I had a neighbor when growing up in the early nineties who owned a 308 GTS. Identical to the Magnum PI car. One day in the spring, I spotted a 308 GT4 in the driveway, same Rosso Corsa. I was gutted and knocked on his door. This is what he told me... He had come into some financial trouble and was forced to sell the previous car. Something he was never going to do. Except when he went to sell it, the dealership said why don't you take a little look at this car we have out back. Long story short, he fell absolutely in love with that car. He said it felt better in almost every way. Traded the GTS for a little more money than he had originally paid and got the GT4 for free. Lazro will be 88 this year and still drives his Dino.... Never changed the badging. What a champ. Personally speaking, I love both cars equally now.
I'm no expert, but the theory of the origin of this car that sounds least likely to me is that it was Enzo's personal car. He usually drove Peugeot sedans, at the time the 208 was launched he was 77 years old, and he had trouble with a knee that meant that he was increasingly being chauffeured around
I've just had an epiphany about why I enjoy your channel so much. In a world of Evo and Top gear adjacent channels yours is an Octane adjacent one and I've loved that magazine for years. Just the right blend of vintage sportscars and more modern stuff with some very entertaining and quirky stories about specific cars. Please keep making these videos, I enjoy every one of them. Luv and Peace.
I have 13594 ( 208 coupe ) it’s was registered in Jan 1977 according to the Italian docs .They only did even numbers so mine was next to it @ the factory. The even numbers were and still are reserved for the race cars as back in 73/74 they campaigned Dinos at Le Mans So gave them the race numbers .The normal road cars have odd chassis numbers .Yep the 2.0 thingy makes a great drive .Partly it’s ability to rev due to lower moving mass and partly due to lower final drive gearing . It’s lower gearing somewhat makes up performance wise for the lower Hp over the 3.0 L .Yes it’s hard to get into trouble speeding wise and nice to wring it’s neck . Max speed is 130 mph ( 308 was 150 mph + ) They run in 14 s with 195/70/14 “ ballon “ tyres . The 308s run on 205 s so the steering feel is more delicious on 208s .
Convertible sportscars which are nice and low with a brilliant soundtrack feel faster than they really are. I think that is a winning combination as you could really have some fun driving that beautiful car without putting your drivers licence in mortal danger!!
At the time it was the replacement for the Dino, so, unfortunately it was viewed in the context of an elegant curvaceous 2 seater. Suddenly here was an angular 2+2 - the horror!! It's not fair, the world isn't fair, but time has allowed it to be judged in its own merits., and I agree with you - a beautiful car.
At the risk of sounding as if I'm bring very harsh on this car, what I'm about to say is simply from the standpoint of observation: I have no experience with Ferrari-based conversions specifically, but I've seen enough convertibles created by various US and UK conversion companies from the 1970's and 1980's to recognize the hallmarks of "delivering what the customer asked for while skimping out on details that would otherwise make the conversion much more labor intensive." In other words, providing what conversion companies usually did: An _adequate_ conversion. Put more bluntly: A conversion where things not necessary were cut off with reciprocating saws and the alternate bodywork welded or brazed on with little regard for appearance, and not the work of a house such as Bertone, where their entire value proposition was (and is) styling. A particular conversion hallmark is the manner that the windscreen frame has been retained. It's not cut at a lithe 45 degree angle just behind the windscreen, but awkwardly contains the A-pillar-to-roof crease and is cut awkwardly a few inches back still. An elegant approach to the windscreen would have a slightly lower front windscreen, potentially with stainless trim above it to insinuate that the top, when deployed, would follow the same lines as a factory steel roof. This "roof that disappears" look is emphasized even more so by the really strange manner by which the quarter window trim has been terminated just _after_ the quarter window. I assume this might be to help the window stop mechanism, but a proper design would have incorporated an extra internal stop in the forward half of the door. Then there's the lower side window trim that just ends, and the bootlid that raises up to meet the now non-existent roof and curves back down like a rear spoiler that got tacked on too far forward. I'm not even going to broach the snap buttons, which instantly scream "low-effort conversion company" for all but much older, coachbuilt convertibles. Bertone had the ability to crank out perfect production body shells with no compromises. I can't even begin to imagine them creating something this crude, even as a styling exercise. The firm could basically do anything, so there would be no need to cut corners in this manner. This level of sloppiness would have been left at the clay stage - no design firm of this caliber would want something like this conversion to represent their work. If anything, this is a perfect example of "never trust an auction house." With rare exceptions, their copy is just parroting the consignor. Again, this is not a judgement call upon either the car, its owner, or the experience it provides. If popular accounts of the GT4 are anything to go by, being behind the wheel of this minus a roof should absolutely eliminate the existence of any and all of these flaws - in fact, the lack of a roof might make this 208 GT4 the very best of its kind to drive.
Jack, don't normally comment but when you rev'd it at 6:07.. I think that is happiest I have seen you in any of your videos! I love the look of this car. One offs based on production cars look so familiar yet so exotic. Dan enjoy the car.
I had a late GT4 back in the '80s, one of only two "modern" Ferraris I have ever owned (the other was a 512TR, which I never grew to love...and I sold it before the dreaded BIG service was due), I always thought the GT4 got short shrift, as I preferred the handling to the more common GTB/S and the car was more suitable for daily use, having at least some storage space inside the cabin. But I did sell it and kept my 2 330s, so maybe I didn't like it so much as I remember. This car is SO much handsomer than the successor Mondial convertible! I have NEVER understood the Mondial...ugly with cheap Fiat switchgear. I was in the Ferrari business when it came out, and it was a HARD sell. I had the chance once to drive a 208 turbo GTB, and it was a delightful little car, about as quick as its 308 naturally-aspirated brother, but a lot more fun to drive, properly peaky. Reminded me of the 212 Export I had back in the day when old Ferraris didn't cost the earth. LOVED the engine sounds...
