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1981 Ferrari 308 GTB also off to Australia
November 2009
Ordered-F395- on the 18th February 1980 for May production by the then Ferrari agents, Delamere Motors (Manchester) Ltd, for their customer, Mr Casson also of Manchester, to be finished in Blue Dino met with Cream hide, air conditioning, deep front spoiler, wide wheels and fog/flash. The car was invoiced by the factory on the 24th September 1980 and was brought to the UK –load 20- by truck.It has ana ssembly number of 399. The 208th of the 211 right hand drive steel bodied 308 GTB’s according to a letter from Allan Mapp of Maranello Concessionaires Ltd.
It would seem that Mr Casson did not proceed with the purchase, as Maranello Concessionaires Ltd invoiced the new dealers Rosso Ltd-Mr Vic Norman- of Cirencester, Gloucestershire for the car on the 23rd January 1981. It seems that Delamere Motors (Manchester) did end up taking the car, and became its first registered owners on 10th March 1981, presumably as their own demonstrator. The then list price, 1st January 1981 was £20,100.27 plus delivery charges, number plates and road tax. In addition air conditioning £747.50, metallic paint £347.59, driving lamps £74.75, deep front spoiler £3219.27and 7.5 “wide wheels £347.59 were also specified.
It was purchased by the second owner Mr G. Homoky of Cheshire on the 14th April 1981 from Delamere Motors. It passed into the possession of dealers Ian Anthony of Wilmslow, Cheshire on the 22nd September 1982, who we assume sold it to Mr David Jones of Manchester on the 13th April 1983.It does seem that Mr Jones was relieved of it by the Police! #33463 was impounded by the Greater Manchester Police on 9th December 1983 following its owner's arrest. A tag was in the cars history file when I first had the car in 1996, only a copy remains. The car was sold by public tender to a dealer on 15th September 1986 when Mr John Denham of Hampshire bought it for £14,000 registering it in the name of Miss Jennifer Denham on the on 22nd September 1986 @ 16,000 miles. The car passed into the ownership of Mr John Estall, a boat dealer who found it advertised, if I remember correctly, in the Exchange and Mart! Upon his acquisition Mr Estall had Maranello fully service the car, replacing camshaft oil seals and fitting a new clutch, spending some £2,380.32 on invoice 32160 with 18,820 recorded miles. Since 1986 it has all its MOT certificates showing that it has only covered 200 miles annually or less some years. The mileage was verified by Mr Estall as being 100% accurate,. The car was been serviced by Mr Estall annually including new camshaft drive belts in December 1993.Connolly Brothers restored the leather in September 1987.(It has since be re-trimmed in Beige hide with Blue piping)
Purchased by and sold by Mike Wheeler then of Talacrest, to Mr Richard Fackrell of Bristol, on 17th May 1995 at 19,979 recorded miles, who registered it 308 RAF. .It was next owned by Mr Ron Coleman a long standing Ferrari owner and at one point Ferrari salesman at Emblem Sportscars in Dorset. He purchased the car directly from Mr Fackrell, having been “pointed in the direction” by myself. Mr Coleman had the 18”wheel-DTM- and tyres, currently fitted on the car, supplied by Rimstock Distributors Ltd of the West Midland s with four new Bridgestone tyres. Mr Coleman had then Ferrari agents Westover Sports Cars service, the car on the 30th April 1997 at 23,554 recorded miles and again on the 9th April 1998 at 24,515 miles, this time replacing the camshaft drive belts.
It was sold by Mr Coleman via Unicorn Motors of Dorset to Mr Peter Wearing of Scotland with 27,275 recorded miles taking a Austin Healey 100/6 in trade.Mr Wearing had the car serviced by Motortune Shotts a Porsche dealer, on the 19th July 2002 at 27,305 recorded miles including new cam belts and again by Motortune Shotts on the 12tH November 2003 at 28,129 miles.
The eighth and penultimate recorded owner was Mr Martin Stewart of Glasgow, who bought the car on the 9th August 2005 with 28,375 recorded miles.
The last owner was pilot Captain Thomas Ramsay also of Glasgow who bought the car on the 1st December 2006, with 28,700 recorded miles.
The new owner is in in Sydney Australia.
The photograph is from 1995 when I last had the car for sale.The original wheels are still with it al though it is currently fitted with the 18" replacements.
