It's the quintessential premium Italian sports car - the one you just can't help but admire as it passes by you on the highway - or even yet, as you walk by it parked right there - up front at the valet stand in spot "numero uno". This 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS looks that good, and it's in great shape too - having benefited from unusually light usage over the years - and carries a stack of maintenance records in its glove box as proof that it's well-positioned to offer years of future driving excitement. The 328 cuts an immediately recognizable yet dramatic appearance. Its forerunner, the 308, was a huge success featured for years on television's "Magnum PI," no doubt prompting millions of viewers to admire the man beyond the wheel and think to themselves, "He's got some kind of life." Still clad in just the original shade of red you'd associate with this storied vehicle, you can see how this 328 represents a visual improvement over its predecessor, with its updated grille and more contoured bumpers painted to match the rest of the exterior. England's Motor Magazine put it best when they reviewed the 328 the year this one came out and said, "It's as close to a work of art as a car can be." All that visual magic is intact, and in fact this is one of only two that came from the factory with a red painted spoiler and targa top which itself is a great feature - affording the pleasure of open air motoring with the shelter of its lightweight panels just a couple of steps away. After more than 30 years of life, everything remains well-aligned, with flip-up headlights that raise promptly into position to reveal very clear lenses and clean buckets inside. The tan leather interior looks unusually fresh for its age, reflecting the notion that this performer has lived a sheltered life when not put to use. The bucket seats still have a very firm shape and show no pronounced wear marks or cracking on their surfaces, and are matched by a center console in between them that's just as clean with its chrome shifter and black control switches. The door panels on both sides were replaced a while back and don't show much evidence of use at all, and the power windows sitting inside them operate smoothly. The dash area looks great - you'll find a thorough assortment of easily readable gauges in the cluster and an arched black dash pad on top that, in spite of its color's sensitivity to UV rays, remains supple looking and split-free. An AM/FM/CD player stands by to provide your tunes while on the road. Some of the most welcome improvements gifted to the 328 are found in its drivetrain. The 3.2 liter V8 under the hood features more displacement than those before it and provides in excess of 260 horsepower - enough to rocket this lightweight car forward very convincingly. Ferrari was out in front of the curve as far as performance engineering, so you'll find independent suspensions both fore and aft and a sturdy anti-roll bar sitting in place to keep things level during hard cornering. The 5-speed manual transmission shifts very easily, the power rack and pinion is impressively precise and, with power disc brakes at all four corners, this GTS comes to a stop very quickly. Its timing belt - so often an Achilles heel for many cars - was replaced a few years ago to provide plenty of worry-free motoring and the stainless Tubi exhaust provides the perfect note. A true Italian classic, it sits on a set of 16" stock Ferrari wheels that have been refinished and wrapped with Michelin tires. This 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS represents the chance to put a classic example of Italian automotive design in your garage. Call today!
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