Interesting car! I remember reading an article back in the 80s about a company that converted 308 coupes to Spiders, they said they welded gussets into the frame then took the car out on the road, poked their finger in the door jamb and slammed the brakes on - if they could feel any movement they went back and welded a bit more in... not very scientific but gets the job done I guess!
A friend of mine had the factory coupe of this car. He convinced me in another context to purchase a clean 1st gen Miata over a Honda S2000 that I was considering. He reminded me that Stirling Moss loved his Sprite, and that it's more fun to drive a "slow" car "fast", than a "fast" car under its limits due to road/safety concerns off track, etc. Lord knows, Dale was correct!
It's a bit obvious the car's provenance is going to be option 3. Bertone would never have left the back looking like that, plus he would have made it a targa as that was the fashion at the time, and Enzo's interest in road cars was vanishingly small, so options 1 and 2 are just tall tales.
This sounds spectacular in a way that modern cars don't (and probably can't). Just a symphony of different sounds (intake, exhaust, resonance) throughout the long rev range. I love that this is a sporting road car, with a focus on providing a great experience. Beyond the Miata, the BRZ/GR86 and maybe the hot hatches, that doesnt seem true of performace cars anymore. They are Ring-masters that too often are loafing at regular speeds. I'll be interested if you hear more on the story of the car. Super interesting!
There's no question that this was done by a shop years after the fact. Bertone did not make it. Enzo did not commission it. Shops were doing conversations to the Daytonas, and that was far more difficult.
I would not dismiss the possibility that said Dino was produced by Bertone or another prominent Italian, Swiss, etc. coachbuilder, as the actual 'finish' would depend on the scope of the project. For example, was the car prepared for a presentation at a key car show, or for 'internal evalution' eyes only'? If it was to asess the feasibility of such a car to the entity that commissioned it, Ferrari or otherwise, then the coachbuilder would only focus on the overall shape and the more significant aspects of the car which could include the driving experience - with the actual expensive 'finising' occuring later if the coachbuilder was given the go-ahead to proceed to a finished product. However, I do agree, that if the car was being prepared for a car show such as Geneva, Turin, etc.- which the Dino was not - then a coach builder like Bertone would have completed the finer detailed finishings - as overall styling and 'looks' at a car show are paramount. Notably there are many examples of non-working show cars - ie. show cars fitted with non-working 'dummy' engines and non-operational interiors and switch gear - because at a car show - it's all about the 'wow factor'.
Great story, and a genuine unicorn of a car. Great that Dan has picked it up and given it some hands on love and intends to keep it forever. Also car sounds great and is clearly much fun to drive. Great stuff.
The 2 litre rule extended into the 90's, with the 320iS M3 engine in a standard 2 or 4 door sedan. I think there was a 2.0 turbo version of the 30? Portugal shared the same rule as well. Makes you wonder how many V12 Ferrari and Lamborghini models were sold in Italy. Or were they registered out of country to get around the taxes. This rule would also explain why Alpha had the twin spark version of the 2.0 engine to bridge the gap to the six models. Maybe ask Ian Tyrrell, he know a guy who knows a guy...and finds out these detail things.
That's a good an explanation for the Alfa as any I've heard. And don't forget that the early Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta had a 2.0 liter - and it was a V12.
@@matslundstrom7763 Odd that they did not consider turbo charging a factor just displacement. In racing a foctor of 1.4 was applied. So the 288GTO was part of the 4 litre class.
Ferrari Impossible, The tape recording that detailed “Your mission, should you choose to accept it,” ended with the chilling warning "That in the event of your capture, all knowledge of you would be disavowed." With a puff of smoke, the tape self-destructed in 10 seconds.
I love the GT4 body style, I think it’s the only non-PF one for quite some time It’s handsome and aged well This one here is new on me though, nice find Good stuff- looks better than the Mondial to my eyes
Thanks for sharing. I would send pictures of it to Bertone to see if they have any record of the car. I bet the car has a low curb weight which can be easily handled by the revvy two litre engine. Some people who own the 308 GT4 swear by them. You don’t need an 800 hp car to have fun driving in the countryside. Small and lightweight are superior.
"Small and lightweight are superior." Truer words have rarely been spoken in the world of automobiles. I'm more of a Gordon Murray guy than Chapman guy (I'd like my car to not fall to pieces right at the finish line, or before... ahem...) but both of those guys were right on when it came to the concept of lightweight cars being not only superior, but more fun too.
@@sergioleone3583 A few of us wish that Ferrari would bring back the Dino line of vehicles which focus on lightweight, small displacement drivers cars. Limit them to 4-500 hp, provide the option for a factory gated shifter and keep the vehicle weight well below 3000 lbs. Some feel that the Alfa 4C would be an even better car if it had a traditional manual transmission. With the carbon tub, that car is pretty lightweight. I wonder if Gordon Murray would ever consider developing a car assembled in higher volumes that meet this criteria. The models he has now are amazing, but available in limited quantities and are extremely expensive. I have seen the types of cars Gordon has in his personal collection, so I know he appreciates these types of cars.
Dan, that is one fine car. The sound is second to none I have heard and I'm sure you and your grandfather really bonded over this. Never sell it even if Bertone did this conversion, which I think they did as a design study. Looking forward to any information about it. Wow!
With that body colored header panel (above the windshield) it's always gonna look aftermarket, though the rest does look presentable. When reviewing a cnvt., could you show more of it with the top up please? Thanks! Great video as always.
Italian carss are no just about horse power or torque, there are about that smile that those cars puts in your face each time you drive it. i am a long time Alfa Romeo owner. love your videos!
What a lovely car to inherit! One thing I couldn't see on it was where the fuel filler cap had been relocated to? I think this is a good workshop conversion done in Switzerland, the tell tale giveaway being the way the top of the A-pillar has been cut, without any sort of protective covering added to it.
Looks like a chop job. But who knows? The reworked panels look like it could be a factory job. But you’d think they would’ve plugged the cuts with a rubber grommet or plug of some sort.
It may be slow but its more fun to drive than any 2024 Ferrari with those awful flappy paddle gearboxes and being so refined you cant even feel the road surface through the wheel , bring back basic Engineering.
