
I adore this car and your review is delightful. Would love to see you review the 355 as well.
I really like that. It feels like a big brother to your Lancia. Short gearing, rev happy and friendly handling from a car thats not over powered.
It seems the kind of car you could really get stuck into and enjoy without too much bother.
Apart from the wheel wobble (easily rectified) it seems to be in excellent condition too.
What a lovely car. Someone is going to be very happy with that one.
Brought one in 1975,loved it.
I worked for a dealer and we had a lot of trouble with door fit and latching on our cars- the other major complaint was clutch effort, it was brutal compared to car it replaced the 246.
Always such a pleasure in viewing, listening and appreciating your videos. Thank you
This was possibly the 1st Ferrari , I had a strong liking to as a teen in the early - mid 1970s. Its wedge shape , to me was oh so modern at the time. Yes I loved the 246 in The Persuaders driven by Tony Curtis , who doesn’t , but if you look at it closely it’s burning oil all over the place(!) , but this seemed a whole modern approach at the time, especially liked the alloy wheels which suited the shape. 1st saw one in black pictured in On Four Wheels magazine , one of these mags you collected and put them into binders . Obviously the Fiat parts bin was added here , 132 door handles , bonnet / boot levers from the Bertone Fiat Dino coupe , but to me that adds to the charm . Nice car
First thing I noticed when I drove one was the handling, I couldn't believe it, they are such an engaging car to drive!! I'd have one in a heartbeat, they always look better in the flesh too...
Love the video as usual. Thanks so much for posting!
Definitely my grail Ferrari!! What aride and joy to watch your vid, Harry. Thank you very much again!!
The perfect video right after Ferrari 1/2 win in Formula 1🙌🏾🙌🏾
thanks Harry - your videos always enjoyable and informative
It’s an absolutely mint example in this video. Almost looks like it’s come straight out the factory today
Hit the spot again Harry
Love these one of my favourite Ferraris great video as always