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25,000 KM from New: 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

Despite bearing some resemblance to the classic 308, the Ferrari 288 GTO was a much different beast. Like so many of the most iconic Ferraris, Porsches, and other high-performance cars, the company’s experience on the racetrack deeply influenced the development of this car. The 288 GTO features a longitudinally-mounted, turbocharged and intercooled V8, developing 400 b.h.p at 7,000 RPM. This one has just over 25,600 kilometers from new and is listed here on Bonhams.

In some ways, the 288 GTO feels somewhat overlooked in the hierarchy of limited-production Ferrari models. The F40 gets plenty of love from collectors and the motoring press, and the F50 follows closely behind. I’m not saying the 288 GTO is unloved, but it doesn’t always feel like it’s the first car in a conversation about Ferrari’s homologation models. From this angle, we can see that the GTO was further set apart from lesser models with massive fender flares, additional driving lights and cooling ducts, and front and rear spoilers.

If you have a chance, find some YouTube videos of a cold startup of a GTO. It’s a magical thing. The quad-cam, 32-valve V8 is a beast, and in a car weighing under 3,000 pounds, it moved the GTO with authority. Factor in the use of lightweight components like kevlar, fiberglass, and carbon fiber, and it’s easy to see how this limited-production model was built from the ground up to bring cutting-edge, track-proven performance to the private customer. With under 300 made, the chance to buy one of these competition-grade coupes doesn’t come up often.

The listing reads like someone’s personal dating history, with the description noting how often the GTO has been passed between different owners and corporate interests. With such low mileage, it’s a shame this GTO hasn’t been driven more than it has, but that’s also the life of a limited-production supercar to some extent. The listing notes the Ferrari will be accompanied by the appropriate documentation establishing provenance, and that it will receive a full belt and fluid service before making its way to the next owner.

Comments

  1. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    No need for those “periscope” styled mirrors, IMO. & even the fog lights – why are there 2 sets of em?

    Like 0
    • Avatar SubGothius

      Probably both fog lights and driving lights; the former are focused tightly downward to better illuminate the road surface directly in front of the car without illuminating much fog in the air, while the latter are focused broadly forward to illuminate a greater distance of both the road surface and objects ahead and around it.

      As for the periscope mirrors, those put the mirrors at eye level in the driver’s peripheral vision, so they don’t have to glance away from the road as much to notice cars approaching from behind.

      Like 3
      • Avatar scottymac

        “…cars approaching from behind.” That was totally in jest, right?

        As soon as I have my Lancia 037 Rally Stradale, or better yet, the Kimera update, parked in my garage, I’ll be looking for a 288 GTO. Oops, this isn’t BAT?

        Like 1
  2. Avatar Big C

    25km? Pull her into the garage, right after the ink dries on the title transfer.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Charles

      You’re missing the 3 zeros

      Like 0
  3. Avatar jwzg
    • Avatar Stan

      Wow☝️ watch this. Thanks jwzg 👍
      Haha awesome video. And an absolutely awesome car. Love everything about it. Lites, mirrors, wheels, looks Unreal and the motor wow. A driver’s car.

      Like 2
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Wow!
      A Ken Block video if Ken drove cooler cars.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Giovanni

    Just seeing this car makes me weep with joy, and cry with sadness at the BORING cars that are being made today.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Howie

    So no Craig’s List on this?

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Ronald Amon

    Design is too close to a 308 to command any stronger attention or big bucks. 308 over this any day.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Joe Elliott

      Fun fact: In a market economy, blog commenters don’t get to decide how much vintage cars are worth, and this model still commands ~50x the price of a 308.

      Like 3
  7. Avatar Richard Martin

    Some really nice photographs of a really nice car on the auction house website. It all falls flat however when you look at the suggested price. Four million English pounds is one hell of a lot of money – particularly when you consider what other exotics can be found for considerably less.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Idiot Boy

    Goodie gumdrops the dollar is finally below parity with the euro! Transfer some funds and prepare to initiate the wire transfer, James!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Dallas

    My favourite Ferrari of all time, full stop. Far superior to a 308/328, sorry.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Araknid78

    Unsold at auction

    Like 0

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