FERRARI 308 GT4
A CUMBERSOME CAR AT TIMES, FERRARI’S FIRST ROAD-GOING V8 HAS A MECHANICAL ANCESTRY THAT CAN BE TRACED TO FORMULA 1 RACERS. DONN ANDERSON SPENT TIME WITH ONE 40 YEARS AGO AND LOVED ITS CHARACTER AND HIGH-SPEED CONFIDENCE
ENZO’S FAMILY V8
Age is not all that bad, especially when it comes to classic cars. When the Ferrari 308 GT4 2+2 first appeared in 1973, it was considered to be unassuming and a shade disappointing after the sensational Dino 246 GT. Unassuming? For a Ferrari, surely not. This was hardly the ugly duckling that some observers thought but a car that wore an arresting trapezoid shape, as well as being the first production V8 mid-engined road-going Ferrari. And now it seems that time has worked for it and the 308 GT4 has finally come of age.
The GT4 was never intended as a replacement for the Dino 246; that role befell the mechanically similar–but–arguably more handsome Pininfarina-styled 308 GTB and GTS. Critics could not perceive the GT4 to be a ‘real’ Ferrari because it was a two-plus-occasional-two seater, although the rear seats are essentially only suitable for children or short adults on a brief journey. Right from launch, the GTB and GTS would always be worth more money than the somewhat controversial GT4.
It may seem trivial but, for me, the biggest disappointment when collecting this Ferrari to enjoy for a few days back in 1979 was the silver paintwork and dark blue trim. I think all Ferraris of this vintage should be painted in Rosso Corsa red with Crema leather trim and have matching Alcantara inserts and coffee-coloured carpets. When the time came to photograph the car, the somewhat bland body colour almost disappeared into a particularly grey Auckland day.
Rising Ferrari production
P Coutts and Company in Great North Road was the Auckland agent for Daimler, Triumph, and Rover, while also specializing in upmarket cars, and it kindly offered me the GT4 to evaluate 40 years ago. Then, just like today, there was rising concern over fuel prices, the threat of rationing, carless days, and an increasing responsibility to conserve the environment. High-performance supercars were regarded as an anachronism, yet there was no lack of demand. Ferrari had made 2000 cars in 1978 and was planning to build more, and the company now makes four times as many each year.
The 308 GT4 was the least expensive Ferrari, and, in 1979, came with a $75K price tag in New Zealand. It cost less than a Porsche 928 or Mercedes 450 SLC and about the same as a BMW 633CSI. Aided by the British preferential import tariff, a rival new Jaguar XJS, while lacking the exclusiveness of a Ferrari, was a real snip at $50K.
Ten years after my late ’70s test, a used 308 GT4 was worth at least $100K in our market, but it seems that only a few examples came to our shores. A recent Trade Me search revealed more than 60 pre-owned Ferraris but not a single GT4. In 2019, you will need to look long and hard to find one for sale in New Zealand, and the cheapest examples in North
America fetch at least the equivalent of $70K. Contrast this with the 308 GTBS/GTSS that are worth at least twice as much, with recent examples on offer, including a 1980 GTB in Australia, with an asking price equivalent to $220K. Early GTBS with fibreglass panels are the most prized.
In total, 3636 GT4S were made between 1973 and 1980, including 840 two-litre 208 GT4S for the Italian market, which had a smaller-bore version of the V8 engine. The GT4 total was an increase on the Dino 246 production count of 2975 but well short of the 12,143 for the more popular 308 GTB/GTS.
Both the silver car featured here and a red example that was offered for sale at an Auckland classic car auction several years ago, with the respective registrations of IN8741 and KD308, have disappeared from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) records, although they may have been re-registered and be still in the country.
Fiat’s stake in Ferrari
In 1968, Fiat took a large stake in Ferrari, affecting the philosophy behind the production of Ferrari road cars and the GT4 was the first 100-per-cent car made at Maranello since the takeover. Initially, the 308 GT4 appeared with Dino badging, but, when dealers found sales slow, they replaced them with Ferrari badges. The Dino badge differentiated between the V12 Ferraris and those with V6 or V8 power plants. Ironically, in more recent times, the Dino nomenclature has grown in
Initially, the 308 GT4 appeared with Dino badging, but, when dealers found sales slow, they replaced them with Ferrari badges
importance and some owners in the US are refitting Dino badges!
