How many 1989 328's?

ABS was an option beginning with 76626 but not in the US. However, all 89 MY US cars (many of which were built in 88) have ABS. This is not rue for all markets however. The 6068 you quote is just GTS's. There are also 1000 or so GTBs though perhaps only 125-150 of these made it to the US. After many years of research, I've concluded that 35-40 89 GTBs were sold in the US. I would estimate 500-600 GTS's.

Dave

 

At the risk of repeating myself, as I have already posted these numbers yesterday in the "328 GTB Registry" thread...

According to Dirk-Michael Conradt, in his book "Autos, die Geschichte machten" (Motorbuch Verlag, 1990) (You guessed it, it is in german...) the production numbers by calendar year - i.e, from jan. 1st to dec.31st, were:

328 Berlinettas (= GTB)
1985: 53 / 1986: 373 / 1987: 335 / 1988: 334 / 1989: 249. Total 328 GTB built: 1344

328 Spiders (= GTS)
1985: 550 / 1986: 1467 / 1987: 1414 / 1988: 1548 / 1989: 1089. Total 328 GTS built: 6068

Admitting that the change in production between "serie 1" (concave wheels) and "serie 2" ("bulged wheels" & modifed supsension) took place at about the end of april 1988 (this is what I have in mind, but perhaps someone does know better?) then we can consider by extrapolating the 1988 figures (= eigth months of this year of production were "bulged wheels" car) that a total of about (more or less, give and take, etc...) 470 Berlinettas were produced with bulged wheels, and about 2120 spiders.

I don't have the details, among these cars, between those that were built with ABS, and those without; but having had a look at old period magazines, I can attest that at least in 1988, ABS was not standard, but an option here in France.
The cost of the ABS option was 16,000 francs (the list of other options were: add the roof spoiler -that was standard for US cars I believe- you had to pay 2,720 francs...for air conditioning, 13,600 francs...leather dashboard, 7,400 francs..."parcelshelf" and roof liner in leather, 4,800 francs..the Schedoni luggage set, 12,400 francs...metalised paint, 6,400 francs. And that's all the options I have on the list)

Both of my cars (a 328 GTB and a 328 GTS) are 1989, and both have ABS; on the order's summary for the GTB, which is an April 1989 car, ABS is not mentioned as an option, which would confirm that, at this date, ABS was standard on 328s here in France (Europe?).

For those interested, the aforementionned book also gives numbers, year by year, for the production of all 308 versions, and for the Mondial.
I have no way of verification or cross-checking, and therefore cannot attest for the accuracy of the numbers provided in this book. Hope this will be of some interest to some of you guys.
All the Best

 

Thank you for posting that, very good info.

I will look for the book on Amazon, and if its not a fortune, i may buy it !

 

Carreaper,

You can find this book from time to time (not very often, I am afraid..) on E-Bay Germany. Its full title is:
Autos, die Geschichte machten, "Ferrari 308/328 GTB/GTS" by Dirk-Michael Conradt, Motorbuch Verlag (Stuttgart,1990).

Once again, its language is German...

I would not qualify it as a "bible", or "the" book about 308/328; but it has an interesting section of figures ("annexes") of about twenty pages which includes summaries of all period road tests of the cars done by the main car magazines, european and american, with measured figures including actual mesured weights, and that makes for very interesting figures! (and a lot of discussion...)

But be forewarned: even if it is a small book, it usually goes to about a hundred euros in auctions on E-Bay, sometimes more (a hundred euros would convert to about 140 U$...)

Best,

 

Thanks for posting the number, it's interesting to see there was less '89 328 than the previous years (except '85), I remembered '89 was one of the Ferrari boom years when the demand for Ferrari was strong.

 

Ken,

The "small" number of 328 cars produced in 1989 is due to the fact that the 348 replaced the 328 on the assembly line in the factory in september that year; the 328 assembly line closed for good at the end of september 1989; the very last 328 produced was a Spider (i.e, GTS) which left the factory in september, c/n 83136; according to my small archives, it was a swiss market car. Again, no warranty on this.
The production of the Berlinetta (= GTB) stopped a month before.

