1975 Ferrari 308 GT4

During the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrari built a reputation for sport and GT cars with their front-mounted V12 engine mould. The idea of introducing a smaller road car was a departure from that tradition and many were skeptical of its success. Nevertheless, the mid-engine Dino-badged 246 GT and GTS were popular, and was followed by the debut of the 308 GT4 at the October 1973 Paris Salon. It was the first Ferrari road car powered by a V-8 engine, and the first mid-engined 2+2. Marcello Gandini of Bertone created the styling while Scaglietti built the 2+2 body. This was the first new production GT car from Ferrari that was not designed by Pininfarina since 1953. 2,826 examples were sold through 1980, dwarfing sales of V12 models and paving the way for Ferrari's future.

Bertone placed the seats well forward which allowed ample form within the 100-inch wheelbase for two children or one sideways-seated adult in the rear. The compact engine/transaxle package left 5 cubic-feet of luggage space behind the engine bay. The wedge-shaped styling was controversial yet modern for the supercar theme of the era.

The new Ferrari dual-overhead-cam 3.0-liter V8 was fitted by four twin-choke Weber carburetors and offered 255 BHP in Europe and 320 BHP in emissions-compliant tune for the United States. The 308 had a top speed above 150 mph and 0-60 mph was achieved in under 7 seconds. The expected Ferrari sports car handling and performance was achieved with the help of a stiff chassis and an all-round independent suspension.

The changes were minimal for 1975. The 308 GT4 had a base price of $22,550.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019