308 GTB that have left Australia in the last few years.

Good riddance

 

Get him to follow it please.

 

I also struggle to be overcome with excitement on the topic of GTB's. It was my first Ferrari and frankly, I was a bit disappointed. I'd had a few less revered cars (BMW, Alfa, etc) that were more fun to drive, if not as beautiful to look at. The 308 didn't make a particularly special noise, wasn't scary fast, didn't turn in sharply and had snap oversteer at the limit. There were trees in the infield at Oran Park circuit that regularly collected the rear ends of 308's in the day.

These things could have been forgiven if they were rare, but they were the ubiquitous Ferrari of the day - at any FCA event making up at least half the cars. I never got tired of looking at it though - a close to perfect piece of design.

Then I drove a 246 and was struck by how much more involving the handling was and how quickly it could cover ground on real world twisty country roads. A few weeks later I owned one. I kept the 308 for another year, until I bought a 365GT2+2, then moved the GTB on without a second of regret.

 

Each to their own of course, but the fact is the 308 is THE ubiquitous Ferrari FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON. Compared to what was on the roads in the earlier 80s it stood out like a spaceship. Most non-ferrari people walk past the whole 330/365 era cars without blinking - sad but true...unfortunately the Magnum effect can't be discounted either.
I've no doubt many of these cars are going to people who have no real interest in the cars, it's just the latest fad.

 

I cannot add to the list sorry but have some further evidence, though I doubt anyone here needs it, of cars going off shore.

I just bought a 308GTSi last week - the seller said he had been contacted by a dealer from the UK who was flying out later in the week to pick up 3 other cars he had bought here (don't know what they were though) and wanted this one and was prepared to pay above asking! Luckily I knew the seller through some old mates and my deal stuck. I have heard from others who have tried to sell me cars about sending cars overseas. So cars are leaving for sure....

EZ

 

It's funny, I think the 308 is a beautiful machine..................but all my car loving mates here think it's an old piece of ****.

When I made mention many years ago to a few of them I would love to buy one, they all said I was an idiot and I should buy something newer.

I don't think the 308 falls into the latest fad category for the rich folk.

I reckon these cars are going to people who actually like and want the car.

 

I'll suggest the reason why the 246 seemed more involving than the 308 GTB is that you had to work so much harder on real world twisty roads. Altough compared to you I've had very little seat time in a 246, my impression was that from a drivers perspective the GTB is simply a much better proposition in every regard, wether it be braking, handling or performance or comfort and aurally a little Fiat V6 is no match for a small alloy V8.....
(I bought a 308 Vetro for all those reasons, after driving and comparing them both )

The 246 is a pretty car and that it part of it's charm, but dynamically it's a step behind the 308 GTB.

I suspect the interest in 308's is that they are still an absolute bargain compared to the 246 Dino, people who simply can't afford a 500 - 700K Dino are buying a 308 instead. Dino is not exactly rare either, 3200 GT/GTS produced compared to 6200 308 carby GTB/GTS

 

Same brakes?

The induction roar and mechanical noise from a 246 makes the 308 sound wheezy

 

It's not you know - you're basing this opinion on a short test drive, not deep experience.

308's had different steering geometry imposed on them by USA tyre blowout rules - that's why they lost the delicious "darty" feel of a 246.

"Work so much harder", sorry but that's BS. The 246 has lighter controls and rotates around you. It does have less torque, so needs to be kept on the boil, but gives you the best induction noise as a reward. The 308 engine has nothing like the noise quality of the 246.

Brakes are the same - both are only good for 3 fast laps of a circuit.

 

Was obviously a dog.

 

16K Kms on the clock when I bought it.

 

Funny you say that.
Years later, in 1997 that GTB dropped a sodium valve when the next owner was trying to sell it.
M

 

another reason 246's are better - no sodium valves and no belts!

 

Tell my brother about Dino valves!!!!!

And Lewis!!!!!

Both dropped valves.

I'm starting to thing your nickname is a misnomer.

 

That means nothing, as you know.

 

With Dino's fetching massive money now, the next in the line of course is the glass GTB, and they will go where the money in the market is. There have been lots of Dino's and GTB's leave our shores in recent times mine being one of them, and I think we are down to 8 for the Daytona's left in the country from the 26 or 28 that were here.
Which is sad, for all of us, as I don't find looking at the modern stuff interesting.

 

Surprised anyone could hear the induction noise over the clatter of a couple of chains.

A lot of other cars (and Ferrari models too ) used sodium filled valves, always surprised me that 308 specifcially seem to have a problem with them.

Interesting reading contemporary road tests of the 308 GTB and their comparisons to the 246...I have yet to find a review that has anything but praise for the GTB.

M

 

Much louderer and better sounding for the driver in RHD cars too due the position of the intake. Louderest with the airbox cover removed, resulted in me being pulled over by the cops

 

Road tests in those days were 100% fawning praise for anything with a Ferrari badge.

I'm simply saying, based on ownership of both models and no current-owner bias, that the 246 is more fun to drive. The glass GTB brought more grunt and only marginally inferior handling, but the steel car was a step towards too much weight plus the beginning of power sapping emission controls. (e.g. it's the difference between a 2.7 Carrera and a 3 litre)

I think the market has got it right in relative terms, 246 1st, glass GTB 2nd, then a long gap to steel GTB's.

 

Idiot

 

Just read in the Mondial section last night that the prices of Mondials in the US are climbing fast.

The dealers in the US are buying Mondials from each other, raising the prices, then re-selling back to other dealers, who are re-listing higher prices again.

Has been done in the past before and sounds like it's the oldest trick in the book.

 

Time to get off the boring topic of V8s and talk about 12cyl cars. This is as good a place as any to stick this



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uO8xRNSUXkg

 

Prices of the various models have always been related to each other with minor variations as models go in and out of favour. In a hot market the competition 12's go first, then the production 12's and then the mass produced V8's etc.

Typically the production cars go:

308 glass is circa 1/2 of 246 Dino price.
246 Dino is 1/2 of Daytona price
Daytona is half of 275 GTB price.
275 GTB/4 is 50% on top of steel 2 cam.

Then you get into the seriously colllectible stuff that is exponentially more expensive.
And up it goes from there.