For those among you chasing the " bulged wheels " cars (Hardtop Dave, Mike996 among others...) I maybe able to narrow down the numbers by substracting the Right-Hand Drive cars. I know that I have noted the numbers of Right-Hand Drive cars with bulged wheels on a piece of paper...somewhere?? I must have a look...perhaps someone in the U.K maybe of some help! (or Japan...RHD cars were for Japan - and South African markets also! Anybody having any information about Japanese 328? That's a tall order!)
More news and numbers to come IF I can found that "piece of paper"...

Best,

 

Great information! Thanks!

 

thank you, I did look and could not find it. I have a good 308 library, but could not justify paying that for a book in a language I cannot read. Good info to know, thank you again.

 

My car is 76713 (has the convex wheels and updated suspension, etc.) and the door plate says it was manufactured in March 1988. So if the first car of the updated models is 76626 and the numbers are sequential for 328's then 76626 was manufactured maybe in February 1988 or maybe January 1988? Or no more than 87 cars before mine, it would seem.

 

Thanks,I'm learning so much about my Swiss market 89-GTB.

 

with all due precautions, etc...as I cannot cross-check the figures to verify, what I have is:

Among the total of 1344 GTBs, 130 were Right-Hand Drive cars; and inside this group of 130 right-hand drive GTB, 53 were delivered with ABS

Among the total of 6068 GTS, 542 were Right-Hand Drive cars; and 292 RHD GTS were delivered with ABS.

Other snipets of information:
The last GTB imported in the UK should be 82734.
The last GTB imported in the US should be 82906
The last GTB produced is 83017.

The last GTS imported in the USA should be 82960 (a source states 82965, but according to my documentation this is a RHD U.K Car, so how could it be in the US?)
The last GTS imported in the UK should be 83092
The last GTS and last 328 built is 83136.

Should somebody be able to correct me, please do so.

To Jeff328: thanks a lot for informing us that 76713 was manufactured in March 1988.
It would be helpful for cross-checking IF the european cars had a manufacturing date on any plate (they don't!)

To Ken: I have to add that, at least here in Europe (I don't know about the US...) a sizeable numbers of those late production 328 were probably bought as an investment; remember, it was the year that followed Enzo Ferrari's death, and everyone was thinking that everycar with the prancing horse should reach stratospheric values.

I have found at least four interesting examples lately of such 328 (on public sources, Internet, etc):
81143, a Swiss GTB (color stated as "dark metallic gray"??) sold in 2005 with 800 kms on the odo (about 500 miles)
81327, a belgian GTS (Argento / Rosso) sold by Bonhams at reims, France, in Sept.2009 for 82,665 U$ with 5866 kms on the odo (converts to about 3500 miles)
82112, a french GTB (Rosso Corsa/Black leather/Red rugs) sold in Paris in 2010 (date not verified) with 150 kms on the odo (about 90 miles). probably never road-registered.
83116, a swiss GTS (Rosso Corsa/Beige) stored immediately by its new owner after having bought it, never road registered. Sold by Bonhams in 2007 with 99 kms on the odo (about 60 miles)

Best,

 

Chassis 81327 was mentioned in this Sport Car Market article:

http://www.sportscarmarket.com/car-reviews/ferrari/2417-1989-ferrari-328-gts-targa

 

And, just for the sake of it, 82112 sold with 150 kms (more or less 90 miles) on the odo
(the text is in english even if the car was sold in Paris; click on the pictures for a better look)

This is what I call myself the "standard continental color scheme" for late 328 models; it seems that at least half of the cars in Italy, France, Belgium, Germany were ordered in Rosso Corsa / Black Leather / Red rugs.
In the U.K, they preferred the "Crema" leather, that they usually call "Magnolia".

Better have some money in reserve for such a car if the customer intends to put her back on the road...lots of hoses, gaskets, springs, etc...to check and change. Oh, and the belts, of course...

http://www.fa-automobile.com/detail-vente.php?langue=an&id=6&v=672

 

I have a Swiss -89 GTB, 82 205 which is supposed to be one of the last produced GTB's with a production date of july -89. It does not have ABS. The car was sold to its first owner in March -90. So I guess I have one of very few that were NOT sold in the 80s!.
I live in Sweden and I do know that the Swedish sold cars had ABS as standard.

