1989 FERRARI 328 GTS
AN EXEMPLAR OF MID-ENGINE SUPERCARS THE 328 REMAINS ONE OF THE MORE ‘AFFORDABLE’ FERRARIS
THOUGH FERRARI has built wilder and more exotic kit than the model you see here, the 328 and its predecessor 308 are emblematic of the rise of mid-engined road going supercars. First shown at the 1985 Frankfurt motor show (alongside the Mondial 3.2), it reached a production figure of 7412.
Its overall design was penned by Pininfarina for the 308 series. While the 328 shares a similar profile, in fact the body underwent significant modification, while the capacity for the transversely-mounted V8 powerplant was lifted to 3.2 litres. That revision extended to the interior, which had a different treatment.
Scaglietti continued to do most of the heavy-lifting with the hand-made bodies.
Looking through our online buyer guide on this series, it’s easy to understand why they made an impression: Australia’s earliest 328s arrived in 1986 and were priced at around $140,000 (then more than enough to buy a very good house). That was marginally less than a Lotus Esprit S4 Turbo but $20,000 more than the 3.2-litre Porsche Carrera.
Performance figures from overseas testing confirm this model was among the most potent supercars of its era and engine capacity. Acceleration from 0-100km/h recorded by a 328 running on leaded fuel was 6.2 seconds, with 0-160km/h taking around 15 seconds. Top speed was 255km/h.
Output from the quad-cam, fuel-injected V8 was 198kW, developed at 7000rpm.
A five-speed transmission was mandatory and Australian-delivered cars came standard with air-conditioning. Offshore markets had the option of a fixed-roof 328GTB but here it came were only in GTS form with a
“THE WORDS GIANT GO-KART ARE BANDIED AROUND”
removable roof section. There was a 1988 model update.
With a reputation for being a thoroughly enjoyable drive, with the words ‘giant go-kart’ sometimes being bandied around, the 328 still rates as decent buying among enthusiasts. Hemmnings in the USA had this to say: “Not as commonplace as the 308, nor as polarizing as the Mondial and Testarossa, the 328 hits the sweet spot where Ferrari’s legendary performance, Pininfarina beauty, modern comforts and relative affordability converge.”
This example is being sold via the Healey Factory in sunny Melbourne. It’s a locally-delivered 1989 model showing a little over 91,000km on the odo and is priced at $195,000.