As owner of a 308 gt4,for me this is a very interesting car, an idea that became reality with the Mondial. I knew of this 208 gt4 Cabriolet,but I had no idea if it was still in existence and I am glad she is in good hands. And the fact that you test drived this prototype is something stunning. These little two liter V8s (Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari gt4) and V6 (Maserati Merak) were,after all, great engines,if you compare them with the 4 cylinder of the Porsche 924,or with the naturally aspirated Lotus 4 cylinder,and have a great sound. They had a lot of poker,if you consider that they are only 2 liters and they have just two valves for cylinder. The problem was that they were fitted in cars like Ferrari,Lamborghini and Maserati,and they are generally compared with the 3 liter units. But they have been a clever solution against a punitive and idiot law. The Ferrari 2 liter V8 became a much powerful engine when they added a turbo,nearly reaching the same performances of the 3 and 3,2 liters V8s. Very interesting car indeed.
Peter Monteverdi of Monteverdi fame, based out of Switzerland, was a Ferrari Dealer until the early 60's. This is the sort of thing he could have done (he was more than capable of doing the work) but would he have bought a Ferrari in the 70's after falling out with Ferrari in the 60's.........?. If indeed he was the Swiss owner, his number plate would have started 'BL' (he lived above the factory in what is Basel-Landschaft). If you can find the Swiss registration, that would be a good start. Should be in the Swiss Logbook if the current owner still has it. My logbook is coloured dark grey but I live in a different Kanton and years later. Any old Swiss dealer service records....?
Jack it does make me laugh when you throw in the language pronunciation every now and again. It reminds me of Pamela Stephenson on “ Not the 9’o’clock news” when she is the newsreader 😂😂😂😂
Excellent history, story and video! I hope this video yields more clues from someone, so that you and Dan are able to make a follow up video. 🤞 Beautiful, unique….Ferrari! Good Luck and Thanks!
In the 50's & 60's particularly people built 'Specials'. I am not talking about a kit car but something built as a one off, like Ant Anstead's Special for example. As soon as I saw this car those windows stood out for me as not finished if you will. However for a one off car I agree that you might not finish some parts as well as others. I would like to think that whoever carried out the work did put some stiffness in the body otherwise it could flex quite badly in my opinion. A very interesting car and somewhat mysterious as you say Jack. Just as an after thought, companies do build prototypes or 'studies' but often scrap them once they have served their purpose or they would never be put in the public domain. In this case the car was meant to 'live on' for whatever reason. Thanks Jack for a very interesting video. 👍👍
An interesting one off for sure. But I bet the wind noise around the door glass is horrendus with the roof up? There must be so much flex of the drop glasses as the frame has been cut away, and they're pretty big windows on a GT4. On the Elan S4 dropheads Lotus retained the door frame for that reason, though you did lose the clean look when the roof was lowered of course.
Neat car, no new information. But an observation, the side air scopes look as if they are NACA ducts installed backwards. The leading edge should be narrow and shallow going into a wider and deeper area to direct the air to what you want it to go. Just looks very odd to me.
From my perspective the side ducts on the convertible Dino are not NACA ducts. They are simply a recreation and repostioning of the ducting present on the Coupe's C-piller - which of course had to be removed to create the convertible.
@@paulelverstone8677 Yep the flat plane crank is little understood .They sing up at the higher rev range .There’s no v8 burble low down . Basically you get more power when the cylinders fire as twins together as opposed to each one of 8 on the crank firing individually with the trad American style v8 s like the Rover v8 TVR used a lot .
Are those mirrors original? They look quite modern to me. Thanks again for another entertaining video. Give Pistacchio a big hug from me. Greetings from the Netherlands
No they should be “ California “ Identical to Nikki Laudas 312 F1 car .Those mirrors on the cab are from a 308 GTB not the GT4 ……so that tilts the swing o meter away from a official Bertone in house job towards somewhere else ?
Lovely Jack. Really nice video. Lovely car and that is the type of car (engine size wise) I would purchase if had the money. I can't see why you need big CC's and high output for the highways. I'm too old to drive fast 😁.
I remember having a brand-new sapphire Cosworth in 1993 , I drove a friend’s 3 door and it felt dated even back then in comparison. People rant and rave about the past with them now because of nostalgia , but by standards, unless they’re heavily modified, they’re pretty slow old cars . FFS we see diesel German cars much faster today . Still always nice to see one on the road, though .
The top corner where the door is cut, well, you could make a 3D printed stop. Than it at least doesn’t look like it’s being cut. It will look so much smoother. Noticeable is that strange triangle corner above the rear wheels and where the bonnet and panel to the engine is. That too looks like the roof is chopped of. Could be original especially when this is an actual study model. But a good coach builder would have rounded it off better. But indeed, the car looks great. And if it is that particular one off then the owner has something special special real special in his garage.
It's hard to believe that the conversion was done by Bertone; apart from the poor finish which could be explained if it was a design exercise only; the main giveaway is that it just looks 'off.' It looks like a chop job because no real attempt has been made to adjust the lines of the body in its convertible form, especially in the rear section.
Bertone had done a good job. But maybe the rear can be redesigned. Not all of the rear but i think that the shape of the rear hood did not correspond to the rest of the car. It's sad that Ferrari had not try to sold that spyder.
interesting. looks very similar to a mondial which i have driven and didn't really like all that much. it's rarity and history make this one an exception.
Ferrari didn't copy the Urraco. There were two styling studies done by Gandini at Bertone; Lambourghini bought the first, Ferrari bought the second. They were likely drawn at very much the same time. And the 308 gt4's transverse layout, and in fact pretty much the whole chassis, was copied from the 246 Dino; they just added a few inches to make room for the rear seats. As for this car, I've seen it at a few FOC events over the years and I agree about the panel work being well done, but the details not being so finished. The lines around the rear haunches look a bit odd to me and it might have been better to extend the roof buttresses back either side of the engine cover as was done with the Mondial cabrios. But if I was looking to create an open gt4 I think I'd have gone for a GTS targa, as was done with the Pininfarina 308s. That would also keep the flanks clean and preserve what I think is one of the finest pieces of styling on the original cars, the lovely air intakes integrated into the lines of the C-pillars.
