Chris Rea recently sold his rare 1980 factory optioned 2 seater 308 GT4 at auction:...
Chris Rea recently sold his rare 1980 factory optioned 2 seater 308 GT4 at auction: https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1980-ferrari-308-gt4-rec13984-1-nec-1124 During his ownership the car was entrusted to QV of London (who are a very respected Ferrari specialist), to carry out recommission and restoration work, including bodywork restoration. Despite the car being a 1980 model, and entrusted to a well known, knowledgeable and respected Ferrari specialist, it carries an incorrect "Dino" badge on it's nose, rather than the factory correct Ferrari prancing horse badge. It might have been that the car had had a previous "Dino" nose repair section fitted before Chris Rea bought it, or it might have been a preference of Chris Rea, but it definitely wouldn't have left the Ferrari factory in 1980 wearing a "Dino" badge on the nose!
Interesting find, especially with the rear seat delete option. Note that the badge is mounted proud of the sheet metal instead of recessed like the factory Dino badges... so that indicates it is a choice that was taken in place of the 1980 Dinos with Prancing Horse badges. Note that Chris' car has prancing horses on the wheels and horn button (correct for 1980). The wood steering wheels disappeared after the 1969 L-series 246 Dinos, so this steering wheel is another customization choice in place of OEM.
I saw the car at the NEC. The car was back at QV for the new owner a few weeks ago but I missed seeing it by a couple of days (they also look after my car). I'll ask them if they know anything about the badge history
Chrome gear knob , chrome wiper arms , as well as the wooden sterling wheel and nose badge faux pas . The point I made earlier there are a lot of minor variations , easy to reverse out should owners desire .
Chrome wiper arms. They are the correct original stainless steel ones. The paint is crap. Chris Rea is renowned for not caring about the paint and going for the very cheapest option.
I have Series1 GT4 Ch 09572 with the aerial in the roof. Is that correct? I always thought it was in the rear wing. Phil
Chris Rea's car was the one I had seen recently with a Dino badge on a late model car, thanks for reminding me of it! Chris' car is very beautiful and well done, however, it's not even close to "factory correct" - as some of you noted, the steering wheel is wrong, the obvious Dino badge, and more obvious are the colors. The exterior and interior colors aren't the colors it was "born" with, but they're not even factory offered colors. Someone noted the "paint is crap" which it may be (I can't determine the quality through the photos), but I think the color really works. It seems Chris restored this car to his liking rather than what was deemed factory correct. I think the car looks absolutely spectacular, that interior is gorgeous. I likely wouldn't change anything but the nose badge if I were fortunate enough to own that car.
I totally agree about the paint - Without seeing it in person, I couldn't comment on the quality of it, but it looks okay in the pictures. (I really like the look of the car ) The funny thing was, the sale was advertised on ebay.co.uk, and just before it was a red 1975 308 GT4 that was wearing a Ferrari prancing horse nose badge - So they had a 1975 car advertised with the wrong badge, followed by a 1980 car advertised with the wrong badge.
Not everyone wants a 100 pt car…and I’m OK with that….in the case of this GT4 I’m more than OK with it and agree with Chris D that it’s spectacular. I really don’t see any difference between what Mr. Rea has done and what Ferrari themselves might do to a modern car under the Taylor Made program. God knows the factory isn’t exactly the be-all and end-all when it comes to style and design these days. And I actually like Dino badge here too. The Dino brand was created to honor Enzo’s son and GT4s were obviously created under that moniker….I think it’s kind of a cool eff you to FIAT/Ferrari for turning their back on that heritage….Hmmmm, wonder how many people would absolutely lose their shirt if I put a Dino badge on GTB….
