I TOTALLY agree and said that exact same thing in the Boxer section last month. When you compare a good Boxer vs a good Dino, there is no justification for the price difference. The boxer should be 50% more than whatever a similar Dino is. If there's a knock against the Boxer it's the federalization bit and the maintenance costs of owning one. The Dino is a really cheap car to own and maintain and pretty reliable (it's a simple car at heart and the engine is really bullet proof). There is a "Dino" mystique. I think it's because more people knew about them when they were sold in the 70's.
i love the injected BB512,,and i agree that its definetly better than a Dino,,,i could only wish that i could get one for what a decent 328 would go for today...never happen,,lol...i saw an 85 silver on red 512 BBi at Heritage Classics on santa monica blvd about 3 or 4 years ago,,it was beautiful,,!!! they were asking 100,000...the owner of ...oh the name escapes me,,the Ferrari dealer in calabasas ., off the 101. was storing his BBi at fast cars,,,it was all restored as well, the interior was brand new,, stunning !!,,silver on red if i remember correctly,,,that would be the color combo i would get...the only drawback i see ..reguarding the boxer..is its top heavy handling ., due to the motor being on top of the transmission....just like the testarossa...i dont believe the testarossas handling suffered as much because of the engine configuration...our 328 s would outhandle a boxer in the canyons..
We live in a era of fantastic value. We just don't know it yet. Even recent cars are a terrific value. When you look at what you get with a 10 year old, low mileage, well maintained 360, it's shocking how much sports car you get for the money asked. I'm not saying that prices will go up. I'm saying that for your dollar, you can get a lot of car now adays.
i like what you said....im hoping that..maybe...just maybe...i can forget about getting a 355,,and go straight after a 430...if what you say about 360 s (im not a fan of the 360 lol..no disrespect )...will someday apply to 430 s...i guess we will all have to see...i guess we will all have to see if we even have a country left..after whats been going on with the idiots who are in power,,,lol...
awesome post. I too think Dinos are "pretty", but thats about it. Hell I am glad they made " too many " 308/328's , as that keeps them affordable and enough cars to part out to keep others alive. i would rather buy other things than sink all that $$ into a "old Dino". Little v6 and 1960's steering and brakes for bluechip money makes no sense.
I know, this market is nuts. i had a euro spec Dino 208GT4 up to a few months ago. Nice car overall, they made 84 in 1978, the year mine was from. Sold the car for $18,000. Car was pretty, did not make many, yet they are not worth much. Just like Lambo Uraccos and Jalpas- they made more Miuras than either of those too.
thats the truth,,,,,,anyways....i was also thinking,,,maybe getting out of the mid engine Ferrari game,,,ill always have my 328...maybe,,,just maybe,,,a V12 will be in my future,,,the 550 / 575 s draw my addiciton to Ferreri s right out,,,!!!!!
As an owner of a 72 Dino and an 86 328, the Dino stops traffic, my 328 doesn't. The Dino gets invited to special events, my 328 doesn't. At a recent car show, the Dino attracted considerably more attention than many of the cars present, especially the 308's and 328's. When both of my cars are present at an event, I'll spend 100% of my free time answering questions about the Dino, hardly ever the 328. (My wife drives the Dino, I have to drive the 328 to the events. Its a small price to pay but I'm blessed with a wife that loves Ferraris). I have numerous offers to sell the Dino for ridiculous amounts of money, none for my 328. (When I'm a little older I may take someone up on one of the offers). That said the 328 is a much better car and when standing alone is a great looking vehicle. But the voluptuous styling of the Dino gets peoples hearts racing. At least that's my opinion. In an old book, Ferrari, Design of a Legend, The Official History and Catalog, 1990: Sergio Pininfarina states on mid page 77, "For me the DINO is still the most important car designed by Pininfarina..." Maybe that has something to do with the value.
It looks better NOW, but it didn't in 1985. I know -- I owned one then and everyone wanted and adored the 308. The Dino was just "old". My point -- fashion changes over time.
Car in question is a Chairs and Flares car so a premium added. Still, I don't get it either. Maybe the cost to restore presumably being less than the V-12 cars mentioned and I understand they are more rare but still $150-250k? I have to think these cars have reached their ceiling and will go down in the future but what do I know? Just seems these are $100k cars give or take.
