Order number 4023 was placed by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd on the 3rd of January 1984 on behalf of their Essex Ferrari agents, Lancaster of Colchester for February 1984 production. Entering production on Friday 20th January 1982 and was completed just short of three weeks later 7th February 1984.Finished in Rosso Corsa 300/6 with nero hide 8500 and Bordeaux carpets. Additionally optioned with air conditioning and a deep front spoiler. Invoiced to Maranello Concessionaires on 13th February 1984, by the Ferrari factory for delivery to the UK by truck-one of the 233 of which 159 remain taxed or SORN’d with just 132 in red. Upon its arrival in the UK the car was invoiced to Lancaster Garages Ltd on 7th March 1984.

First registered, A261 SVX, by the Ferrari main dealers, Lancasters of Colchester to a 36-year-old printer, Mr S B of Essex on 11th May 1984, apparently part exchanging a Porsche 911 Turbo. The then list price (13th June 1983) of £29,732.00 plus delivery charges, number plates and road tax, was added to with factory air conditioning £946.83 and deep front spoiler £267.86.

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308 GTS Quattrovalvole
As with the preceding 308 GTB and 308 GTBi models there was a targa roof version available, which was called the 308 GTS quattrovalvole. This version is easily identifiable by the removable black roof section and the satin black triangular shaped louvres covering the glass in the sail panels.
Both QV models can also be identified by a revised radiator grille and bumper, an air outlet louvre in the front lid and new door mirrors featuring a small enamel shield on the casing. The 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, with a removable targa roof, succeeded the 308 GTSi, and was presented at the 1982 Paris Salon concurrently with the 308 GTB Quattrovalvole model. The Quattrovalvole part of the model name referred to the four valves per cylinder heads on the engine, which provided increased power over the preceding model.


The design
Visually the new model was very similar to the outgoing one, but could be recognised by the addition of a slim louvre panel in the front lid to aid radiator exhaust air exit, paired electrically operated door mirrors with a small enamel Ferrari badge on the shell, a revised radiator grille with rectangular driving lights at the extremities, and rectangular (instead of round) side repeater lights.
The interior also received some minor alterations, and cloth seat centres became available as an option to the standard full leather, whilst the leather rim satin black three spoke steering wheel featured a triangulated section around the horn push.
The removable grained satin black finished roof panel was stowed in a vinyl cover behind the seats when not in use. As with the preceding series’ of 308 models, USA market cars could be identified by heavier bumper assemblies, and rectangular side marker lights on the wings.
Options available were metallic paint, a deep front spoiler, air conditioning, wider wheels, 16″ Speedline wheels with Pirelli P7 tyres, and a rear of roof satin black finished aerofoil (standard on Japanese market models).
The Engine
The V8 engine was essentially of the same design as that used in the 308 GTSi model, apart from the four valves per cylinder heads. It was of a 90 degree configuration, with belt driven twin overhead camshafts per bank, having a total capacity of 2926cc, with a bore and stroke of 81mm x 71mm, with wet sump lubrication, bearing factory type reference F 105 AB 000 for European market cars. The claimed power output for main market European cars was 240bhp at 7000rpm, and 235bhp at 6800rpm for US market variants. The engine was transversely mounted in unit with the all synchromesh five speed transmission assembly, which was below, and to the rear of the engine’s sump.
The gear and final drive ratios were altered to suit the revised characteristics of the four valves per cylinder engine. It was fitted with a Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection system, coupled to a Marelli MED 803A Digiplex electronic ignition system, incorporating a coil, distributor and ignition module to serve each bank of cylinders. All US market examples were fitted with catalytic convertors.


The Chassis
The main European market 308 GTS Quattrovalvole models had a tubular chassis with factory type reference F 105 GS 100, Disc brakes, with independent suspension via wishbones, coil springs, and hydraulic shock absorbers, were provided all round, with front and rear anti roll bars. All models were numbered in the Ferrari odd number road car chassis sequence of the time, with right and left hand drive available.
The model was produced in a total of 3042 examples, over four times as many as the concurrent fixed roof berlinetta, between 1982 and 1985 in the chassis number range 41701 to 59265.

Taken from Ferraris own website.







The nature of the design of the 308, combining elements of the Berlinetta Boxer and the 246 Dino, was of a pure sporting nature. It was strictly a two seater, with no pretence to being anything more.
The biggest surprise concerning the bodywork was the use of fibreglass for the main body shell (the front deck lid was the only exception, being of aluminium). The reasons why this material was chosen has never been divulged by Ferrari, leading to a number of speculations. It was, of course, a weight-saver, and certainly and effective way to prevent the body corrosion which plagued the 365 GTB/4 and 246 Dino (both, like the 308 GTB, designed by Pininfarina but built by Scaglietti). It has also been suggested that the use of fibreglass allowed production of the car to begin much earlier, but was never intended as anything more than a stopgap measure until the dies for steel bodywork could be produced. Finally, it has even been suggested that the first batch of 308 GTB's were in fibreglass so the car could be homologated for competition in that form, with again, a weight advantage. Whatever the reason, there were no complaints about the quality and finish of the fibreglass bodywork which was superb.
Mechanically the 308 GTB was obviously a direct descendant of the 308 GT Dino. The engine was the same 90 V8 with bore and stroke dimensions of 81mm and 71mm, giving a displacement of just under three litres. All main engine castings were of traditional Ferrari light alloy, with cast iron wet cylinder liners. It had four overhead camshafts (two per bank) driven by the toothed belts pioneered on the 365 GT4/BB, two valves per cylinder, and four Weber twin choke carburettors.

The end result, the factory claimed, was 255 horsepower at 7700rpm. It was mounted transversely, just ahead of the rear wheels, and transmitted its power through a five-speed transaxle which was, again, identical to the 308 GT4 Dino's unit except for the higher fifth gear ratio. The clutch was a dry, single plate, mechanically operated unit.
One major change, at least as originally introduced, was the adoption of a dry sump lubrication system for the engine. Finally, a change in the exhaust system resulted in only a single tailpipe, on the left side.
The chassis was also straight from the 308 GT4 Dino, with 210mm missing from the wheelbase giving a total wheelbase dimension of 2340mm. Front and rear suspensions (and the track dimensions of 1460mm each) were also unchanged. Of course, the car had four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes all round. New on the 308 GTB were the wheels, which copied the five-pointed star design of the Daytona but were mounted via five lug bolts.
One final innovation with the 308 GTB distinguished it from the 308 GT4 Dino. Whereas the first 308 had been seen as a continuation of the Dino as a separate marque, with the cars bearing a number of Dino badges and receiving chassis numbers in the even number five digit sequence of the 246, the new 308 carried only Ferrari badges and was numbered in the odd numbered sequence that so far had been reserved for only the 12 cylinder production Ferraris. Whilst fuel injection had been a useful adjunct to performance in its previous applications by Ferrari, its introduction on the 400GT and 308 series cars had been more in the nature of a "civilising" factor with the important by-product of bringing the cars closer to current legislation on exhaust emissions. The resulting decrease in power, though bad enough in Europe was even more telling in the US. Whilst speed limits might stay at unrealistic levels compared to the performance potential of a Ferrari, customers did not take kindly to continuing loss of power, no matter how worthy or otherwise the cause. In a move to restore power, Ferrari decided to introduce 4-valve heads for the 308 series. This came about in the latter part of 1982 shortly before they were seen on the Mondial. By way of identifying the cars the "i" was dropped from the designation at the rear - all the cars were by then fuel injected - in favour of the Italian script "quattrovalvole". It has not so far been shortened to "QV" although that is the way they are generally spoken of.

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