While Tom Selleck starred as the titular character in the 1980s TV series, Magnum P.I., many people believe that the true star of the show was the Ferrari 308 GTS that served as his daily driver throughout the show’s eight-season production run. This 1978 example pre-dates the show, and it’s begging for some cosmetic TLC to recapture its former glory. However, since it is a turnkey proposition, those tasks could be tackled at the buyer’s leisure. The seller has listed the Ferrari here on eBay in Troy, Michigan. They set their BIN at $57,500 with the option to make an offer.
Ferrari unveiled the 308 GTB at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, with the targa-topped GTS variant following two years later at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Initially offered with a glass-reinforced plastic body, the company moved to all-steel construction in 1977. Our feature GTS emerged from the factory in 1978, finished in dazzling Fly Yellow. The current owner has been its custodian since 1979, giving potential buyers a known history. The seller confirms a small repair to one front fender following a minor bump many years ago, but the remaining paint is original. It shows its age, with checking on various surfaces and a few bubbles. Therefore, this Ferrari is a prime candidate for a cosmetic refresh. There is no evidence of rust that would increase the complexity of the work, and no significant dings or dents. The glass is clear, the fiberglass roof panels appear to fit nicely, and the beautiful alloy wheels are spotless.
The defining feature of almost any Ferrari is its engine, and the 308 is no exception. As the model designation suggests, these cars left the factory powered by a mid-mounted 3.0-liter (actually 2,927cc) V8, producing 255hp and 195 ft/lbs of torque. The power feeds to the back wheels via a five-speed manual transaxle, with four-wheel independent suspension and enormous brakes creating a “total” package for the driver. The seller indicates that this GTS has a genuine 33,850 miles showing on its odometer without mentioning supporting evidence. However, given its ownership history, the figure might be verifiable. It has been meticulously maintained by the owner and is said to be in excellent mechanical health. It always pays to carefully scrutinize exotics of this caliber to ensure that they don’t hide any nasty surprises, but the news appears pretty positive.
The paint isn’t the only aspect of this Ferrari to show its age, because the Brown leather seatcovers exhibit wear. They haven’t developed holes or other severe issues, but they would benefit from expert attention to arrest the deterioration and recapture some of their youthful good looks. The rest of the interior appears in good order, and this car wins my heart, courtesy of the gated shifter and the beautiful three-spoke Momo wheel.
It is often said that we get what we pay for, which appears to be true with this 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS. The seller’s BIN figure falls well below the market average, reflecting its cosmetic needs. It still represents a substantial investment for what is essentially a driving project car, although leaving it untouched as a genuine survivor would be a viable option. However, with fresh paint and some interior work, it should be an $80,000 car in the current market. Is this a classic that you would consider pursuing further?
Call me a simpleton but I think these should be in red. Classic is classic. Of course, I will never be able to afford one, so what does it matter what I think?
If you can handle yellow it looks and sounds like a good deal. But it is a dealer.
I’d put a Fiero body kit on that.
lol
Danno….. That was hilarious!!!!
I’m 5’8″ and I can barely fit in one of these.
I’ve never been in a 308, but a friend has a yellow ’95 F355 and I fit fine in that one at 6′-5″ tall.
I’m 6ft 1″ and had no trouble getting into my 308.
The trick with any Ferrari GTS is to leave the targa top in the garage. If you stow it in its berth behind the seats you lose about 5” of leg room. Of course, this isn’t an issue in a Berlinetta or Spider.
A long time ago, late 80’s early 90’s maybe I was filling up my company van before a work trip.
There was a Fly Yellow GTB getting gas, Texas plates, in WV.
I knew about these cars, but this might have been the closest I had been to one.
They are small, but I just love these cars.
I had one of these a long time ago. Great looking car, especially with the later-model 16″ wheels on it. But really, really slow. My Honda minivan that my wife drove at the time was faster than this, unfortunately.
-Wayne
In that case there was something seriously wrong with your Ferrari!
But it’s not always about the speed, that minivan doesn’t have the “soul” that the 308 has.
And nowhere near as fun to drive.
You didn’t think to get it into the shop and get it sorted?
I have never seen a 308 (or 328) in yellow. I had seen one (in person) in a beautiful dark blue metallic. But most are red.
Had a mixed bag of customers and colors on the cars we worked on in the ’80s. Red, yellow, silver and one painted black over yellow. That was in the mid west. Saw more yellow on the west coast.
If I’m reading the listing correctly, the timing belt (and tensioner bearing) service has never been done. The factory recommends 30k miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. It’s not so far over 30k, but it’s been a bit more than 5 years! The engine does NOT need to come out for this service, so it’s not absurdly expensive. The fact that the current owner has neglected this maintenance for so long does not inspire confidence that he has kept up with the other routine maintenance…
“Mechanically, the car has always been maintained by the owner himself, with no outside shop or dealer involvement. Notably, the engine has never been disassembled for internal timing belt service or valve work.”
Translation: no service records. Replacing the belts can be done at home; if the owner hasn’t changed the belts or tensioner bearings in more than 40 years, what does “maintained” mean?
20 years ago, I might have tried to make a deal, flown to Michigan, and driven it 2000 miles home, Maybe it would be a grand adventure for a social media influencer. :) I’d strongly recommend doing the belts (and the shared brake/clutch fluid, and the oil and coolant, etc) before heading out. Oh, and check those tires…. Pretty sure this year has metric TRX tires, which you won’t be sourcing from the Costco tire center then you’re halfway home. :)
It’s a nice looking car, and I’m fine with the yellow color.
nice