I think an interesting speculation is what will it take for 308s to make a real move upward in values. This isn't to say that it will ever occur like has occurred to the 246 and Daytonas. People keep wondering when this is going to happen for the 365 GTC/4, Boxers and 365 GT/4. My opinion is that there are going to have to be a few 308s that are restored to perfection and then bring a price that reflects a good percentage of that cost. Another element in the (hoped for) move upward will be further upward movement in the alternatives so that next down the rung becomes desirable. This occurred in the past with the 250 Pf coupes, 250 GTEs and even the 330 GTs. As the other V12s got out of range an appreciation of the reasonably priced alternatives came about. In these cases another element was how many were destroyed for recreations plays into. This does raise the possibility that if it were discovered that the quantity of surviving 308s is much smaller than thought then the perceived scarcity might play into the desire quotient. Or do we need to wait for those that were 10 years old when Magnum was on to reach 50 before the generational thing comes about? Jeff
The market value of the 308 is guaranteed to soar. Why? I've bought one. However, you'll have to wait until I sell mine- then the prices will go crazy. How do I know? Well, I bought my Austin Healey 3000 years ago for $3000. I sold it for $6000 a few years later. Now they are $50,000 cars and I feel like a big dummy for selling it. And I bought a Series 1 E-Type after that for $6500.00. I sold it for $8000 a few years later. Now they are $75,000 cars and I feel like a big dummy for selling it. And I bought a Porsche 356 Super 90 Roadster after that for $17,500.00. I sold it for $26,500.00 a few years later. Now they are $150,000.00 cars and I feel like a big dummy for selling it. I just bought my 308 in January and haven't sold it yet. But just wait. History repeats itself until the lesson is learned. Signed, A Big Dummy
The 206 Dino coupes are the ones that should actually be or, would, at least, be "palatable", at the current prices for 246 Dinos. They made FAR fewer 206 Dinos, they were the original road-going design and the first mid-engine road Ferrari, and have the cool all aluminum bodies.
Fascinating post and loads of good stuff but I think you are all missing something. The people who are buying over priced Dinos are not buying them to drive. They are buying them to look at, show their friends, polish, admire, keep, love and then, a few years later, sell for a big profit. Its all about that perception.
I think it has to do with this that 246s are investment grade cars. Sometimes ago I bought a $600 Seiko watch and just one year later I sold the darned watch for 2000 bucks, the buyer must have thought that he would make a profit from the same watch later, it was some kind of investment for him To me the 3x8 is just as beautiful as the 246. Image the 3x8 was a 100K car, how many us of could actually afford one??? So in a way it's a blessing that 3x8 is still affordable for the time being.
You hit the nail on the head. Bdelp's and others' comments are all true and important, but I see this as central to the supply and demand. Don't forget, too, that there are fewer Gen-Xers than boomers, and that cars are not the romantic symbols of freedom for Xers as they are for many boomers. Gen-Xers are raising families and paying mortgages right now, whereas the boomers are empty nesters earning significantly more and have significant savings. And then you have baby boomers like Martin and Sheehan saying, over and over again in 'authoritative' collector magazines, how great the Dino is and how the 308 will never become collectible, which helps to ensure that those who can't think for themselves will perpetuate the status quo. As long as the collector car market is dominated by baby boomers (as it is now), the prevailing "knowledge" and the prices of classic cars will reflect boomer interests and sensibilities.
The Dino 246 is to the 308 what a Porsche Speedster is to the 356C. Look at them side by side; the difference is apparent. The Dino, regardless of badging, reeks of old school "Ferrari"; like a street version of a race car, while the 308 looks like a production car stylized from race car lines. In the serious collector market, design originality is important. I think 308 values will rise, but will always be a fraction of Dino 246 values. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Also the 246 predates bumper, door beam and most of the emission regulations that the 308 had to increasingly contend with during its lifespan. Jeff
As a former Dino owner, I think I have some skin in this game. The Dino is iconic. It's made several "ten best ever" design lists in car mags and online. In person, next to a 308, the comparison is remarkable. The 308 is all sharp edges, the 246GT is all curves. No, it's not lightening quick, maybe a just under 7 second zero to 60 time. It is a beautifully balanced car, very nimble, and a treat to drive anytime the ambient temperature is below 85 degrees. It's not modern, but it does give you a visceral car feeling that the modern cars completely lack. Carbs and exhaust burbling just behind your head, with an exhaust note that come as close to a race car from that era of any I've heard. Additionally, it's supply and demand. Look at ebay. Right now 20 308s for sale, 6 more 328s. 246GT or GTS? None. Now, how about Saturday cars and coffee? We get 20-30 cars. How many Dinos? We occasionally have 1 show up. 308 series cars? 5 or 6 max, always at least a couple there. It's supply and demand, combined with the aura of a Dino. Would I drive a 308? Sure, and frankly, they're a steal in my mind. But, would I get a big a thrill as I did each time I hopped into my Dino? Dunno, but I don't think so. Current market price? 246 GT in great condition? about $150K, GTS? add $40K, maybe more. Concours winner is gonna cost you a bit more. Fair? Maybe not. But is $17MM really a reasonable price for a 250GTO? Nah, but as long as folks will pay that, it's the market rate. DM
Well I can debunk that one. I bought my 246GT last October and have invested pretty much a third of the purchase price again into restoring it for regular road use. It had sat in a private collection for 6 or 7 years and barely turned a wheel before I bought it and was looking a bit tired. It's now looking great, runs extremely sweetly after an overhaul and regular use and is great fun to drive. It draws far more positive attention than the other modern F cars I own/have previously owned and I've taken it along to a few events already. l can honestly say I would sell any of my other Ferraris before parting with it.
the Dino is simply a prettier car, and has all the old-school 60s style (yes, I know it's a 70s ride, but still...) Sometime in 02/03 I had a chance to buy a beat but original driver for 50K and passed on it. Still kicking myself. Not because I missed the run-up, but because now I cannot justify the costs of one and thus won't ever own one. I love my 328 and it's the better car, but there's simply no comparison in style. Once sports cars are old and slow, it's all about the style.