 

Hello Frederik,

Now that's interesting! It would tend to prove that, at least for some countries, ABS still was an option in 1989. Most probably, being swiss, your car has a cat(alysator)?
As for its place in the production line, 83017 is the last "berlinetta" built; so your car, being 82205, is probably among the last 50 "b" produced. What I can definitively state is that I have at least fifteen confirmed numbers for "B"s between 82205 and 83017.
The delay between its production date and its sales is rather long, I wonder why? Perhaps everybody was focused on the new 348?
My GTB was produced in April 89 and on the road with its registration on May 17th; the GTS was produced end February 89 and road registered on May 18th.

Best,

 

Please excuse the stupid question......where on a euro spec 328 would I find the date of manufacture?
There are many "information badges" all over - but I must be missing something.

 

No Bruno, you are not missing anything: the date of manufacture is nowhere to be seen on a euro spec 328; only the North American market cars have it stamped on a plate on the door pillar.
For the rest of us, there are two solutions: compare the construction number of your car with other numbers that are bracketing it and with known construction date, and that gives you usually the month of production; or, if you are registered on ferrari.com, then ask the factory (excuse me: The Factory); they can give you the precise day/month/year.

Best,

 

Please note that the RHD figures originate from publications by Maranello Concessionaires (the UK importer at the time). They relate only to UK RHD cars and not RHD cars worldwide. This is frequently a source of confusion where the UK numbers are repeated as if for all RHD cars. Remember that 1/3 of the countries in the world use RHD. In particular, in relation to Ferraris, Austrialia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore etc. Japan is RHD but takes LHD Ferraris.

Jonathan

 

Jonathan,

Thanks a lot for those precisions but...

For the GTBs (Berlinettas), what I have exactly in my notes is:
130 Right Hand Drive...then a scribble by myself: "130 confirmed, of which 110 where for the U.K (?), 20(?) for the others RHD countries"
When I write something like this, it means that I have found the information from only one reputable source, but have been unable to cross-check and therefore usually keep it for myself until being able to cross-check.
Could you shed a light on this supposed repartition for the Berlinettas: "RHD: 130, then: U.K 110, rest of the world 20"?

For the GTS, you must be right: 542 should be for the U.K; rapported to the total, it makes sense.

And, to disclose another NON-CONFIRMED information I have for the 328: I have written another note: "Australia has 152 cars total (?)": does it make sense to you?

Thanks

 

Well the official figure for UK-supplied 328 GTBs is certainly 130 and for GTS' is certainly 542 (I have the Maranello Concessionaires literature in front of me). I am not aware of any official figures for other RHD countries. I have about 25 GTBs that I think went new to Hong Kong or Singapore. I don't really have any idea for South Africa or Australia. Basically, the UK gets the largest share of RHD, then Australia (152 seems like a possible sort of number).

Jonathan

 

Thanks for the precisions, Jonathan; it certainly helps to precise the picture.
As for a general perspective, what I have is that in the eighties, the first markets for Ferrari were North America with about 27% of the sales, then Italy with about 11%, then U.K, France and Germany with about 7% each.

Perhaps somebody will chime in with some informations about the 328s in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand...and Japan (I am sure someone in Japan is collecting this information!)
Any solid information on whatever market or country is always most welcome. Not only it is difficult to find figures with a reasonable probability of these being the exact numbers, but we must also be sure of what they mean: are these numbers of cars produced for a specific market; sold in a specific country...

And of course, it is does not mean a lot as for how many of these cars remains today...a lot of these have been reimported: my GTS in a german car imported in France eleven year after its first sale in Germany; I saw two US GTBs in European ads since the beginning of the year (one in France, the other in Germany...) US GTS in Europe are a-plenty...

Thanks.

 

Here in Toronto/Canada I have a euro 1989GTB red/tan originally a Swiss car imported to Canada #79603.

 

Hi Rocco,

Nice of you to join the discussion...if of swiss origin, then your car must have a cat(alysator) and also a small outlet for headlamp washing water in front of each? (which were peculiar to the swedish and swiss market)?

 

Yes one cat,I don't think I have the headlamp washing small outlet but I will check when I get home.