There’s no way that Bertone did that. It looks cheap. I had a friend in middle school who had an early 70’s Firebird that was a targa top chop job. Looked similar to this in terms of quality and fit. I’m sure a pro body guy in the 70’s did that.
Macari started out from his family plot called Toat Cafe just outside Pulborough west sussex in the late 70s early 80s.........he had a colourful reputation with the locals......
Very very interesting and an intriguing puzzle . Each theory of its existence has some merit. What I will say though is to all those people doubting that Bertone would hash out a convertible and leave it rough around the edges , well I have the very last car that Bertone designed, that being an Alfa GT . In the Alfa Romeo Museum secret vault there is a one off , hashed out GT convertible that never made production. It doesn’t even have a roof . So don’t be too quick to dismiss the Ferrari being a genuine Bertone
@@DavidM-mb1vx I don’t remember the video saying that this was sold into the general population, I might of missed that , but there’s plenty of prototypes that have worked their way into other people’s hands
There is no way that’s an actual Bertone piece of work, they would have made the small finishing details for covering the edges of the rubber seals etc. Hand making steel panels is easy compared with making those little fiddly bits. I do like it though!
I would not dismiss the possibility that said Dino was produced by Bertone or another prominent Italian, Swiss, etc. coachbuilder, as the actual 'finish' would depend on the scope of the project. For example, was the car prepared for a presentation at a key car show, or for 'internal evalution' eyes only'? If it was to asess the feasibility of such a car to the entity that commissioned it, Ferrari or otherwise, then the coachbuilder would only focus on the overall shape and the more significant aspects of the car which could include the driving experience - with the actual expensive 'finising' occuring later if the coachbuilder was given the go-ahead to proceed to a finished product. However, I do agree, that if the car was being prepared for a car show such as Geneva, Turin, etc.- which the Dino was not - then a coach builder like Bertone would have completed the finer detailed finishings - as overall styling and 'looks' at a car show are paramount. Notably there are many examples of non-working show cars - ie. show cars fitted with non-working 'dummy' engines and non-operational interiors and switch gear - because at a car show - it's all about the 'wow factor'.
Good on Dan for honoring his grandfather by taking care of this beautiful car. What a nice legacy.
I had a neighbor when growing up in the early nineties who owned a 308 GTS. Identical to the Magnum PI car. One day in the spring, I spotted a 308 GT4 in the driveway, same Rosso Corsa. I was gutted and knocked on his door. This is what he told me... He had come into some financial trouble and was forced to sell the previous car. Something he was never going to do. Except when he went to sell it, the dealership said why don't you take a little look at this car we have out back. Long story short, he fell absolutely in love with that car. He said it felt better in almost every way. Traded the GTS for a little more money than he had originally paid and got the GT4 for free. Lazro will be 88 this year and still drives his Dino.... Never changed the badging. What a champ. Personally speaking, I love both cars equally now.
"It seems to change personality at five", sounds like me every working day.
A very underrated comment. 😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
Much like the smaller Alfa Romeo engines, they thrive on a good dose of right foot.
😂😂 👍👍
I'm no expert, but the theory of the origin of this car that sounds least likely to me is that it was Enzo's personal car. He usually drove Peugeot sedans, at the time the 208 was launched he was 77 years old, and he had trouble with a knee that meant that he was increasingly being chauffeured around
I've just had an epiphany about why I enjoy your channel so much. In a world of Evo and Top gear adjacent channels yours is an Octane adjacent one and I've loved that magazine for years.
Just the right blend of vintage sportscars and more modern stuff with some very entertaining and quirky stories about specific cars.
Please keep making these videos, I enjoy every one of them.
Luv and Peace.
It's too bad that only one of these was made. Thanks Jack!
It's great to drive.. aesthetically I do love the coupes!! But interesting none the less!!
Very nice. You can definitely see where the Mondial convertible came from.
I have 13594 ( 208 coupe ) it’s was registered in Jan 1977 according to the Italian docs .They only did even numbers so mine was next to it @ the factory. The even numbers were and still are reserved for the race cars as back in 73/74 they campaigned Dinos at Le Mans So gave them the race numbers .The normal road cars have odd chassis numbers .Yep the 2.0 thingy makes a great drive .Partly it’s ability to rev due to lower moving mass and partly due to lower final drive gearing . It’s lower gearing somewhat makes up performance wise for the lower Hp over the 3.0 L .Yes it’s hard to get into trouble speeding wise and nice to wring it’s neck . Max speed is 130 mph ( 308 was 150 mph + ) They run in 14 s with 195/70/14 “ ballon “ tyres . The 308s run on 205 s so the steering feel is more delicious on 208s .
The chassis no. is 13956. Yours in 13594. They're 181 away from each other (going by evens only).
This must be the biggest catch for this channel. A one-of classic Ferrari.
Hi Lars,
Just for info:
1 of = 1 of 50 (or many)
1 off = 1 of 1
;)
Big greetings from the Netherlands
@@sebastiend.5335 google tells me both are correct
Rarer than all the LaFerrari snd SP nonsense
one off one
Convertible sportscars which are nice and low with a brilliant soundtrack feel faster than they really are. I think that is a winning combination as you could really have some fun driving that beautiful car without putting your drivers licence in mortal danger!!
Never understood all the hate the gt4 received, is one of the best looking Ferraris..
A Ferrari built for Pappa, Mamma and two little bambinos, si?
At the time it was the replacement for the Dino, so, unfortunately it was viewed in the context of an elegant curvaceous 2 seater. Suddenly here was an angular 2+2 - the horror!! It's not fair, the world isn't fair, but time has allowed it to be judged in its own merits., and I agree with you - a beautiful car.
