Order number S/179 was placed with the factory by the managing director of Maranello Concessionaires Ltd on 1 November 1979 for an Azzurro Metallizzato (light metallic blue) Ferrari 308 GTS with blue hide (VM3282), blue carpets, 7½-inch wide wheels, and air conditioning. In addition to the metallic paint, the car was completed and invoiced by the Ferrari factory on 4 January 1980 for delivery to the UK by truck-one of  184 officially imported of which 112 remain taxed/SORN’d.

Upon its arrival in the UK, Maranello Concessionaires Ltd invoiced their Ferrari agents in Brighton, Brighton Car Concessionaires, on 6 March 1980. The list price was £20,999.77, plus delivery charges, number plates, and road tax. Air conditioning cost an additional £747.50, while the 7½-inch wide wheels and metallic paint each added £347.59.

According to the marketing form, the car was purchased by a 42-year-old stockbroker from Guildford, Surrey, who part-exchanged an Alfa Romeo. It was first registered as FAP 68V on 12 March 1980.

The car was later acquired by the Surrey Ferrari agents, Modena Engineering, and sold to its second owner on 8 March 1985 with 33,615 miles recorded, for £17,725, with a Jaguar E-Type taken in part exchange.

The second owner retained the car until 1996, when it was purchased by a 47-year-old company director on 21 September 1996. During this ownership, the car underwent a comprehensive restoration, including a bare-metal respray from its original Azzurro metallizzato to red by Greenspeed Autostylists of Essex. The interior was also retrimmed in black hide with dark red inserts. The carpets were replaced with red Wilton wool carpets in June 2007, and the seats were retrimmed by Trimstar of Essex in black hide with dark red inserts in February 2008. The DVLA was notified of the exterior colour change on 23 June 2000.

The next registered owner, a 47-year-old managing director from Norfolk, acquired the car on 29 May 2009. After approximately six months, it was sold on 11 November 2009 to a 49-year-old company director from Suffolk, who entrusted its maintenance to marque specialist Grimaldi.

The car was purchased by its most recent owner, a 49 year old golf professional from Cheshire, on 17 July 2025 from respected marque specialists Nick Cartwright. Earlier this year, John Pogson Italia Autosport retrimmed the dashboard and centre console, overhauled the front shock absorbers, and carried out additional work totalling just under £20,000.

The car is complete with its original factory wallet, service book, owner's handbook, a large history file containing past invoices and MOT certificates, together with its original tool kit. Being a 1980 model the car benefits from hydraulic engine cover supports and a cigar rather than cigarette lighter. Unusually the clock adjuster is unbroken!

The accompanying service history demonstrates an exceptionally well-maintained Ferrari 308 GTS, with servicing carried out throughout its life by many of the UK's best-known Ferrari dealers and marque specialists.

The car received its initial running-in services exactly as recommended by Ferrari, with the 350–500-mile service completed on 20 March 1980 at 602 miles, followed by the 1,250–1,550-mile service on 10 April 1980 at 1,866 miles. During its early years, the car was maintained alternately by Brighton Car Concessionaires, Maranello Concessionaires and Modena Engineering, reflecting regular use and conscientious maintenance.

Between 1980 and 1985 the car covered approximately 33,600 miles, averaging around 6,700 miles per year. Servicing during this period closely followed Ferrari's recommended mileage schedule, culminating in a pre-sale inspection by Modena Engineering on 23 March 1985 at 33,615 miles.

A discrepancy appears with the subsequent 34,000-mile service recorded on 29 August 1985 at 32,703 miles. This mileage is lower than that recorded during the pre-sale inspection and is almost certainly a clerical recording error, as the surrounding service history and mileage progression remain entirely consistent.

From 1985 onwards the annual mileage reduced significantly. By June 1990 the odometer stood at just 40,700 miles, indicating the car had covered only around 7,000 miles over the preceding five years.

Throughout the 1990s the servicing continued with respected specialists including Modena Engineering, Symbol Classics, Loxwoods, Lancaster and later Grimaldi Engineering. Although several recorded mileages (42,252, 59,994, 62,491, 64,291, 66,673, 69,563, 70,475, 70,483 and 70,731 miles) are marked with an asterisk, denoting camshaft drive belt replacement and valve clearances.

A comprehensive bare-metal repaint was completed by Greenspeed in June 2000, after which the car continued to receive regular annual servicing by Lancaster, despite often covering fewer than 2,000 miles between visits. This pattern demonstrates maintenance based on both time and mileage rather than mileage alone.

Following acquisition by a subsequent owner in 2009, servicing passed to Grimaldi Engineering before moving to Simon Furlonger, Nick Cartwright, Car Tech, Dave Walton and, most recently, Italia Autosport. These names represent some of the most highly regarded independent Ferrari specialists in the UK.

The mileage accumulation slowed markedly during the last fifteen years. Between November 2010 (66,673 miles) and July 2025 (70,731 miles), the car covered just over 4,000 miles, averaging fewer than 300 miles per year. Nevertheless, servicing remained consistent, demonstrating that maintenance was undertaken regardless of annual usage.

The latest documented work includes a 3,000-mile service by Nick Cartwright on 11 July 2025 at 70,731 miles, followed by replacement tyres and further work by Italia Autosport on 10 April 2026 at 71,628 miles.

Overall, the service history is both comprehensive and reassuring. It records continuous maintenance from new, predominantly by official Ferrari dealers during the early years and leading Ferrari specialists thereafter. Apart from one apparent clerical mileage error in 1985, the mileage chronology is logical and consistent, reflecting careful ownership and long-term preservation rather than prolonged inactivity.

History: The pleasure of open top driving has a very special place in the heart of many Ferrari fans. The 308 GTS was developed in collaboration with Pininfarina in 1977 to help make that dream come true. When not in use, its Targa hard-top could be stored neatly away behind the seats. The chassis was specially reinforced to compensate for the lack of a full roof. Performance was similar to that of the 308 GTB.

The 308 GTS joined the Ferrari model range at the 1977 Frankfurt Salon. Visually it was very similar to its 308 GTB berlinetta stable mate, apart from the black finished solid removable glass-fibre roof panel, and the satin black finished hinged opening louvre panels over the rear quarter windows. They were hinged to permit cleaning of the rear quarter glass, and the one on the left side also gave access to the fuel filler cap, and both were lockable. The “S” in the model title stood for “Spider”, although as with the Dino 246 GTS, the spider title was a degree of artistic license, as it was in fact a targa top, with a roof panel that could be stowed behind the seats for open air motoring. As on the 308 GTB, a luggage compartment was provided in the tail of the car behind the engine bay, accessed by lifting the entire engine bay cover, which revealed a zip top luggage compartment at the rear. As with the 308 GTB berlinetta an optional deep front spoiler was available, as was the sports exhaust system, and high compression piston plus high lift camshaft package. A further option was 16″ wheels fitted with Pirelli P7 low profile tyres.

The 308 GTS featured a steel body with an aluminium front lid, whilst USA market cars can be identified by heavier bumper assemblies, and rectangular side marker lights on the wings. The main European market 308 GTS models had a tubular steel chassis with factory type reference F 106 AS 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 right and left hand drive available. Production ran from 1977 to 1980 in the chassis number range 22619 to 34501, during which time 3219 examples were produced, around 50% more than the concurrent 308 GTB model.

The V8 engine was identical to that used in the concurrent 308 GTB model, being 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 transversely mounted 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 depending upon the market, and power output was in the order of 255bhp. European market cars were fitted with dry sump lubrication, whereas Australian, Japanese and USA market examples had wet sump lubrication.

Taken from Ferrari's own website

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