Can it be a Ferrari?
07/17/2014
We have become accustomed to the reports in the daily and trade press in which Ferrari sports and racing cars achieve incredible prices at auctions. The last Ferrari 250 GTO is even said to have changed hands for over 50 million francs/euros at a private sale.
So is Ferrari ownership unaffordable? No! Of course, it's not cheap to have a sports car with a prancing horse on the front in your garage.
However, the entry-level models for some models are cheaper than you might think and are in the region of a new VW Golf. Want some examples? You can buy a Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS, especially with an injection engine, for €/CHF 30,000 to 50,000 francs. A Mondial mid-engined coupé can be found from €/CHF 20,000 and even a 12-cylinder Ferrari in the form of a 400i doesn't have to cost €/CHF 40,000.
The fact that these cars were priced at barely less than some of today's highly traded collector's cars obviously has no influence on the market value of these models. But what is it that makes some models reach ten times their original price today and others are traded at half the purchase price or even lower? And why not buy one of the less popular models?
Why not a Ferrari 308 GT4?
The Ferrari 308 GT4 was presented as the Dino 308 GT4 in Paris in 1973 and was intended to replace the Dino 246 GT. The design came from Bertone, who had proven with the NSU Ro 80 Trapeze and the Lamborghini Urraco that four seats could also be accommodated in a mid-engined car. The Dino 308 GT4 featured a newly developed V8-cylinder engine, which was installed transversely behind the passengers and, with 250 SAE hp, had plenty of power. The performance and handling of the Dino 300 GT4, which cost 56,400 francs at the time, were impressive.
However, the shape designed by Marcello Gandini was not very popular with the public, which is why a Ferrari 308 GTB was soon launched, which was technically designed in the same way but had a Pininfarina body reminiscent of its predecessor, the Dino 246 GT. However, this sibling had just as little positive influence on the 308 GT4's value as the high number of units sold for the entire 308 range by Ferrari standards.
The Dino 308 GT4 was ennobled as a Ferrari two years after its presentation, and the Dino lettering disappeared from the Ferrari range forever. By 1980, almost 2800 examples of the 308 GT4 had been produced, which were delivered in Europe with four Weber twin carburetors. The wedge-shaped sports car has survived the 40 years since its launch and has matured into a classic. Only the driver's position far forward is a little irritating (from the outside).
While the purchase of a 308 GT4 at 30,000 to 50,000 euros/francs is still a manageable investment despite slightly rising prices, maintenance can tear larger holes in the wallet depending on the condition. An engine overhaul usually ends up costing well into five figures and other major servicing work can also quickly reach the equivalent value of a Smart. A carburetor 308 is also not as prissy when it comes to fuel, 15 liters or more per 100 km should be taken into account.
But burning gasoline is hardly ever as much fun as in the Dino 308 GT4, when you can hear every intake of air from the engine and the car jumps forward after every gas stroke, accompanied by the click-clack of the shift gate when changing gear.
It has always been a little more expensive to have a special taste.
Of course, you can also buy cheap Ferrari sports cars on the Zwischengas marketplace .