The other reticence towards the GT4 was due to the styling by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. This was the first and only Ferrari given to the Bertone styling house when all others were shaped by Pininfarina. Arguably, the flat-roofed, stub-tailed, short-nosed GT4 lacks the flowing lines of Pininfarina, yet the shape has weathered well. The car is essentially a longer-wheelbase, wider-track version of the Dino 246 welded-tube space-frame chassis that was rumoured to have been fine-tuned by none other than Niki Lauda — although the talented Austrian did not join the Scuderia until 1974. While the front seats are located well forward and the rear buckets are knee crushing, Bertone did well to provide two rows of seating in a 4.3-metre-long car — not a lot longer than the Dino 246.
Enzo himself was involved in the conception of the GT4, and Formula 1 (F1) ace Emerson Fittipaldi said that the car was one of the best GTS that he had ever driven. In 1975, Elvis Presley paid US$20K in cash for a black 308 GT4 in Los Angeles, drove the car home alone to Memphis, parked it up in Graceland, and is reported to have never driven it again.
Four overhead camshafts rare
The three-litre V8 with four overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder — rare in the ’70s — took inspiration from the 90-degree configuration engine first found in the 1964 Ferrari Type 158 F1 motor. Developing 187kw, or around 250hp, at 7700rpm and 286Nm of torque at 5000 revs, the power unit has a light-alloy block with castiron liners and a quartet of twin-choke Weber 40DCNF carburettors located in the centre of the V in two rows.
Of course, being mid-engined, the unit is mounted ahead of the rear wheels and the five-speed gearbox with Mini-type transfer gears is located behind the engine. Like the older Dino 246, the engine lubricating oil is contained in the sump.
The car’s least admirable feature is its transmission, with a heavy clutch and notchy, long, and not particularly
quick gear-lever movement. First is across to the left and down in the position where second is usually found, while reverse gear is above this, with a safety catch to prevent inadvertent engagement. Matching gear changes with the engine requires patience and understanding yet, once mastered, comes the enjoyment of the crisp eightcylinder engine with a magical sound that improves ever more as the revs rise. Just over six seconds is needed to reach 100kph, and the gearing permits 7400rpm in fifth, allowing for a shattering speed of 250kph.
Much of the magic is about noise, with the growl of the engine from the four-branch exhaust, while the oil pump, distributor, and other gear drives sing contentedly in a car that plays its own mechanical music. However, ownership of older Ferraris comes at a price. Sodiumfilled exhaust valves dissipate heat yet become brittle when old, clutches often last fewer than 30,000km, and the electrical system is weak. Rubber suspension bushings crack and shred, the innovative two-toothed belts driving the four camshafts require infrequent but necessary changes, and the bodywork quality was never strong.
Ownership a special experience
Yet ownership and driving add up to a special experience. In spite of the solid performance, the Ferrari is reasonably docile and happily trickles along in fourth and fifth at leisurely speeds. Fuel consumption varies little, averaging 18.5 litres per 100km, and only improves slightly with more modestly restrained driving.
The driving position is typically Italian; with the steering wheel at appropriate arm’s length, there seems to be insufficient room for the legs. Once a compromise is reached, it is a matter of settling into the excellent suede-velvet-trimmed seats and taking stock of the comprehensive instrumentation and controls.
Unassisted rack-and-pinion steering is heavy, particularly at parking speeds, and the turning circle is poor, but, on the move, it offers appropriate feel and precision. Expect a firm yet not overly harsh ride, with the all-independent suspension utilizing coils and wishbones at either end and ventilated discs all round that use a special fade-resistant pad material. Pedal pressures are high, although their reassuring high-speed performance overshadows their heavy characteristics when travelling slowly.
Much of the magic is about noise, with the growl of the engine from the fourbranch exhaust, while the oil pump, distributor, and other gear drives sing contentedly in a car that plays its own mechanical music
Electric windows are standard but air conditioning was optional, and essential given that the ventilation/heating is only average in the glassy Ferrari. A special get-youhome reduced-section spare wheel and tyre slot into the compact luggage compartment in the front section of the car, and there’s a second luggage compartment in the rear behind the engine bay. The skinny spare looks modest alongside the 6.5-inch wide-alloy road wheels, shod with old-fashioned 205/70VR14 tyres but is good enough for speeds up to 150kph.
One school of thought suggests that the GT4 is a compromised Ferrari in terms of styling and packaging, but this seems unfair given the car’s great performance, roadholding, innovation, comfort, and good all-round visibility — which is rare in most supercars. These attributes could maybe allow you to forgive the fairly average interior trim and Fiat X1/9 door handles. Indeed, this is a unique piece of machinery with its own foibles, and isn’t that the way of all Ferraris?
Arguably, the flat-roofed, stubtailed, short-nosed GT4 lacks the flowing lines of Pininfarina, yet the shape has weathered well