Description
First registered September 1976 (R Reg) this 308 GTB Vetroresina is chassis number 19627 and build number 046. And it’s very special indeed, with only 36, 600 miles recorded, which can be verified by the car’s MoT History back to 1979 when the odometer read 16, 626 miles. The previous owner has kept the car for 24 years and has used it regularly but very sparingly. Finished in traditional Rosso Corsa with Tan Interior the paint work is excellent and it still sits on its period correct recently refurbished and re-shod Cromodora Magnesium wheels with the correct Michelin XVS Tyres although photos demonstrate split rims if preferred.
Introduced in 1975, the 308 GTB was Ferrari's second V8-engined road car and marked a welcome return to Pininfarina styling following the Bertone-designed Dino 308 GT4. The 308 changed little mechanically from its predecessor, retaining the Dino’s underpinnings and transversely mounted quad-cam 3. 0-litre V8 engine that now featured dry-sump lubrication. In road tune the wonderfully engineered Ferrari unit produced 255 bhp; an output good enough to propel the aerodynamically efficient 308 to a top speed of 150 mph.
Save the aluminium bonnet, the entirety of the body is fiberglass being manufactured by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, one of Ferrari’s subsidiaries; this marked the first time a composite body was sold on a production Ferrari enabling the 308 to weigh only 1, 100 kg dry.
A very comprehensive maintenance file is present, showing no expense spared whatsoever in this car’s upkeep. Although we did manage a wry smile noting a timing belt change in 1996 cost just over £180, (the parts being £13. 50). The engine was given a full top-end rebuild in 2000, at which time it also had Nimonic valves fitted, (regarded as an important upgrade). A new alloy header tank and water pump were fitted in 2010, and the car had a cambelt service and full shock absorber refurbishment in 2014 at a cost of over £8K.
We note that the original paint code suggests that this car was supplied in Rosso Rubino but was changed to the current more widely seen Rosso Corsa that took place in the 1980s. In 2014 this paint was subsequently given a refresh at a cost of over £9, 000 and at the same time all the panel gaps were checked and perfected. The body shop’s craftsmanship has stood the test of time and today the car remains in lovely condition with the absence of stone chips and blemishes being much more apparent to the eye than their presence. We are of the opinion that if returned to the original Rosso Rubino colour scheme the car would be exponentially more valuable and as such, we have obtained a quotation for this work amounting to £12, 000 plus VAT.
In the most recent keepers hands all work was carried out by Shiltech, and the vendor tells us that the firm’s founder, Geoff Shilton, can vouch for the condition and quality of this car if needed.
In June 2024, SMDG (well respected Ferrari and Maserati Specialists) carried out a full re-commissioning of the car, this included a fluids service and belts change plus full tune and checkover, costing £4, 200 - the bill for these works has been added to the Ferrari’s records. A fresh Advisory free MoT is in place expiring April 2025.
We believe that this is now probably one of the best Right-Hand Drive Vetroresina 308’s that remain of the 154 left the factory. It is the model that the 308 aficionados rightly covet, and we doubt you will find a better one. Viewing by appointment please.
