Ferrari 308 QV GTSi Spider Dino restored New Interior, Restored Engine, etc.

You are looking at a nearly fully restored Ferrari 308QV GTSi, the closet evolution of the 308 to the legendary GTO.

It features (1) the small front and rear GTO style bumpers, (2) the white and amber turn signal assemblies like the GTO, (3) a front grill with a prancing horse and (4) fog lamps set in the grill similar to the GTO while also featuring (5) smaller more graceful side view mirrors and (6) a deep dish GTO-style front spoiler.

The engine was removed and refreshed by a Ferrari specialist at a cost of $14k (new rings, new valve guides, etc.) The mechanical components were refreshed, cleansed and detailed making the drivetrain pretty, show worthy and reliable. The entire process was photo-documented as well and of course this collection of photos comes with the car.

There is probably no better interior in a 308 Ferrari on the planet as about the same amount of money was spent restoring the interior as was on restoring the drivetrain.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to sit in a new 308 this is probably about as close as one can get now. Every part of the interior was removed and refinished with materials of a higher quality than original. Premium quality leather and carpets were used. From the floor to removable roof, the carpet, the door panels, the seats, the center console, the entire dash, the trim around the rear window, etc., every upholstered surface has just been beautifully restored.

Buyer has a choice of steering wheels as shown in the photos.

Two shift knobs are included, the silver knob and the traditional original black shift knob.

The Ferrari comes with two sets of wheels and tires.

The wheels were restored as well and feature brand new Ferrari center caps.

The Interstate battery is new.

The Ansa exhaust appears new or nearly new with shiny exhaust tips.

The AC blows cold as in Ferrari 308 cold.

The windows go up and down as they should in a 308.

Included is the Ferrari Tool Kit, Ferrari Jack Kit, Ferrari Owners Manual and special Ferrari manual pouch; the Ferrari emergency plug in light and the Ferrari lamp and fuse holder.

Also included is a binder filled with years of service records.

The paint shines brilliantly and is in good condition and suitable for car shows and Ferrari events. However, I originally intended to fully restore this car so that it would be one of the best 308s on the planet. This would include a high quality repaint. Last week I visited both Ferrari of Beverly Hills and Aston Martin of Beverly Hills. When I mentioned painting the car they thought I was nuts. So, if you want a fully restored trailer queen, a "new" Ferrari 308QV I would paint the car. If you want a car that you can drive and take to weekend shows and events, as you can see in the photos, she is stunning and fine the way she is. If the Buyer chooses they want the car painted I have a shop that paints Ferraris and will do an exceptional job for an exceptional price making this Ferrari appear like a new car (paint, interior, engine, wheels, etc.) and I will help with this process and pay for part of the paint refinish.

Not only is this the stunning looking 308 of all the Ferraris built, but only the last three years of production had the four valve motors which make noticeably more power.

Spectacular and rare, this is the highly desirable Euro spec Ferrari 308. According to the Ferrari Market Letter, while there were 3042 308 QVs produced for the world half of which are in the US (and far fewer in existence today) there are only approximately 100 Euro spec 308 QVs in North America.

By comparison, in just five years, Ferrari made 16,000 Ferrari 360 and similar numbers of the 430 and 458. The 308 was truly an “Enzo Era” car from when Ferraris were handbuilt cars.

The Euro cars are highly sought after because they are much faster, handle better, brake better, get better fuel economy, run cooler and last longer than regular 308s and look much better as well while featuring a much larger trunk. (The Euro cars have a trunk that’s nearly twice the size of a regular 308. )

The Euro 308 is the car that looks the way the designer, Leo Fioravanti (the designer of the 246 Dino, Boxer and Daytona) intended—aesthetically pure!

First, the Euro 308 weighs, according to Ferrari, 273 pounds LESS than the US cars (2956 lbs. V. 3229 lbs for US cars) so of course it is faster than the US car. But that’s not all. This 308 also makes more horsepower and as a result of its greater power and less weight, is much faster, handles better and stops faster.

The numbers? The Euro 308s were road tested at 0-60 in a mere 5.7 seconds! That’s faster than a US Spec 328! Top speed? 154 mph! Those were pretty impressive numbers back in the early 1980s.

