Magnum vs 3x8 sales

I always wondered if Ferrari paid Magnum PI a product placement fee. I don't know if that sort of thing was done back then but I suspect that without Magnum PI, the 3x8 Ferrari sales would have been a fraction of what they were.

I realize that a lot of folks from outside the USA would correctly claim that then never saw/heard of Magnum PI in the 80's but the reality is that the US market was by far the largest for Ferrari and I suspect that, whether Ferrari would admit it or not, Magnum PI may have kept Ferrari from going out of business at the time...

I don't wear the Detroit Tigers ball cap; I prefer a Boston Red Sox....

 

I thought the show originally planned Magnum to have a Porsche, but they wouldn't lend a car. IIRC Ferrari was a little more amenable to providing something, but were they paid a fee by the show's producers???

Something tells me they were, but I can't find it now.

 

It isn't a coincidence that the 308 and Testarossa was voted the two most favourite Ferraris in the world on 5th gear.

 

I think the original concept was for a Porsche 928...

 

I don't know about product placement fees, but Magnum pretty much ended GTB sales in the US. It certainly had an effect on resale values as Magnum fans grew up and wanted one. My 1st Ferrari (1996) was an 84 308 GTS but I was a fan since 308s were introduced. However, the guy I sold it to said it was Magnum that put the idea in his head. He didn't keep the car long however. Reality didn't match the dream.

Dave

 

If ever, Ferrari should pay Magnum for exposing the 308 on air for free, it's kind of like free advertising for Ferrari. Isn't that's what save Ferrari, the sales went up because of the Mag PI series?

 

A long time ago, I read that he was originally to drive a 928, but Porsche wouldn't open up the top/build in a larger sunroof. The production company then decided on the 308GTS.

 

I almost considered a 928 before I found my baby. US aut...lazy car, but great sound.

 

The 308 may have rescued Ferrari financially, and also shaped Ferrari's road car line up to the present day. I.e., the move away from ponderous V12s to more sporting mid-engined V8s.

It also changed the design of the Corvette, Camaro/Firebird, and several Japanese me-too GT cars.

Pretty influential car.

Tigers caps are easy to find. The shorts and shirts ... aren't.

 

My shirts aren't hard to find guys: The Best Selection of the Best Hawaiian Shirts on the Web.

Here's another good link to the history of the Ferrari and my show. Magnum Mania! - The Ferrari

Cheers,

T Magnum

 

OK, let's also acknowledge the Testarossa's role in saving Ferrari. Along with the 308, it is the most iconic Ferrari in history. They sold a boat load of them too. You couldn't find a sports car in the late '80's that wasn't aping its styling. From the grated fender flares on the Slant nose 911's to the mini cheesegraters on the Countach anniversary edition and every import body kit you could find... the Testarossa styling was everywhere.

Not to diminish the importance of the 308...but can we share the spotlight please

 

Oh, it aired here too. Something to stay home for....

I was an utter windsurfing fanatic back then, and Hawaii was the holy grail for that, so Magnum driving that Ferrari in Hawaii (albeit the wrong island) made it all the more attractive.

That, and the photograph of Robby Naish next to a black 308GTS with makeshift roofrack and surf board sealed the deal for me...

 

At the time I worked pretty close with the guys handling the show for Ferrari and I don't think they (FNA) got paid. I also don't think going in they had any idea the exposure would be such a big thing. FNA was doing pretty well at the time and the cars for the show made a good place to put some advertising money.

They were pretty free spending in those days but then FNA had what was the best president they ever had. Unlike later years it was a company you could be proud to be affiliated with.

 

"...Best Selection of the Best Hawaiian Shirts on the Web."

What the heck, I just ordered one! I don't own (or want) one single piece of clothing or whatever with a "Ferrari" logo or Ferrari-related image but a Magnum SHIRT? Now THAT"S cool!

I guess I'll have to get a Detroit Tiger's hat... (not much of a sports fan so I don't care whose hat I wear as far as being an ATHLETIC supporter)

 

Giving Magnum PI too much credit guys. The 308 was such a sexy car it was everywhere in the 80's. There is a very long list of rememberable movies that had it as well as commercials. I even had a trapper keeper in the 3rd grade with a 308 on it. Not saying Magnum didn't help the exposure put it was only a piece of the puzzle.

PS to addto the urban legend, I read on the internet that the reason Magnum didn't drive the 928 is that Porsche refused to make a custom oversized sunroof and they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true.

 

TM was, in fact, supposed to drive a 928 (remember Risky Business of the same time period):

Magnum Mania! - The Ferrari

"The producers originally intended to use a Porsche 928 and asked Porsche to produce one with an extra large sunroof for aerial shots. Due to a strict policy by Porsche of not doing any special specifications at customer requests, the Ferrari 308 GTS was chosen instead and went on to become one of the most iconic cars of all time."

