In the same way, but not necessarily to the same extent, I'm wondering if the value and desirability of the F 308gt4 will improve? I have always said, I don't need to own a Ferrari to enjoy the :smell, looks, engineering, love etc of a Ferrari. For that I go to the Ferrari shows and absolutely indulge myself to complete satisfaction! However....... to DRIVE one, including taking it onto the track ~ I then DO need to own one, for obvious reasons! I have the 308gt4, the only Ferrari in my league, which I love driving! (I could have bought, on a few occasions a "Real Ferrari", i.e. 12 cylinders, namely a 400i). However, I bought my car to enjoy "Driving" it. I did not enjoy driving a "Real 12 cylinder Ferrari" when it was the 400 series compared to my 8 cylinder Ferrari!! (I could not afford the other~real Ferraris). I would still like to buy, in addition, a 550 or similar one day. But also still a stick shift. Thank heaven I will never be able to choose "paddles". I somehow seem to enjoy the older beligerant Enzo style of thinking about the Marque. Mans car! Strong clutch/positive steering/gears shift/piece of string to open the door........lol. However, today it seems as if the "Brand" (previously "Marque"), will do everything and anything that the lovely 'beancounters' tell it to do in order to increase revenue......sad.
Welcome to the forum AD! Re: GT4 Facts: 1. Well balanced. 2. Engine in the right place. 3. Under-appreciated/hated throughout recorded history, going back to Mesopotamia as far as I can tell. 4. Relatively inexpensive to get into. Opinions: 1. History will be kind to the GT4. I believe the car looks better with each passing year. 2. It really looks better with a Dino emblem rather than the silly horse.
Welcome Airdog. Your profile says you are a pilot living in South Africa and that you are into Ferraris, Alfas, and motorcycles. That's a pretty impressive collection you've got a start on! I live in Virginia near Washington DC, so pictures of where you go for a drive in South Africa would be interesting to see. Please post a pic of your LHD rosso rubino 308 GT4, I don't think I've ever seen one in that color. And, I'd also like to see a pic of your 1960 Royal Enfield bike. I own a 1975 Norton Commando, so I'm into classic British bikes.
I have to admit, the GT4 does age pretty well. I still like the 308 series better, but could see a GT4 in the garage at some point. I agree: A Ferrari should be a bit of a challenge to drive. It shouldn't drive as easily as Honda. A Ferrari doesn't need 12 cylinders, but I do think they should have a gated shifter and manual transmission.
If you're asking whether the 308 GT4 will ever be an expensive, sought-after glamour car, the answer is almost certainly no. It doesn't have the curves for that. But, for all the reasons you mention, cars of that era are special in a way the new stuff isn't. In the 1960s, the significant road cars were V12s. But since the 1980s the V8 has really defined Ferrari, from the 288 GTO to the F40 to the F1 racing cars. The recent V12s don't quicken my pulse at all. In a way, the 308 GT4 was a uniquely important car in that it was the first in a line that has come to define Ferrari.
Your probably right, but the GT4 will never be as homely as a 4 headlight 330. And someday it should surpass them in value.
A fellow fchatter Minico has a great looking 308 GT4 that shows up at our local events in the Mid-Atlantic. Love the wheels on his. Not sure what they are exactly, but a nice look to the car. It is getting to be more of a rare sight to see a GT4 in pristine condition. When you see one, they are impressive. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's my $0.02, FWIW..... I think that the popularity of the GT4 will continue to rise and the general public that is interested in Ferraris will come to appreciate the design more and more. Given that, I think that values will rise amongst the nicest GT4's out there as the diehard lovers of the car and collectors who recognize it for what it is will pay a premium for the best example out there, and there are less and less. We will continue to see a fluctuation in prices of average cars like we have over the past 3 or 4 years with prices slowly inching upward.....to where, nobody really knows. It will probablly never reach rock star status, but I think that desirability and values will definetly go up. Look at the recent increase in the number of "buyers" out there who have publically posted on FChat that they want one. Interesting, especially with all the daily doom and gloom talk. JIM
Agreed... I can't recall having EVER seen this many GT4 threads at once in the 3x8 section, let alone the number of "want to buy" threads!
Hey Toggie, thanks for the plug...oh and congrats on the 550! In my opinion the GT4 is perfect in that it gives plenty of room and punch to go along with the unique looks. The sound of the carbs isn't too shabby either.....muahhhhahah.....gotta love the carbs! Oh yeah.....carbs....
Lovin' all the "GT4 threads" ..... Is this a Rubino GT4? Pic taken next to mine prior to a run to AutoItalia meeting at Brooklands, Surrey, UK in 2005. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Maybe its something in the water. I was never very fond of the GT/4, and I suddenly get it. I WANT ONE BAD. Unfortunately, my wife has a list of more pressing items than a second Ferrari right now! They are really bad a$$ though. I love the dash layout, the carbs, and the 4 seats. A perfect compliment to my mondial and a virtual guarantee that , between the two, I will be roundly snubbed by the Ferrari mafia!
like a 400, a 308 gt4 only comes alive when you see it moving. 'stills' do it no justice...but it looks killer in motion...and a 400 is even better.
There's 2 sides to it -- one, the really nice ones will hold value, and offer a great concourse-bang-for-the-buck. On the other side, the sad ones are dropping into the pocket change category, and those too have buyers who just want on the Ferrari ladder. Nothing wrong with that -- hell, I wish I had bought that $6000 74 back in 2004 The Seattle car and the Ogden car are good examples of cars that Bullfighter and his ilk won't touch, but that me and my type will rescue just for the fun of it. The GT4 doesn't photograph well, but it look great in real life. I'm still waiting to drive one Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
HEY, that's ONE HOT GT4~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JIM
It is SO VERY tempting to rescue a GT4 right now!!! It would be fun to have a 2nd one as a 'project' car. "Honey....we gotta talk..........." JIM
I've always loved the GT4s. I would love to own one. They are superb driving cars, with a longer wheelbase than a GTB or GTS. I want to rescue one too!
I want another F too but my wife is owed a new kitchen first While I'm not fond of the styling (I guess my water remains untainted!) this is what I like about the GT4.
Well, if you haven't, here's an old vid I made when I was selling s/n 10340 which, at the time, belonged to a friend of mine who had purchased it from me a couple of years earlier... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHkrmHi9bNw
Negative. I'm weary even if given the opportunity (none local of which I'm aware) since once I get hooked into something I don't let go until it's mine
I think the desirability and value of the GT4 will improve. The car was not popular at launch, largely due to looks. It was in every other respect an improvement over it's predecessor. The GT4's looks have now achieved 'cult status', it remains an extremely good car to drive and is the next rarest of old Ferraris.
I've driven Jim's 308GT4 and it is INCREDIBLE. That car is such a purpose-built entity. It's right up there with my carbed 308GTB and better than my Mondial QV. And I have to admit, the body style is fantastic - but I have always liked Bertone designs, especially in bright collors (red, yellow, etc.). They don't look like sexy Italian women, as the Pinninfarinas do. They look more like sexy women designed by computers.
