Showing 51,286 miles at time of cataloging
1983 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole

2,926 cc V8 Engine
Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection
230bhp at 6,800rpm
5-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front and Rear Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

* 1983 was the first full production year of the QV, with 871 GTS units built globally
* Finished in traditional Rosso Corsa Red over Beige Leather
* Showing 51,286 miles at time of cataloging


THE FERRARI 308

In the early 1970s, Ferrari was known for its powerful V12 engines that dominated both the racetrack and the road. Enzo Ferrari had long resisted the idea of producing road cars with fewer than twelve cylinders. But the company needed a more accessible, affordable entry point to the fabled brand, and that compromise had already begun with the Dino sub-brand — a V6-engined car sold without the Ferrari badge.

When production of the Dino 246 was discontinued in mid-1974, the only junior Ferrari available was the recently introduced 308 GT4. However, the GT4's 2+2 cockpit layout and controversial Bertone styling divided opinion. Ferrari needed a pure two-seater that could carry the prancing horse badge with pride — and returned to Pininfarina to build it.

The new entry-level model caused a stir when it debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1975 — it was the first mid-engined V8 ever to wear the Ferrari badge. The long-awaited replacement for the Dino 246 GT had a pronounced wedge profile, with a rectangular egg-crate aluminum radiator grille below a slim full-width satin black bumper. However, numerous key design elements of the Dino 246 GT were carried through — the scalloped door intakes, twin circular rear light assemblies, and the vertical concave rear screen bounded by buttressed sail panels.

The GTB was the first Ferrari to benefit from being developed in Pininfarina's wind tunnel. The result was 0–60 mph in around 6.5 seconds and a top speed of over 150 mph. The first models boasted fiberglass coachwork — the first Ferrari production car to feature this body material. This kept weight to just 1,050 kg, making the early cars the lightest and most driver-focused of all 308's.

Despite having fewer than Enzo's requisite 12 cylinders, the 308 GTB was badged and marketed as a Ferrari — a victory for the money men at parent company Fiat, no doubt, but one warmly embraced by customers. It looked terrific, had excellent performance, and cost barely two-thirds of the price of a Berlinetta Boxer.

By mid-1977, a return to more traditional pressed steel and aluminum bodywork happened — for USA cars in late 1976 and European models around mid-1977. The switch added roughly 150 kg but improved build quality and paint consistency.

More significantly, Ferrari launched a targa-top version of the 308 GTB known as the 308 GTS at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1977. Visually it was very similar to the GTB apart from the black finished solid removable glass-fiber roof panel and the satin black finished hinged opening louvre panels over the rear quarter windows. The chassis was reinforced in key places to compensate for the lack of a full roof rigidity. The GTS would go on to vastly outsell the closed GTB for the rest of the car's life.

When Ferrari had to reduce the car's emissions in 1980, it switched from carburetors to a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection system — and the result was a loss of about 55 PS. US-market cars suffered the most, fitted with catalytic converters that pushed output below 200 hp. These "i" models — the GTBi and GTSi — are the least celebrated of the 308 family, though they kept the showroom busy while Ferrari worked on a solution.

The Ferrari 308 was made famous by the television series Magnum, P.I., in which the series' lead Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) drove the car around Oahu for eight seasons while on his investigations, from 1980 to 1988. Several 308 GTS cars were used — a new one for each season, mostly being auctioned off after filming, all with the license plate "ROBIN 1".

The iconic pairing almost never happened. Selleck initially pushed for his character to drive a Porsche 928, but the automaker declined production modifications. Ferrari stepped in, customizing the 308 GTS to fit Selleck's 6-foot-4 frame by adjusting the seat height and positioning.

For eight years, Selleck drove his red sidekick through 162 episodes, ensuring that the Prancing Horse was top of mind everywhere from New York penthouses to double-wide mobile homes across America. Ferrari's American sales surged, and the 308 became arguably the most recognized sports car of the decade.

In 1982, Ferrari introduced four-valve technology into the 308 lineup, resulting in the Quattrovalvole versions of both the coupe and the targa. One other significant benefit of the QV's four-valve heads was the replacement of the non-QV models' sodium valves, which had been known to fail at the joint between the head and the stem. European cars now made 240bhp, and the car felt properly fast again.

The QV era also spawned a motorsport legend. From the workshops at Michelotto in Padua, a Group 4 rally car was developed, with the first model leaving in 1978. Its first victory came in 1979 at the Monza Rally. By 1982, the 308 Gr4 won both the constructors' and drivers' titles of the Italian Rally Championship.

By the time the 308 was finally replaced, 12,149 examples of both the Berlinetta and open-top spider models had left the line — making it the best-selling Ferrari in history at that point.


THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis No. ZFFMA13A8D0047549 is one of 871 308 GTS Quattrovalvole examples produced in 1983 — the first full model year of Ferrari's celebrated four-valve V8 — this US-market car represents the finest evolution of the iconic 308 GTS lineage.

Identified by its 'M' VIN prefix, this is a confirmed US-specification Quattrovalvole, factory-built to meet American emissions requirements and fitted with catalytic converters. Its sequential chassis number places it squarely in the middle of the 1983 production run, built at a time when demand in North America was at its peak, fueled in no small part by the car's starring role in Magnum, P.I.


The GTS body — penned by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti — features the model's distinctive removable black roof panel, louvred rear quarter windows, four-outlet exhaust, and quad taillights with reversing lamps on the outer pair; detail changes that visually separate the QV from its predecessors.

Finished in traditional Rosso Corsa over Beige leather sport seats, the interior consists of the gated manual transmission, and a period correct Alpine AM/FM CD player.

Accompanying the car are multiple keys, original tool roll and jack, along with its targa roof panel.

Showing just 51,286 miles at the time of cataloging, live out your Magnum P.I. fantasies.

Of the 3,042 GTS Quattrovalvole examples built between 1982 and 1985, US-specification 1983 cars represent a single, narrow production window — all sharing the 'M' engine code unique to that model year and market.