How Tom Selleck and the Humble 308 Rescued Ferrari from Oblivion
It’s fantastic—fantastic to look at and fantastic to drive—and in today’s world, it announces you as an absolute connoisseur of the Prancing Horse brand. It was the car that established the mid-engine, V-8-powered Ferrari as the mainstream model, the one that made Ferrari a viable and profitable enterprise.
This story originally appeared in Volume 14 of Road & Track.
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The Ferrari 308 isn’t just a winner now. It was a winner in its own time. In 1977, Road & Track called it “a blending of man and machine that make the two feel and act as one.” The late P.J. O’Rourke called the targa-roofed GTS “the best damn car I’ve ever driven” in 1980.
Collectors assert that 308s aren’t for concours shows or stashing away in collections. They’re for driving. Common for a Ferrari, relatively affordable to maintain, and finely engineered by any standard, the 308 is the affordable-ish choice if you want to get out and put a lot of miles on a classic analog Ferrari.
In 1979, the fourth year of 308 production and two years after the roofless GTS hit showrooms and bodies were switched from glass-reinforced plastic to steel, Ferrari first passed the 2000 cars-per-year milestone. During the 308’s final model year, 1985, it passed 3000. The two-valve 308 GTS was the first Ferrari model to sell more than 3000 units. If you count Quattrovalvole examples, Ferrari sold 6261 308 GTS models—more than the total number of cars it built from 1947 to 1967.
Though not technologically groundbreaking, the 308 set the company’s standard for the next 40 years. It had a high-revving V-8 behind the seats, a stunning curvaceous Pininfarina design with pronounced side intakes, lightweight construction with a double-wishbone suspension for a great ride and handling balance, and, in most cases, a removable targa roof.
Featured in more films and TV shows than any other Ferrari, the 308 is pure Hollywood. Its CV towers over even some big-name actors. The Internet Movie Cars Database lists almost 300 on-screen appearances. It had a starring role in Magnum, P.I., it was the ride of choice for two Rat Pack phony priests in The Cannonball Run, and a rev-happy Christie Brinkley teased Chevy Chase from behind its wheel in Vacation. Next to the always competent but ordinary G-body Porsche 911, the Ferrari was a supermodel with pipes to match. A 308 said you were somebody. The 911 said you were another dentist.
By 2005, when you could still order a new manual-transmission Ferrari, the 308 seemed outdated and slow. In 2022, Ferraris are fast and fun, but with paddles and hybridization the norm, enthusiasts are turning to usable older cars, and the 308’s shape has aged gracefully. Market forces have made people appreciate its simplicity, light 3100-pound curb weight, and tidy size.
Many claim the 308 isn’t as solid or dependable as G-body Porsches, but this reputation isn’t entirely deserved. Donnie Callaway, a Ferrari master technician who lent us “O’Belo,” his 308 GTB, doesn’t blame the cars. “Eighties Ferraris are incredibly well made and engineered,” he says. “A 308, like an air-cooled 911, may have mechanical issues from time to time, but it will almost never leave you stranded. It will tell you something needs attention. There may be a weird smell or a puff of smoke or an off sound, but you’re not calling a tow truck for a 308. You can always drive it to the shop.” But, Callaway says, these cars got very cheap for about a decade, and owners didn’t want to spend properly for maintenance. A $6000 major service is a lot when the car is worth $30,000. So they skipped and skimped, and the cars fell apart.
Having just returned from a 700-mile trip in my freshly (mechanically) restored 328 and spending a day driving Callaway’s GTB in 105-degree desert heat, I agree. Properly maintained and cared for to factory spec, and with the fluids warmed up, these cars are mechanically stout and a joy to drive, brilliantly engaging through the inputs and composed at high speeds.
I used to think David Diem and Doug Turner were totally out of their minds or lying about crossing the country in a 308 in 32 hours, 7 minutes during the 1983 U.S. Express, carrying an 89-mph average. Now I find their claim completely believable and entirely reasonable. Few vintage cars are so happy between 90 and 120 mph, with perfect gearing, taut and expressive composure, and clear communication among hands, feet, and tires. An old 911 may be preferable in traffic or on the Nürburgring. But on the open sweepers of the northern Angeles Forest or crossing the desert at the tail end of a Cannonball, I’ll take the Ferrari. It may be mid-engine, but the 308 is one of the best GT cars Ferrari ever built, odometers be damned.
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