I disagree , Chrome or SS wiper arms like the mirrors ( Fiat Dino ) were S1 , as were cars early 70 s . May 76 they introduced the S2 The wiper arms Carello were black with S2 , along with the black plastic Vitolini “California “ door mirrors . Inertia reel seat belts , electric Ariel , wider moderner looking front grill. …..in the mid to late 70 trend of car design to ditch the 60 s looking “ chrome “ bits . So a aledged 1980 MY would have left the factory with carello black wiper arms .Like this pic below . Image Unavailable, Please Login How ever at some point they became apparently NLA , so it’s obviously possible any replacements will be could be chrome / SS ….I think a Bosch part which is shared with Porsche ?? Wether they became NLA during production to 1980 I doubt it . I think carello simply stopped manufacturing them when the GT 4 ended .
Your car - Up to you! Unlike the 308 GT4, the 308 GTB was never badged as a "Dino", so it would be as relevant as sticking a FIAT badge on the nose.
You would just be doing what the factory had planned all along until they decided to no longer use the "Dino" name (see link below). There's still a Dino branded rubber something‑or‑other on all 308 GTB/GTS in the door jamb. https://308gt4.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/new_dino.jpg
Sorry I disagree - my 1978 car has the original stainless steel Carello arms, as do all the other series 2 cars and I know a lot of cars. I agree the 308 GTBs and GTS have and always had black arms but never the GT4. There were other mirrors than the Californias. Moist USA cars had chrome mirrors and my own car no 14302 originally came with horrible ugly Tornado mirrors (as did the next car 14304 which I have seen here in UK) which I replaced with Californias.
The 308 GTB actually was badged "Dino": the first three development "prototypes" (seen on italian roads at the start f 1975) had "Dino" badges... Prduction cars did not. Rgds
The conversation change a little bit, but very nice subject ! Thanks for all these info, right now i'm trying to have the suspension changed as long as the brakes Market is complicated, there is finally a lot of car around 90-100k which stay i think for a long time, and may also have some work to do. Will see, and i will let you know
Yes they made them for S1 s . Then I believe changed to black alloy for the S2 s along with other “ de chrome “ getting rid of shiny metal changes . I understand the weaker alloy black ones used to crack where the lower pivot pin is …..so it’s not unusual to replace them with the earlier SS which are more robust . Doesn’t matter just interesting to know which wiper arms being a 1978 your car left the factory with ? Superperformance sell both types btw . But which is for which series ? Bit like wheels , exhausts ,etc as time went by stuff got changed post sale by owners . But how far does one go ? Oil filters , air filters , brake pads , fluids …..who uses Agip oil ? .
Well, I guess relevance is in the eye of the beholder… In a parallel universe, the 308 GTB/S could just as easily have been launched a Dino as a Ferrari. Pininfarina’s early sketches (c. 1968) for a 246 successor already showed Brovarone and Fioravanti playing around with a shape that would become the 308. Had Ferrari (FIAT) launched such a two-seater instead of the GT4, it’s likely we’d be calling our cars the “Dino 3X8 GTB/S” because surely a Dino 308 GTB’s volume would have validated continuation of the Dino brand. Given Enzo’s love affair with the V-12 and the genesis of the Dino brand - not to mention the amazing machines that wore the Dino name - the 308 GTB would have been right at home as a Dino. I think it’s also interesting to note that the early competition Dinos wore Ferrari badges while the later prototypes featured only Dino badging - a move I’m guessing was made to support the soon-to-launch Dino sub-brand - so even Enzo apparently wasn’t hung-up on the nomenclature. Anyway, just trying to point out that a key decision here, a twist of fate there, and the Ferrari and Dino brands’ trajectories could have been vastly different and, as the 246 (eventually) proved, “A Ferrari by any other name does smell as sweet.” - Dave
What other "dechroming" bits are you suggesting on series 2 cars? I think we will just have to agree to disagree But I will make a point of photopgraphing the arms on all the series 2 cars I see this year and will report back in due course.
Mirrors . Roof Ariel …. Yes you will find them as they are interchangeable and some have gone back to chrome bcz the black alloy ones fracture . We need pics of S2 s waiting del at the factory to settle this debate , not current pics .
Found this image.One the left a ser 2 USA car. Wide grill, Ferrari badge and if you blow it up a bit to see a bit more clearly, stainless steel wipers. Image Unavailable, Please Login