Robin Masters' red targa topped Ferrari is the classic Pininfarina-styled 308 GTS model (1975-1985). There were three different 308 GTS's used during the show's run. In the first season, the Ferrari was a 1978 308 GTS (one mirror, no rear spoiler, no front hood vent, red vents behind the headlights). For the second and third seasons, it was a 1980 308 GTSi (two rectangular mirrors, black vents behind the headlights). For the rest of the series, it was a 1984 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole (black vents on the hood and a black spoiler on the rear of the roof panel). Also, a green '84 308 GTSi QV (also owned by Robin Masters) was featured prominently in the Season Six episode "Summer School" (6.13). All of the models are mid-engined, steel-bodied, with rear wheel drive. Over 11,400 steel-bodied 308 models were built between 1975 and 1985.

The Ferraris used in the show had to be specially modified to accomodate Tom Selleck, who stands 6'4" tall. The padding was removed from the seats so he would sit lower in the car, and the seats were bolted as far away from the steering wheel as possible to maximize the leg room. Even with these modifications you can still see that Selleck's head is higher than the top of the front windshield frame! You very rarely saw Magnum drive with the top up.

The producers originally intended to use a Porsche 928 and asked Porsche to produce one with an extra large sunroof for aerial shots. Due to a strict policy by Porsche of not doing any special specifications at customer requests, the Ferrari 308 GTS was chosen instead and went on to become one of the most iconic cars of all time.

If they needed a Targa top, I wonder why they didn't consider a 911-911 Turbo?

 

Gotta admit that show partially influenced me. Obviously it's not the only or even the main reason that my first F car will be a 308 GTS but it was a factor. Plus I have some shirts and you should see the mustache I can grow ha ha. For the record I didn't even grow up watching but I love 80's tv shows.

 

I cant do that with my car - its not red.




PDG

 

The TR sold very well, despite a lukewarm reception, in part because of Miami Vice... no doubt Ferrari had seen the impact Magnum had on 308 GTS sales, and IIRC did supply several TRs for Miami Vice because the company was upset about the fake 'Daytonas'.

By the time the TR was available, Magnum had already been on for at least seven seasons, and put Ferrari on the map in the US.

Not sure how I come down on the white suit/pastel shirt versus Hawaiian shirt fashion debate, but I doubt Ferrari would have bothered with a US version of the Boxer replacement if 308 sales hadn't been brisk.

 

My guess, and it's only a wild guess, is they wanted a more "exotic" looking car for a detective character to drive. They might have felt the 911 was too established and recognizable, while the 928 could have been seen as more dramatic and fresh for the time.

 

It aired in France too, beginning, I think, in 1982 here; and I guess it aired in about every european country too.
It didn't put Ferrari "on the map" for us car lovers; but what we thought at the time was "cool show, and they have had the taste to choose a cool car too". But we knew what a 308 was before Magnum aired.
What it did was putting Ferrari on the map for everybody, even for the "average joe" living in a remote small town were the probability of seing a 308 in the flesh one day was about zero.
So yes, Magnum did make that car a superstar; try to go anywhere today with a 308 or even a 328, without getting at least one comment "ah, c'est la voiture de Magnum!". I guess almost everybody has seen that show in the eighties here, and later.

Rgds

 

I had an opportunity to talk with the creator of the show a few months ago. He didn't go into detail but what I took away from it was that Porsche wouldn't give the production free cars but Ferrari was willing to.

 

I belive that the 308 put magnum on the map, and not the other way around. I used to watch the show to see the Ferrari, but soon I fell in love with the show as well.
I would not even watch a whole episode if they had used Porsche In stead.

 

Most of you guys have the story correct, they intended to use the 928 but Porsche did not want to play ball so the 308 got the job. Magnum made the Ferrari image to most of the public and having the top show on TV set in Hawaii was an incredible boost. Selleck later corrected Porsche's blunder when he bought himself and his castmate's each a 928 with some of his re-signing bonus.

Not much of a fan of motorsports back then huh? Porsche had been dominating LeMans type racing for 20 years at that time with the 956 and 962 running then and they were sweeping F1 with the TAG turbo in the Mclaren winning 15 of 16 races at that time while I watched Michele stop right in front of me in Montreal in flames. Porsche was dominating everywhere even moreso than Ferrari has in the last decade or so.

Magnum would have been the top show even if he had been driving a camaro, as for Ferrari, I wouldn't say he saved the company like someone said above, but I would say it would not have become the icon it is without that exposure. IMO without Magnum, Ferrari would have an Aston like existence and following.

 

I'm going to disagree with the Magnum PI lovefest .

The 308 when it came out was the much anticipated Dino successor. In fact the period press often referred to it as the new Dino. The GT4 was not the original Dinos successor but a different model that lead to the Mondial.

I doubt there were very many successful near 50 year old men who watched Magnum PI regularly and said I want to be like Magnum. Many of us here were children and few talked our Dads into these cars. Maybe that is why we purchase them 25 to 30 years later but I don't see a solid connection to pushing the product in the 80's.

They were fantastic cars on their own, they sold on their merits to those who could afford them. They were beautiful with a great V8 engine and were now labeled Ferrari.

As to GTS vs GTB and the volume sold here, I refer to the Fiat 124 Spyder. I understand the vast majority of them came to the states. We like our convertibles over here, that I believe is why GTS' sold well over here. JMO