Valuable Classics Part 4: Ferrari 308 – A hot ride cools down

In 2010 “Auto motor und sport” magazine headlined: Cheap Ferrari with high maintenance costs. The headline was validated by “Classic Data” who put a € 50,000.-price tag on the Ferrari 308 Vetroresina in condition 2 at the time.

But lo and behold by 2016 prices for the 308 had almost quadrupled. So what made this, plastic-bodied, car so interesting all of a sudden. Sure only 808 examples were built until production ended in 1977. Rarity tends to drive the price but such a steep increase is a rarity in its own right. Maybe it had to do with the general hype about classic cars? Or was “plastic bodywork” such a hot attribute all of a sudden? Mind you, in contemporary articles and press reports, the bit about the plastic body didn’t receive much attention at all.

Ferrari 308 – Front-engine is a given

For the old Enzo it was always clear: horses are put in front of a carriage. That’s why he always relied on the front engine. And of course, vehicles with less than 12 cylinders were automotive waste anyway. Around the mid-1960s though, Enzo bowed, reluctantly, to the will of his engineers and allowed the design and construction of smaller V6 and V8 engines. But Enzo wouldn’t be Enzo if there wasn’t a small condition attached; the mid-size and rear-engine vehicles were not allowed to bear the Ferrari brand name. They were named after his son “Alfredo” – Dino for short. In 1966 the Dino 206 GT hit the market with just 150 copies followed by the Dino 246 GT in 1969.

Steel body or “nimble tupperware”

A short affair with Bertone led to the Dino 308 GT4 which proved a bit of a dud really. The 2 + 2 was anything but a sales success.The 308 GTB, was once again developed by Pininfarina and built at Scaglietti. At first, the GTB had a plastic body called “Vetroresina” in Italian. But the production proved to be time consuming so in ‘77 Scaglietti switched back to a conventional steel body. Ten different versions of the GTB were built over a ten-year period. Due to the ratio of “Vetroresinas” to 308’s with a steel body, the “nimble tupperware” version is definitely the most popular one. But, as in many areas of the classic car market, there is a negative trend nowadays. At international auctions in 2016 good vehicles still generated about € 150,000 to € 200,000. In 2019 you can only expect € 100,000 to € 150,000.

So now might be the right time to expand your collection.

Price performance data courtesy of:

Photos K&F Classic Cars & Cartique

Author: Classic Trader

Die Classic Trader Redaktion besteht aus Oldtimer-Enthusiasten, die Euch mit spannenden Geschichten versorgen. Kaufberatungen, unsere Traum Klassiker, Händlerportraits und Erfahrungsberichte von Messen, Rallyes und Events. #drivenbydesire View all posts by Classic Trader →