Really enjoyed your post. I agree, and in summary: I bought 7 308s because its what i wanted. The cheapest was the 78GTS for $9500.00 from an F-Chatter. The rest have all been purchased for around / under $25,000. Bang for the buck fun car. I did not like my Lotus Esprit. My 3 Lamborghini's were a disappointment. I have a new love for 84-89 911's , having had 6 of them so far. There are a few other cars i want, but none of them are cheap. I will own a Maserati Granturismo. After they get done depreciating more (2013) or so. So if prices rise, I would rather buy something else, be it a turbo 930, a GT40 kit car ( a good one!) or focus on my Gun /Guitar hobby more. There are better, faster cars out there, i just dont want them So for now old slow 3x8's it is.
I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about what I'm saying. I'm not criticising the car. The car is still a wonderful car -- I've owned 2 of them and enjoyed them both. But, I was at an age when the 308 was the hot car to have. I'm not sure there are many more following me that have that same opinion. For those that own them now, they scratch that itch that they need to. Speed and numbers don't mean anything to the enthusiasts who love the 308. There are factors that make it enjoyable well beyond that by many people posting here all the time. You choose a 308 because it IS a 308 and not a 355 or 360 or anything else. You didn't buy it because "it was cheap". You sought it out because that's the car you wanted. My question is: will new people coming into the market feel the same way? You could look at the Dino then and say the same thing... but that's the difference. The Dino looks like it came from the 60's and the 308 looks like it came from something from the 80's. In the auto world, that's an ocean of time. And, that's why collectors choose the Dino so often. It looks like something from the past and it has a stronger connection to Ferrari (the person), than the 308 appears to.
Looks like the 80's is driven by the fact that the car was made through 1989. To me though, I very much see it as the design of the 70's as it was. History has sort of been rewritten as Dino vaules have gone up. All older books and design studies would agree that the car came from a combo of the dino/BB lines which are in fact late 60's/early 70's. Most books and literature would include the 308 in the same chapter as the Dino (not for flattering reasons IMO) and point out that these were the cheaper, mass produced, non V12 cars that make all the purist cringe. I would argue that while the Dino and GTB are not that far apart in age, to say they are from different era's is because one went out of production in 74 and the other basically in 89. Other than a few very rare supercars/race cars, nothing after 1975 has found any value. Many experts say they never will and they may be right. On the other hand, they may not understand the younger demographic as well as they think, and if this age group does find collectors, I think cars like the early gtb's and also the Testarossa later will see a real appreciation. My father went from a 246 gt to GT4 to GTB and i liked them all. I don't think the potential is in the 50-60 age group today, the buyers are 40-50 and not fully in the market yet hence the 67-73 values of the last few years.
+1. IIRC, the 328 values seemed to be in an increasing trend during the more positive economic times (pre-2008). Today, would-be collectors interested in this era are probably focused on other higher priority things in life. Having said this, as I mentioned in a previous post, I don't think the 3x8 will appreciate as much as a Dino has - simply a matter of supply and demand.
well from what I can see here in the Uk and europe dinos are advertised about four times the price of 308`s .It seems the dinos for sale are more often with dealers who like to inflate the price`s more ,but I think the people who pay these higher prices will become unstuck when they try to sell for the same amount.I know at two recent auctions dinos failing to sell by not meeting the reserve.So to the original question I think people perceive dinos to have better investment potential ,(will hold or increase their value) more so than 308`s so therefore keep on paying higher prices,I think this is because all dinos are desirable and so few of them are on the market at any one time.
Not sure if you're referring to Ferrari's only or all cars in general, but as one example from the 80s, well cared for Buick T types seem to be holding value and appreciating quite well. Another would be Porsche 930s. I think the 308 - while a product of 60s and 70s design - is considered primarily an 80's car, and we just don't have enough distance from the 80's yet to accurately predict what will be considered high value/classic/in-demand/etc from this time period. This has been one of the most information, productive conversations on this board in quite some time. And I hand it to everyone who contributed or just read the posts, as while there were many personal point-of-views shared, the conversation didn't degrade into finger pointing and name calling. Clearly reflective of the 3x8 community, which in my opinion maintains a great sense of partnership amongst it's members.
Its true that the 70's and 80's cars havent quite aged enough yet to determine actual values but most of the cars from that era have timeless designs whereas much of whats out there now or from the 90's/2000's lacks timeless designs. The 308, Lotus Esprit, Merak, LP400, etc, etc will all look great 100 years from now. The 360, 430, and several other designs wont age nearly so well. That "70's wedge styling" just looks right. Thats why so many of the 70's/80's exotics are such head turners and so recognizable. Dare I say perfect styling? Most non-enthusiasts see a 360 go by and arent sure if it was C6 Vette or what - if they even take a second look. Just the way it is. Too rounded off, non-hidden headlights are a killer too. Dinos are pretty cars but Id rather have a 308 over one of those. Heck, for a what a Dino will cost you can buy TWO 308's. One black and one red or whatever ya like.
I have not read all the posts, but one thing I'll happily wager - assuming I and the other party are still around - is that an average to good 308 will be worth a lot more than an average to good 360 in another forty years for the simple reason that the 308 is maintainable, and I'm not sure the 360 will be. I could be wrong. Happy to take bets.
Thats a safe bet. The 308 used market thrives because the cars are not only reasonably priced but there is a good chance either you or your favorite mechanic can wrench on them. I believe starting with the 355(a sweet car) the DIY-er was mostly shut out of the game. It was basically a "disassemble and then reassemble the entire car every 3 years or else" type of thing. Ouch. That alone takes a large majority of buyers out of the equation. So, with lower demand, yeah, you may see lower pricing. Actually, you already see 360's going for cheaper than you'd expect. They arent much more than the F355's at this point. Will be interesting.
I don't believe you'll see any real movement in the 308 market until the cars are all old enough that the majority will have been or need to be rebuilt/restored. 308s today still sell on the basis of low original mileage and unmolested bodywork. How many Dinos sell on that yardstick, versus the ones that have rebuilt mechanicals and restored/repainted bodies?
I would say more like 10 years. In 40 years, the only petrol cars left on the road will be collectible/iconic cars. I think the 308 has a fair chance of being regarded as one of them.
