How many of you were influenced by Magnum PI when you bought your 308/ 328?

I remember the first time I saw a 308 in person. It was 1985 and my cousin drove it to our home. It was a 78 308 GTB. I was aware of Magnum PI and was a car guy, but experiencing the 308 in person made a big impression on me. The show somehow didn't. He took a Polaroid picture of me sitting in that car. I carried that photo with me until I bought a QV in the early nineties. I still have that picture.
PS. If you don't know what a Polaroid picture is, your just showing your age

 

Even though I was a fan of the show, I wasn't influenced. I was a musclecar fan at the time. But now after having driven my 308 for 16 years, I'm starting to believe I am Magnum. (could be that I'm just getting old and my mind is slipping)

 

Polaroid, is that an app?

 

I was long obsessed by the 308GTB when Magnum started being on air in Germany.
I decided to buy a 308GTB sometime, after I saw the first one in the flesh driving past in summer 1977. Back then I was 14 years old.
The first Ferrari on the road I saw and heard, was in our small town in, I believe, 1974. It was a 365 GT4BB. It was somehow unreal.
And the very first Ferrari I saw was a Daytona in the showroom of a nearby Fiat dealer!

Talking about Magnum P.I. once more. I of course watched almost every episode after it started here around 1985. But this was also due to the fact, that we just had three(!) TV-channels back then. Might be unbelievable for US-residents

Best Regards
Martin

 

Well, didn't you catch also the three french channels in your place at that time, Martin? Perhaps even the swiss one also? I could see the german TV at the time, also the Luxemburger one.

"Magnum" was aired on the french TV earlier than 1985, probably starting in 1981 I would say. Definitively in 1983: I remember watching it with my pals during my time in the Army (in Haguenau, Bas-Rhin) the proof is that we nicknamed one of us "Higgins", a nickname he still carries today...

Rgds

 

Had never heard of it... The first time someone said "oh it's a magnum car" I was totally confused because as far as I'm concerned a magnum is an ice cream (here in Aust).

 

Aired for the first time on French TV on December 13th, 1981.

Rgds

 

Hi Bruno,

Switzerland was still too far away with 90kms for getting the TV-channels. And France was a SECAM/PAL-problem IIRC. I was a poor apprentice and student later and couldn't afford the newest TV-equipment

Best
Martin

 

Interesting question, but this would bring us a bit far from the original topic. I remember clearly watching the german TV occasionally, Luxembourg also, and I don't think we had the latest equipment; well...

As said above "Magnum P.I" aired for the first time on December 13th, 1981, on the french TV.

Rgds

 

Interesting. We also have that ice cream here (in Germany). But as long noone confuses Magnum with that gun or those lubricated condoms , all is fine.

Best Regards
Martin

 

I hated the magnum reference... thought it made the car kinda cheesey... Saw the 308 for the first time in my home town - 1976 308gtb fiberglass - blue metallic... just a jaw dropping car.... still is today

 

I first drove a 308 in 76... before Magnum came on TV... It belonged to a friends father and I frankly was shocked when he handed me the keys and said to take it around the block.

It only took me 33 years to buy my own 328

 

Seems Ferrari themselves recognise the significance Magnum PI had on its sales and potential customers.

Check out the first livery (#50) on the link below…

Ferrari 70th Anniversary: Liveries 1977-1996 ? Ferrari.com

Thoughts?

 

ROFL! I knew about the guns, but not your last example - I lead a sheltered life!

 

FYI

MAGNUM? Lubricated Condoms ? The Gold Standard?

 

I was very influenced by Magnum PI when I was thinking about buying my car. But I bought it anyway.

 

My first (and so far only) Ferrari is a 360. I have never seen a full episode of Magnum PI, but I have plans to do so.

However, I was around 10 years old, having just arrived in Switzerland, and the local gas station not too far from my home must have been fans of Ferrari as they had multiple Burago models on display, and the 308 GTO caught my eye.

The most beautiful car I've ever seen, and my parents were kind enough to buy me the model (which I still have! Sadly the front wishbones made of plastic have cracked over the years and she sits a bit lower).

But that was when I told myself I loved Ferrari's as a brand, and I wanted one.

In the end, I really wanted a 360 as I found it a bit more modern and pleasing to myself vs a 308/328, but the older models still hold a very special place in my heart. Around the same time I got the GTO, I also got a 250 Testarossa model, but already knew by then that this type of car would simply be out of my reach (well... never say never, and although astonishing in its looks, I think I can live without one in my stable).

I would definitely love to have a 308 or 328, but only if I could afford a second Ferrari in my garage. Right now my goal is to gently upgrade over the years from the 360, to a 430 or 458, and then from there onwards keeping to the V8 rear-engine models.

But I truly need to start looking into acquiring Magnum PI episodes as it's tickling my fancy

 

i had 16 bbs e50's on mine too. great wheels but i always preferred how the 15's looked without the step. the problem is you had to disassemble the the 15 halfs to mount or dismount the tires since it didnt have drop step barrels.

the are making 15 P7's again but in a more sporting "corsa classic" compound. imo it would be a great set up for period correct upgrade over the 17 and 18's folk have been putting on.

 

Minor detail ( yes, I have 20 episodes of Magnum PI on DVDs) but Magnum or any of his passengers never use their seat belts,his car is a European, short bumper version, and in some of the 308 related episodes wher his helicopter pilot buddy does a tune up is- to put it mildly- laughable. At the time I bought my 308 -78GTS- I already had a 69 Maserati Indy and a 1971 Lamborghini Espada. I also have 1987 Mondial 3.2 Quatrovalvole Cabriolet: a completely diffrent car.

 

I bought mine despite the Magnum tie. I hate that it (well, a 308, anyway) was in the stupid TV show.

 

While not the sole impetus for lusting after a 308 I did watch Magnum as a kid and the tie in certainly doesn't hurt.

First purchase after finding a car is a Detroit Tigers hat!

 

Why stop at that ?

Here's what else you could buy…

Magnum Mania! - Magnum Gear

Oh and here's some info on his cars.

http://magnum-mania.com/Articles/The_Ferrari.html

 

The errors on that page about the cars drives me nuts.

 

Yep, never watched the show and hated Ferrari for lowering themselves. Always loved Dinos growing up and was horrified, when the Dino 308GT4 came out to replace my beloved 246 Dino. So when the 308 GTB came out I was thrilled at the new design, looking again like the 246 Dino.

Full disclosure, I do now really like the 308 GT4s, it was just to ahead of its time for me in '75. I looked at several before I got my 308 GTS QV, which I fell into while I was still looking/lusting for a 246 Dino.

 

Lowering themselves?

Ferrari was at their lowest point already in this country with the road cars available to us here in the late 70's. That TV show's popularity and the exposure it gave Ferrari in this country was invaluable to them. It was exactly the right shot in the arm that Ferrari needed.