At the risk of sounding as if I'm bring very harsh on this car, what I'm about to say is simply from the standpoint of observation: I have no experience with Ferrari-based conversions specifically, but I've seen enough convertibles created by various US and UK conversion companies from the 1970's and 1980's to recognize the hallmarks of "delivering what the customer asked for while skimping out on details that would otherwise make the conversion much more labor intensive." In other words, providing what conversion companies usually did: An _adequate_ conversion.
Put more bluntly: A conversion where things not necessary were cut off with reciprocating saws and the alternate bodywork welded or brazed on with little regard for appearance, and not the work of a house such as Bertone, where their entire value proposition was (and is) styling.
A particular conversion hallmark is the manner that the windscreen frame has been retained. It's not cut at a lithe 45 degree angle just behind the windscreen, but awkwardly contains the A-pillar-to-roof crease and is cut awkwardly a few inches back still. An elegant approach to the windscreen would have a slightly lower front windscreen, potentially with stainless trim above it to insinuate that the top, when deployed, would follow the same lines as a factory steel roof. This "roof that disappears" look is emphasized even more so by the really strange manner by which the quarter window trim has been terminated just _after_ the quarter window. I assume this might be to help the window stop mechanism, but a proper design would have incorporated an extra internal stop in the forward half of the door.
Then there's the lower side window trim that just ends, and the bootlid that raises up to meet the now non-existent roof and curves back down like a rear spoiler that got tacked on too far forward. I'm not even going to broach the snap buttons, which instantly scream "low-effort conversion company" for all but much older, coachbuilt convertibles.
Bertone had the ability to crank out perfect production body shells with no compromises. I can't even begin to imagine them creating something this crude, even as a styling exercise. The firm could basically do anything, so there would be no need to cut corners in this manner. This level of sloppiness would have been left at the clay stage - no design firm of this caliber would want something like this conversion to represent their work.
If anything, this is a perfect example of "never trust an auction house." With rare exceptions, their copy is just parroting the consignor.
Again, this is not a judgement call upon either the car, its owner, or the experience it provides. If popular accounts of the GT4 are anything to go by, being behind the wheel of this minus a roof should absolutely eliminate the existence of any and all of these flaws - in fact, the lack of a roof might make this 208 GT4 the very best of its kind to drive.
The smile on Jack’s face and laugh says it all. Pity only one was made, it has a lovely sounding engine.
It was a normal production engine though.
Jack, don't normally comment but when you rev'd it at 6:07.. I think that is happiest I have seen you in any of your videos! I love the look of this car. One offs based on production cars look so familiar yet so exotic. Dan enjoy the car.
I had a late GT4 back in the '80s, one of only two "modern" Ferraris I have ever owned (the other was a 512TR, which I never grew to love...and I sold it before the dreaded BIG service was due), I always thought the GT4 got short shrift, as I preferred the handling to the more common GTB/S and the car was more suitable for daily use, having at least some storage space inside the cabin. But I did sell it and kept my 2 330s, so maybe I didn't like it so much as I remember. This car is SO much handsomer than the successor Mondial convertible! I have NEVER understood the Mondial...ugly with cheap Fiat switchgear. I was in the Ferrari business when it came out, and it was a HARD sell.
I had the chance once to drive a 208 turbo GTB, and it was a delightful little car, about as quick as its 308 naturally-aspirated brother, but a lot more fun to drive, properly peaky. Reminded me of the 212 Export I had back in the day when old Ferraris didn't cost the earth. LOVED the engine sounds...
Less power in this well-sorted chassis means an extended song between gear changes. And, oh, what a song! Delightful.
I know they're super, super expensive (and rare) but I'd love to see a video on the 288 GTO.
If you don't want to wait for Jack, check out Harry's Garage for his review.
@@Argiers I saw that one. Still can't believe he chose a Zonda over a 288...
Interesting car! I remember reading an article back in the 80s about a company that converted 308 coupes to Spiders, they said they welded gussets into the frame then took the car out on the road, poked their finger in the door jamb and slammed the brakes on - if they could feel any movement they went back and welded a bit more in... not very scientific but gets the job done I guess!
Thanks for this! A car we would never have known existed. A smaller car driven ‘to scale’ is often much more fun than expected.
A friend of mine had the factory coupe of this car. He convinced me in another context to purchase a clean 1st gen Miata over a Honda S2000 that I was considering. He reminded me that Stirling Moss loved his Sprite, and that it's more fun to drive a "slow" car "fast", than a "fast" car under its limits due to road/safety concerns off track, etc. Lord knows, Dale was correct!
Good luck with finding the back story. Please keep us updated if you have any luck. Great work by Dan. He should be very proud ❤
Instantly put me in mind of the Mondial (which is a car I like)
It's a bit obvious the car's provenance is going to be option 3. Bertone would never have left the back looking like that, plus he would have made it a targa as that was the fashion at the time, and Enzo's interest in road cars was vanishingly small, so options 1 and 2 are just tall tales.
This sounds spectacular in a way that modern cars don't (and probably can't). Just a symphony of different sounds (intake, exhaust, resonance) throughout the long rev range.
I love that this is a sporting road car, with a focus on providing a great experience. Beyond the Miata, the BRZ/GR86 and maybe the hot hatches, that doesnt seem true of performace cars anymore. They are Ring-masters that too often are loafing at regular speeds.
I'll be interested if you hear more on the story of the car. Super interesting!
There's no question that this was done by a shop years after the fact. Bertone did not make it. Enzo did not commission it. Shops were doing conversations to the Daytonas, and that was far more difficult.
I would not dismiss the possibility that said Dino was produced by Bertone or another prominent Italian, Swiss, etc. coachbuilder, as the actual 'finish' would depend on the scope of the project. For example, was the car prepared for a presentation at a key car show, or for 'internal evalution' eyes only'?
