FERRARI 308 GTB

About the Ferrari 308 GTB

The GTB — Gran Turismo Berlinetta — was the 308 in its purest form. A fixed-roof coupe with Pininfarina lines so perfect they defined the supercar silhouette for a generation. The earliest cars had fiberglass bodies (vetroresina), saving weight and giving them a rawness the later steel-bodied cars smoothed away. The Tipo F106 V8 sat behind the seats, fed by four Weber 40DCNF carburetors, and made 255 hp at 6,600 RPM. The dry-sump engine revved freely to 7,700 RPM with a metallic scream that announced Ferrari credentials from half a mile away. The five-speed dogleg gearbox was precise when warm and agricultural when cold — part of the character, not a defect. The GTBi added Bosch K-Jetronic injection in 1980 and lost 45 hp in the process. The Quattrovalvole restored dignity with four-valve heads and 240 hp. The vetroresina-bodied carbureted GTB is the collector's car. The QV is the driver's car. Both are stunning.