308GTB Production Volume

There was one fiberglass 308 GTB from South Africa (a RHD car) tested in a comparative test against a '89 328GTS a few years ago, in an UK magazine, perhaps "Octane" if my memory serves me well (??)...the article didn't say if the car was exported here from new, or was imported later from another market.

Rgds

 

I guess it could have been a grey imported from new (in the UK quota) but I think personally, no dealer could have promoted or sold carbs 308 (it is conditional, I wish I could have confirmation from South Africa).

 

...but the original Ferrari importer for South Africa, TAK (= Transvaal Agricultural Koöperasie, yes!...) imported carburated Ferraris in the sixties and seventies in South Africa? Surely the 365 GTB/4, the so-called "Daytona", counts as a carburatted Ferrari: "...it is believed that less than twelve Daytonas were sold here in South Africa"

https://www.thegremlin.co.za/2018/06/05/concours-south-africa-will-rekindle-memories-of-iconic-ferrari-daytona/

(Viglietti serviced Ferraris in Cape Town at the time, and took over from TAK in 1994)
The number of Ferraris of all models and vintage in South Africa today is "about 800".

Rgds

 

I know, but don't forget the South African situation during the 70's.
I didn't find the article I was thinking about but it said that from 1975 with the embargo, they entered in the third phase of the regulation requirement which mean to have 70% of local content in each vehicle made and engine had to be built locally (the local content policy started beginning of the 60's and became more restrictive in 71). I know that Fiat closed their factory in 78 and cooperate with Alfa Romeo South Africa. I am sure they had some exception but most of the vehicule were designed or locally built otherwise government imposing penalties.
It is why I think if there is one or more vetroresina or steel carbs 308, it should be really, really rare. Not enough to consider this country as a market.
But that is my opinion, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I well remember the situation, of course; but there was no trade embargo in 1975 yet, only an embargo for the arms exportation, from the U.K and USA. The trade embargo came later, during the second half of 1980s?
During the 1970s, the Formula One Grand Prix still came to South Africa every year.

Rgds

 

So, here is a little summary of what I wrote above, I also corrected a typo that creates a nonsense in the total GTB.

Warning:
-it has nothing to do with the official figures but the goal is not to question them, it's just a different way of seing numbers.

-these figures are based on an extrapolation from known chassis ... and it lacks a lot as everyone knows ...

-when these figures come together, it will mean that we will have made good progress on the understanding of the production history...


Thank you to everyone who wants to participate ...


LHD details:

Last US body# known: 950 on chassis 30329 with 32 GTBs (US + JAP) known behind (this can be obviously a little more but in a marginal way).
So for steel LHD GTB wet sump: 882

Inside US LHD, I have last vetroresina body# known: 118A on chassis 19799 (number >100 but lower number appeared after with steel bodies, nothing is lost at the factory at the time).


Last EURO body# known: 1310 on chassis 34379 with 3 GTBs known behind.
So for steel LHD GTB dry sump: 795

Inside LHD, I have last vetroresina body# known: 521 on chassis 21231 but not the last vetroresina chassis number known and with 3 steel chassis known before with a built unknown.



RHD details:

Last RHD body# known: 381 on chassis 31331> F-Chatter Chayanin with 9 GTBs chassis known after (same comment as for the US).
So for steel RHD GTB all market: 183

Inside RHD, I have last vetroresina body# known: 207 on chassis 21253.


Total of 308 based on body numbers all market: 982 + 1313 + 390 = 2685 (Oct2019)

Total of steel 308: (Body# US - vetroresina US) + (Body# Euro - vetroresina Euro) + (Body# RHD - vetroresina RHD) = (982-100) + (1313-521+3) + (390-207) = 1860 GTB (LHD + RHD)