If it was to asess the feasibility of such a car to the entity that commissioned it, Ferrari or otherwise, then the coachbuilder would only focus on the overall shape and the more significant aspects of the car which could include the driving experience - with the actual expensive 'finising' occuring later if the coachbuilder was given the go-ahead to proceed to a finished product. However, I do agree, that if the car was being prepared for a car show such as Geneva, Turin, etc.- which the Dino was not - then a coach builder like Bertone would have completed the finer detailed finishings - as overall styling and 'looks' at a car show are paramount. Notably there are many examples of non-working show cars - ie. show cars fitted with non-working 'dummy' engines and non-operational interiors and switch gear - because at a car show - it's all about the 'wow factor'.
Great story, and a genuine unicorn of a car. Great that Dan has picked it up and given it some hands on love and intends to keep it forever. Also car sounds great and is clearly much fun to drive. Great stuff.
What a fabulous car! Great to see, well done Dan on such a great job recommissioning it. Great video Jack.
The 2 litre rule extended into the 90's, with the 320iS M3 engine in a standard 2 or 4 door sedan. I think there was a 2.0 turbo version of the 30? Portugal shared the same rule as well. Makes you wonder how many V12 Ferrari and Lamborghini models were sold in Italy. Or were they registered out of country to get around the taxes. This rule would also explain why Alpha had the twin spark version of the 2.0 engine to bridge the gap to the six models.
Maybe ask Ian Tyrrell, he know a guy who knows a guy...and finds out these detail things.
Alfa made a turbocharged 2.0 Busso v6 and Volvo made a turbocharged 16 valve 2.0-litre version of their normally aspirated 2.3 16 valve 4-cylinder.
Alpha?
Most were sold overseas. Few people in Italy could afford cars like that.
That's a good an explanation for the Alfa as any I've heard. And don't forget that the early Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta had a 2.0 liter - and it was a V12.
@@matslundstrom7763 Odd that they did not consider turbo charging a factor just displacement. In racing a foctor of 1.4 was applied. So the 288GTO was part of the 4 litre class.
I love the opening shot with loads of engine noise and then this car slowly appearing round the bend completely at odds with the soundtrack.
A convertible version of my favorite Ferrari...and one of my favorite tests you've done, Jack.
Ferrari Impossible, The tape recording that detailed “Your mission, should you choose to accept it,” ended with the chilling warning "That in the event of your capture, all knowledge of you would be disavowed." With a puff of smoke, the tape self-destructed in 10 seconds.
I love the GT4 body style, I think it’s the only non-PF one for quite some time
It’s handsome and aged well
This one here is new on me though, nice find
Good stuff- looks better than the Mondial to my eyes
Thanks for sharing. I would send pictures of it to Bertone to see if they have any record of the car. I bet the car has a low curb weight which can be easily handled by the revvy two litre engine. Some people who own the 308 GT4 swear by them. You don’t need an 800 hp car to have fun driving in the countryside. Small and lightweight are superior.
"Small and lightweight are superior." Truer words have rarely been spoken in the world of automobiles. I'm more of a Gordon Murray guy than Chapman guy (I'd like my car to not fall to pieces right at the finish line, or before... ahem...) but both of those guys were right on when it came to the concept of lightweight cars being not only superior, but more fun too.
@@sergioleone3583 A few of us wish that Ferrari would bring back the Dino line of vehicles which focus on lightweight, small displacement drivers cars. Limit them to 4-500 hp, provide the option for a factory gated shifter and keep the vehicle weight well below 3000 lbs. Some feel that the Alfa 4C would be an even better car if it had a traditional manual transmission. With the carbon tub, that car is pretty lightweight. I wonder if Gordon Murray would ever consider developing a car assembled in higher volumes that meet this criteria. The models he has now are amazing, but available in limited quantities and are extremely expensive. I have seen the types of cars Gordon has in his personal collection, so I know he appreciates these types of cars.
@@tg_ny Never going to happen they are a luxury accessory brand now.
@@idokwatcher2062 They just showed the GB110 at an auto show this year. Plus they keep records of previous work they did on file.
@tg_ny You could if Bertone had not gone bankrupt in 2012.
Bated breath waiting for Jack’s jacket to fly away….
Dan, that is one fine car. The sound is second to none I have heard and I'm sure you and your grandfather really bonded over this. Never sell it even if Bertone did this conversion, which I think they did as a design study. Looking forward to any information about it. Wow!
What a shame there isn't a "Like Very Much" button, haha.
It's a brilliant car with a superb soundtrack, I think.
With that body colored header panel (above the windshield) it's always gonna look aftermarket, though the rest does look presentable.
When reviewing a cnvt., could you show more of it with the top up please? Thanks! Great video as always.
Was thinking that. Glad somebody else noticed that.
@@shebbs1 Right. It's like those Harold Radford Jaguar 420/S & 420 Gs' converted from sedans of the '60s.
Italian carss are no just about horse power or torque, there are about that smile that those cars puts in your face each time you drive it. i am a long time Alfa Romeo owner. love your videos!
Brilliant! I saw this car about 12 years ago at 'Classics on the Common' in Harpenden!👍🏽
A private workshop do the work, like Embo, Lorinser..not a factory modification, many little workshops are able in Italy..
What a lovely car to inherit! One thing I couldn't see on it was where the fuel filler cap had been relocated to? I think this is a good workshop conversion done in Switzerland, the tell tale giveaway being the way the top of the A-pillar has been cut, without any sort of protective covering added to it.
What an intoxicating engine/drive that looked to be. Brilliant. And Kudos to Dan.
Looks like a chop job. But who knows? The reworked panels look like it could be a factory job. But you’d think they would’ve plugged the cuts with a rubber grommet or plug of some sort.
It may be slow but its more fun to drive than any 2024 Ferrari with those awful flappy paddle gearboxes and being so refined you cant even feel the road surface through the wheel , bring back basic Engineering.
