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This matching number was originally ordered by the then Dino agents Sytner of Nottingham on 14th November 1975.This was acknowledged by the Ferrari factory who confirmed order F/025 on 1st December 1975.Sytner were relinquishing the Dino franchise and Coopers of Leicester were taking over in 1976. Therefore, the order was transferred Dick Lovett (Specialist Cars) Ltd Ferrari agents in Wiltshire ordered the same specification car on 4th December 1975 noting it as being for stock. Completed in April 1976 and finished in Argento Auteuil metallizato 106-E-1 with blue VM3015 hide with blue carpets. Optioned with the then only factory option available for a 308 other than metallic paint-air conditioning. The car was invoiced by the factory on 17th May 1976 for delivery to Maranello Concessionaires Ltd in Thorpe Surrey by truck-one of 154 fibreglass cars officially imported of which 79 remain taxed/SORN’d and one of just eight silver grey examples The car was invoiced by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd to Dick Lovett (Specialist Cars) Ltd on 8th July 1976. Apparently purchased by 44-year-old Mr M H* of The Midlands who had previously bought a new Dino 246 GT #07420 in March 1974 (source H&H auction October 2019) from Dick Lovett and who registered it *** ** on 8th July 1976.This would appear to be the second of seven Ferrari’s he was to own. The then list price £10,500.83 plus delivery charges, number plates and road tax. Air conditioning adding £374.40 and metallic paint £152.10.............

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The car has benefitted from much money being recently spent which has included replacement of the sodium filled exhaust valves. A dry sump fibreglass car-Australian specification cars were wet sump. This would seem to be -by chassis number-the 18th of the 154 cars officially imported. The car is complete with a period correct replacement service and handbook, original factory order and invoices, photograph of the car in the museum as well Bonhams auction invoice and our invoices for the work. A sticker in the rear window which in the car when it was repatriated suggests that the car was rust protected by a Danish product called PAVA before it left for Japan.

PLEASE CONTACT MIKE WHEELER FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ARRANGE VIEWING

The 308 GTB made its debut at the Paris and London shows in 1975. Built to a Pininfarina design by Scaglietti, it retained the 308 GT4′s V8, albeit with dry sump lubrication. The latter made for lower engine mounting and better cooling thanks to the fact that more oil was present. The first models boasted fibreglass coachwork.

The long awaited replacement for the Dino 246 GT model made its inaugural appearance at the 1975 Paris Salon. The Pininfarina designed body had a pronounced wedge profile, with a rectangular egg-crate aluminium radiator grille below a slim full width satin black front bumper. However, there were numerous key design elements of the Dino 246 GT carried through into the body details. These included the scalloped door intakes, twin circular rear light assemblies, and the vertical concave rear screen bounded by buttressed sail panels. In essence the shape was a modernisation of that of the Dino, with enough traces of its predecessor to provide a thread of continuity, earning praise from the press and clients alike.
The Body
One feature that was not immediately apparent, was that the 308 GTB was fitted with a totally fibreglass body, apart from the aluminium front lid. This was the first Ferrari production car to feature fibreglass as a body material, and in fact the idea has not been repeated by the company in large volume production. However, individual fibreglass panels have been used on a large number of cars from then until now, particularly for the front and rear valances and nose sections. Although the standard of finish was very high, a return to the more traditional pressed steel and aluminium happened in late 1976 for USA cars, and around mid 1977 for European models.
The simplest way to identify a fibreglass bodied car, is to see if there is an indent line between the front screen pillar and roof panel. If there is one, then the body is fibreglass.
USA market cars can be identified by heavier bumper assemblies, and rectangular side marker lights on the wings.
An optional deep front spoiler became available during 1977, which like the standard shallow spoiler was a fibreglass moulding. Like the Dino series, a luggage compartment was provided in the tail of the car behind the engine bay. On the 308 GTB it was accessed by lifting the entire engine cover, which revealed a zip top compartment, whereas the Dino models had a separate lid for the luggage area.
The main European market 308 GTB models had a tubular chassis with factory type reference F 106 AB 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, with both right and left hand drive available.
Production ran from 1975 through to 1980, during which time 2897 examples were produced in the chassis number range 18677 to 34349.


The Engine
The transversely mid-mounted aluminium V8 engine was essentially of the same design as that used in the 308 GT4 model.
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, bearing factory type reference F 106 AB 000 for European market cars.
The engine was coupled in unit with the all synchromesh five speed transmission assembly, which was below, and to the rear of the engine’s sump. It was fitted with a bank of four twin choke Weber 40 DCNF carburettors, mounted in the centre of the vee, the exact specification of which depended upon the market.
European cars were fitted with dry sump lubrication, whereas Australian, Japanese and USA examples retained the wet sump lubrication system used on the 308 GT4. The claimed power output was 255bhp for European market models, and 240bhp for US market examples which were fitted with power sapping emission control equipment.
A sports exhaust system, and high compression pistons plus high lift camshaft became available as an option.
The 308 GTB was developed into a successful rally car by Michelotto in Padova. Apart from many successes in privateer’s hands in national rallies in Italy, there was also success on the international stage courtesy of the Pozzi Ferrari France team and their most successful driver Jean-Claude Andruet. They had back to back wins in the Tour de France Auto in 1981 and 1982, along with a number of other victories including the 1981 Targa Florio.
Taken from Ferrari's 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 have 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.



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