THANK YOU! That's all I needed to know. 32909. Sheesh, I may start drinking early today. lol. Cheers, George BTW: Those numbers do not match on my 456M: The assembly number is 43056 while the last five of the VIN are (1)25897. So I don't think the last five of the VIN are actual assembly numbers, unless they changed the numbering system between 1980 and 2001.
Here are some shots of mine: Special ordered color Rosso Barchetta Fer 312, factory installed 16" wheels Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
George, this is where I would interpret your assembly number as 349. Someone else can chime in who might know more, but I believe the A stands for it being an American market car. They would restart the numbering system from year to year although it seems that the European market cars continued throughout the entire production run. They did change the numbering system. When the 308s were built they only used odd serial numbers. Somewhere in the early/mid 1990s they went sequential with it, I think around 75,000 or so. Around 1996 or so they surpassed the 100,000 mark. 99,999 was an F50 for example, perhaps several of them . So, in these terms your 308 would be chassis 32909, assembly number 349 and your 456M would be chassis 125897 and assembly number 43056. I dont know when they converted to that assembly number system. PDG
As always, it is a question of names. Basically there are three different numbers discussed here; to sum-it up: -the VIN (Vehicle International Number) that appeared about 1980 for Ferraris, depending on countries of delivery, and that always begin with ZFF (= manufactured by Ferrari) and ends with the five digits of the Chassis Number (well, six digits today...) Before the 17-digit VIN, the plates were the identification of the car appears (just in front of the steering wheel, on the steering wheel column) were identifying the car by its type - between two stars - and chassis number, for instance " *F106AS* xxxxx ". - the Chassis Number, or "construction number" which is a Ferrari numbering sequence; as said by Patrick (Gray TA), those c/n numbers for road cars were always ODD-only numbers until number 75000 (end 1987), as EVEN numbers were destined for racing Ferraris only. Ferrari began to use EVEN numbers also for road cars with 75000 and onwards, because they were producing too many cars...and, as the racing cars were only a small quantity compared to roads cars, a lot of even-numbers were left unused. (note that the "Dinos", being not considered as Ferraris, had their own chassis-numbers sequence). Note that the chassis numbers where assigned to any car irrespective of its type or model: a c/n number for a US Market 308 GTS maybe followed by a BB512, then by a 400"i", etc... - the Assembly Number, or "Assy"; this was a Ferrari factory "internal" numbering system with a serie of different sequence for different versions, and markets, of a car model. For instance, there was a different sequence for each the Euro 308 GTB carbed, for the Euro 308 GTS carbed, for the US-Market 308 GTB Carbed, for the US- Market 308 GTS Carbed, for the UK RHD 308 GTB Carbed, UK RHD 308 GTS carbed, etc... This helped the workers assembling different cars with the different variations of accessories, lights, etc...for each market. And then, the whole sequences were all rebooted to "zero" for the injected cars, and for each different version and market And then rebooted to zero for the QVs, etc... Note that there are still lessons to be learned / questions to be solved in the way those assembly numbers where assigned: 81085, my April 5, 1989 produced 328 GTB has the assembly number "08"...but it is not the 8th euro-model GTB produced (probably about the 850th...) and not the 8th euro GTB assembled this year either... There is no logical link between Chassis Number and Assembly Number. The Assembly Numbers for 3x8s are usually two figures, or three figures numbers, sometimes with a letter added, depending on the market. I see that George's 456M has a five figure Assmebly Number, but I do not know of 3x8 with five-figures Assembly Numbers. What is interesting for us as 3x8 owners is that the assembly number was not displayed as such on on cars, but figured under a coat of paint in the engine compartment on a chassis bar, just as some kind of "mystery number" that can also be found elsewhere, for instance inside the doors, etc... At the end of the eighties, whith the first 348s, the "Assembly Number" was suddenly displayed proudly on the official identification plate of the car and identified as such, just as on George's 456. No need to look for the mystery number anymore... I have no knowledge whatsoever about the 456 assembly numbers, and don't know how to explain the system used by Ferrari to obtain the "43056" of George's car. Rgds
And Mine, 34641. My last Boss while I was in Uniform and HIS Italian beauty. Her first ride in a Ferrari. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I am sure I mentioned this to you before but that car is identical to the very first 308 I ever rode in when I was 15 back in the summer of 83. It was an 81 and even had the rubber inserts along the side. I mean the EXACT same! Great memories.
Tommy, Sure do. Would have been amazing if it WAS "Your" car. I am still looking for my cousin's 308 GT4, the first Ferrari I ever rode in and drove. Patrick. Still is in a thousand pieces scattered about the house. I am now putting it back together and have got to the "timing of the cams/valves" part. Supposedly the most fustrating thing you can due with a car with the motor in. We shall see. Once that is done, the rest I have to do is a piece of cake. All the cleaning is done and I just have to bolt it all back together.
It is a solid non metalic color, my undrestanding is that it was one of the origional Ferrari colors first used. I really have not seen any other cars of my year painted that color.
Thanks loads for that info! I'm a perfectionist and get quite frustrated when I don't have what I need to figure something out. If you don't believe me, I can get you in touch with my ex-wife. I see what you did with the F50 jibe, BTW. The F50 is still my favorite Ferrari road car of all time. Cheers, George
Hi there, My 1980 GTSi US Version is #33949 of September 1980 It is black with black interior. See pictures Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