True
@@shabbos-goy9407 🙂👏
As owner of a 308 gt4,for me this is a very interesting car, an idea that became reality with the Mondial. I knew of this 208 gt4 Cabriolet,but I had no idea if it was still in existence and I am glad she is in good hands. And the fact that you test drived this prototype is something stunning. These little two liter V8s (Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari gt4) and V6 (Maserati Merak) were,after all, great engines,if you compare them with the 4 cylinder of the Porsche 924,or with the naturally aspirated Lotus 4 cylinder,and have a great sound. They had a lot of poker,if you consider that they are only 2 liters and they have just two valves for cylinder. The problem was that they were fitted in cars like Ferrari,Lamborghini and Maserati,and they are generally compared with the 3 liter units. But they have been a clever solution against a punitive and idiot law. The Ferrari 2 liter V8 became a much powerful engine when they added a turbo,nearly reaching the same performances of the 3 and 3,2 liters V8s. Very interesting car indeed.
What a beautiful car! Also much better looking than the hardtop version
Thanks Jack 🙏🙏, glad you got to drive a bit of history!
Peter Monteverdi of Monteverdi fame, based out of Switzerland, was a Ferrari Dealer until the early 60's. This is the sort of thing he could have done (he was more than capable of doing the work) but would he have bought a Ferrari in the 70's after falling out with Ferrari in the 60's.........?.
If indeed he was the Swiss owner, his number plate would have started 'BL' (he lived above the factory in what is Basel-Landschaft). If you can find the Swiss registration, that would be a good start. Should be in the Swiss Logbook if the current owner still has it. My logbook is coloured dark grey but I live in a different Kanton and years later.
Any old Swiss dealer service records....?
Love the sound of that engine. Quite like the simple lines of the car, nice conversion.
Jack it does make me laugh when you throw in the language pronunciation every now and again. It reminds me of Pamela Stephenson on “ Not the 9’o’clock news” when she is the newsreader 😂😂😂😂
As a convertible this 208 looks really nice. I like the idea of such a small V8. Looks great from the rear. A smooth profile. Nothing wrong with it.
Excellent history, story and video!
I hope this video yields more clues from someone, so that you and Dan are able to make a follow up video. 🤞
Beautiful, unique….Ferrari!
Good Luck and Thanks!
In the 50's & 60's particularly people built 'Specials'. I am not talking about a kit car but something built as a one off, like Ant Anstead's Special for example. As soon as I saw this car those windows stood out for me as not finished if you will. However for a one off car I agree that you might not finish some parts as well as others. I would like to think that whoever carried out the work did put some stiffness in the body otherwise it could flex quite badly in my opinion. A very interesting car and somewhat mysterious as you say Jack. Just as an after thought, companies do build prototypes or 'studies' but often scrap them once they have served their purpose or they would never be put in the public domain. In this case the car was meant to 'live on' for whatever reason. Thanks Jack for a very interesting video. 👍👍
An interesting one off for sure. But I bet the wind noise around the door glass is horrendus with the roof up? There must be so much flex of the drop glasses as the frame has been cut away, and they're pretty big windows on a GT4. On the Elan S4 dropheads Lotus retained the door frame for that reason, though you did lose the clean look when the roof was lowered of course.
I feel like a child again. I want that!! Nice jack! Thanks Dan. Some of the conversation bits make me think it was possibly a one off test mule.
I just wanna say: 'Go, Dan!' Someone needs to preserve this car, and a museum would just park it behind velvet ropes. This is so much better.
It's very nice , but i prefer the hardtop.
Well done Dan
i think it may have been a prototype for Bertoni they had a thing for converables more so than most other disign house's
Neat car, no new information. But an observation, the side air scopes look as if they are NACA ducts installed backwards. The leading edge should be narrow and shallow going into a wider and deeper area to direct the air to what you want it to go. Just looks very odd to me.
From my perspective the side ducts on the convertible Dino are not NACA ducts. They are simply a recreation and repostioning of the ducting present on the Coupe's C-piller - which of course had to be removed to create the convertible.
My personal impression is that it sounds more like a sporty 4-cylinder-engine (inline).
An Alfa Romeo 1960/70s twin cam 4 cyl probably sounds better, at least to me.
flat plane crank will do that...
@@paulelverstone8677 Yep the flat plane crank is little understood .They sing up at the higher rev range .There’s no v8 burble low down . Basically you get more power when the cylinders fire as twins together as opposed to each one of 8 on the crank firing individually with the trad American style v8 s like the Rover v8 TVR used a lot .
Are those mirrors original? They look quite modern to me.
Thanks again for another entertaining video.
Give Pistacchio a big hug from me.
Greetings from the Netherlands
Pistacchio says hi!! He loves Amsterdam
No they should be “ California “ Identical to Nikki Laudas 312 F1 car .Those mirrors on the cab are from a 308 GTB not the GT4 ……so that tilts the swing o meter away from a official Bertone in house job towards somewhere else ?
Great looking car, great sounding engine. The power of the V6 with the sound of a V8.
Lovely Jack. Really nice video. Lovely car and that is the type of car (engine size wise) I would purchase if had the money. I can't see why you need big CC's and high output for the highways. I'm too old to drive fast 😁.
Awesome little Ferrari! Would have liked to see how it looks with the roof up! (Apologies if you did show and I missed that bit 😅🙏)
I did show it, although briefly!
@@Number27 Good excuse for me to watch it again then 😅
Beautiful car ! All too often Spyder conversions look ungainly, even when done by the factory, but this just look right !
Wow! Never heard of this before. Thanks Jack! Talk about a conversation starter.
Wow, brilliant... I love the 308gt4, this conversion is so cool ❤
I remember having a brand-new sapphire Cosworth in 1993 , I drove a friend’s 3 door and it felt dated even back then in comparison.
People rant and rave about the past with them now because of nostalgia , but by standards, unless they’re heavily modified, they’re pretty slow old cars .
FFS we see diesel German cars much faster today .
Still always nice to see one on the road, though .
Thanks Jack - great review of a fascinating little jewel. The epitome of the slow car you can have a blast trying to go fast!
Ive heard stories over the years that Enzo loved the GT4 and had one as a personal car.
When driving a car makes you laugh out loud, these are the best video. Thanks.