As mentioned, appearance wise this 308 is far prettier and more stunning than the run of the mill 308. Directly from Ferrari this 308QV features GTO Euro style bumpers, GTO style white and amber turns signals and running lights and a more aesthetically appearing rear end as it does not have a rear diaper to cover the unsightly exhaust system featured on the US cars.

The Euro bumpers which are smaller also permit the traditional Ferrari grille with the Prancing Horse in the front grill. (The US cars large ugly black bumpers which leave no space for the Prancing Horse in the grill, hence its absence from the American market cars.) The Euro cars also have the pretty and aerodynamic mirrors with their Enamel Ferrari badges. (The US cars have large square “flag” mirrors.)

Finally, unlike the US 308, this car features 288GTO style passing/fog lights set inside the grill under the front bumper.

A Ferrari shop here in LA is currently doing a nut and bolt restoration on a Ferrari 308 and they expect it will bring around $250k when finished. They may know what they are talking about as they did the Dino restoration that many say helped trigger the explosion in Dino values as it sold for nearly $500k several years back.

The 308 was not only designed by the same designer as the Dino but underneath, suspension, brakes, drivetrain, it is also very similar (but with two extra cylinders).

The 308 was designed by artists; cars today are designed by artists and then dramatically altered in the wind tunnel and to meet stringent government regulations. The 308 was the last pure Ferrari whose lines are pure magic. The last “Dino” series car built when Enzo ran Ferrari.

Classic & Sports Car Magazine put it simply: “the sublime purity of this ‘70s design icon still enraptures, whereas the intrigue of latter day Ferraris is expressed with extraneous styling gimmicks, few will ever mature as favorably as the 308.”

Maintenance on the 308 is nothing compared to the 355, 360 or any of the other later Ferraris. The 308 is simple and rugged and parts are plentiful and not very expensive.

Compared to the 328, the 308 is a far purer and classic design. In the July 2002 issue of Classic & Sports Car, the well-respected British publication stated that the 308 styling was “corrupted” into the 328 while others say the 328 was “fiatized” (the 328 features a Fiat X1/9 style interior and gauges and plastic panels bolted to the car in the front and rear.)

The 308QV is truly a classic. Can you imagine what one of these babies would cost if its production numbers were as limited as a California Spider?

As noted by author Beki Adam: “Pininfarina had relished the job, and excelled themselves: The look remains timeless, even today. The mix between the original Dino styling (those side-scoops and the recessed rear concave window)and the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer (that spliced from bumper to tail bodywork, that wonderful nose and equally delightful rear-end with its sail panels extending from the roofline down to the whisper of a spoiler) was styling perfection. The lines are faultless.”

Germany’s Auto Motor Und Sport called it “bella macchina.”

England’s Car Magazine called it “poetry in motion” and “the doyen of exotic car shapes”.

Forza Magazine noted: “the four valves were easily the best performers of the 308 series, noting Road and Track’s test of 308QV, Corvette and two Porsche’s ‘Ferrari fixed the criticism that its 3.0 V8 did not produce quite enough horsepower to match the car’s racy good looks.” England’s Motor Car magazine clocked a 308QV’s 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds!

Forza’s tested a 308 QV and noted: “what was most impressive about the 308s was their reliability. When we tested the two Ferraris, Northern California was in the midst of a heat wave with temperatures in the triple digits. Not once did either car hiccup, overheat, or act temperamental in any way. They simply shrugged off the 100 degree heat as easily as they would your favorite twisty road. In short, these are Ferraris that you can truly use every day.”

I have used a 308QV as a daily driver…for several years. On a drive to Monterey I averaged around 20 mpg while cruising 75-80 mph.

In the same Forza article Ferrari expert Tom Shaughnessy noted: “A good 308, when properly serviced, will easily last 100,000 miles or more.” Shaughnessy also noted that parts for the 308 are affordable while parts for the 348 or 355 are “absolutely ridiculous.” He went on to state of the 308: “It is the only Ferrari I would recommend as a daily driver. The V8 engine is virtually indestructible and the model line has been around for a decade. This is Ferrari’s utility car.”