Definitely entertaining. And in admirable condition. Does sound sweet. Always worry slightly that the headrests are below shoulder level...😅
It looks and sounds beautiful - and so much fun to drive without needing crazy speeds
Interesting car! And a fantastic sound, even if the the overall performance is no longer up to date compared to modern cars
The first thing that sprang to mind was a Rapport Forte....another car I have never seen!
Very cool! Good luck finding more info on it! 👍🏼👍🏼
Works for me. Would of liked to have seen more footage of the hood up though
The top corner where the door is cut, well, you could make a 3D printed stop. Than it at least doesn’t look like it’s being cut. It will look so much smoother.
Noticeable is that strange triangle corner above the rear wheels and where the bonnet and panel to the engine is. That too looks like the roof is chopped of. Could be original especially when this is an actual study model. But a good coach builder would have rounded it off better. But indeed, the car looks great. And if it is that particular one off then the owner has something special special real special in his garage.
It's hard to believe that the conversion was done by Bertone; apart from the poor finish which could be explained if it was a design exercise only; the main giveaway is that it just looks 'off.' It looks like a chop job because no real attempt has been made to adjust the lines of the body in its convertible form, especially in the rear section.
Agreed, it looks incredibly lopsided, almost like a boat.
Nice machine. Lots of work put into that.
And sounds wonderful.
A super rare Ferrari , very interesting thanks for this Jack.
Bertone had done a good job. But maybe the rear can be redesigned. Not all of the rear but i think that the shape of the rear hood did not correspond to the rest of the car. It's sad that Ferrari had not try to sold that spyder.
interesting. looks very similar to a mondial which i have driven and didn't really like all that much. it's rarity and history make this one an exception.
Looks better than the normal car
No way, though it is interesting.
In my opinion the wedge shape of the orignal GT4 coupe - especially around the C-piller is superior and more cohesive that the Dino convertible.
Ferrari didn't copy the Urraco. There were two styling studies done by Gandini at Bertone; Lambourghini bought the first, Ferrari bought the second. They were likely drawn at very much the same time. And the 308 gt4's transverse layout, and in fact pretty much the whole chassis, was copied from the 246 Dino; they just added a few inches to make room for the rear seats.
As for this car, I've seen it at a few FOC events over the years and I agree about the panel work being well done, but the details not being so finished. The lines around the rear haunches look a bit odd to me and it might have been better to extend the roof buttresses back either side of the engine cover as was done with the Mondial cabrios. But if I was looking to create an open gt4 I think I'd have gone for a GTS targa, as was done with the Pininfarina 308s. That would also keep the flanks clean and preserve what I think is one of the finest pieces of styling on the original cars, the lovely air intakes integrated into the lines of the C-pillars.
It makes a gorgeous convertible. Thanks for the interesting video!
Amazing sounding engine. Loved it, Jack!
That’s a lovely thing! I liked the 308 GT4 anyway - but that’s so pretty!
There’s no way that Bertone did that. It looks cheap. I had a friend in middle school who had an early 70’s Firebird that was a targa top chop job. Looked similar to this in terms of quality and fit. I’m sure a pro body guy in the 70’s did that.
Now that’s what a real car sounds like.👍❤
Macari started out from his family plot called Toat Cafe just outside Pulborough west sussex in the late 70s early 80s.........he had a colourful reputation with the locals......
😆😆😆
Very much looks like a pre- Mondial design study.
Very very interesting and an intriguing puzzle . Each theory of its existence has some merit. What I will say though is to all those people doubting that Bertone would hash out a convertible and leave it rough around the edges , well I have the very last car that Bertone designed, that being an Alfa GT . In the Alfa Romeo Museum secret vault there is a one off , hashed out GT convertible that never made production. It doesn’t even have a roof . So don’t be too quick to dismiss the Ferrari being a genuine Bertone
Difference being it was never sold. This Ferrari was. No way it would’ve left like that
@@DavidM-mb1vx I don’t remember the video saying that this was sold into the general population, I might of missed that , but there’s plenty of prototypes that have worked their way into other people’s hands
@@155andRising I think the give-away is the paint. Options 1 or 2 would have included a repaint of the whole car, not just the modified panels.
@@taylorjs2534 that’s a very good shout
Wonderful episode, the sound glorious.
There is no way that’s an actual Bertone piece of work, they would have made the small finishing details for covering the edges of the rubber seals etc. Hand making steel panels is easy compared with making those little fiddly bits. I do like it though!
I would not dismiss the possibility that said Dino was produced by Bertone or another prominent Italian, Swiss, etc. coachbuilder, as the actual 'finish' would depend on the scope of the project. For example, was the car prepared for a presentation at a key car show, or for 'internal evalution' eyes only'?
If it was to asess the feasibility of such a car to the entity that commissioned it, Ferrari or otherwise, then the coachbuilder would only focus on the overall shape and the more significant aspects of the car which could include the driving experience - with the actual expensive 'finising' occuring later if the coachbuilder was given the go-ahead to proceed to a finished product. However, I do agree, that if the car was being prepared for a car show such as Geneva, Turin, etc.- which the Dino was not - then a coach builder like Bertone would have completed the finer detailed finishings - as overall styling and 'looks' at a car show are paramount. Notably there are many examples of non-working show cars - ie. show cars fitted with non-working 'dummy' engines and non-operational interiors and switch gear - because at a car show - it's all about the 'wow factor'.
Very interesting! Kind of reminds me of the Ferrari 308 Rainbow as well as the Mondial.
Just for info they made 842 , 208 GT 4 s and some around 3000 308 GT 4 .
All the 208s were LHD primarily aimed at the home mkt .
Honestly, how much power does one need in their sports car? I think this sounds and looks perfect!
Thanks for this video. I immediately thought of the Mondial!
Not perfect but from some angles it certainly is a beauty; owning convertibles for >20yrs i really like this 208 Spider.
I think that the Swiss location on the picture is Autogalerie Toffen in Toffen, where they organize auction every year.
That’s gorgeous. Interesting too.