By the late 1970s, turbocharging was gaining favor in F1, and Enzo Ferrari wanted in. Ferrari’s first turbocharged road car, the 208 GTB Turbo, debuted in 1982, but it lacked an intercooler and was less than reliable. Refining that approach meant a new engine. The 288 GTO was really born as an engine exercise, with the handy emergence of Group B Rally providing an excuse to homologate the car and sell it at a premium. The new car just happened to be clothed in a beefier version of the 308’s styling as a matter of reaching production quickly. Only 200 examples were required, but a total of 272 were made and readily absorbed by privateers despite a sky-high price. This ultra-rare Ferrari has appreciated substantially in the last couple of years, enticing more than one example onto the market in 2026. Chassis 055687 is for sale here at Girardo’s in England. Of course, the car is saturated with provenance and accompanied by original accessories that are virtually impossible to source today. No price is listed, but that only gives us an opportunity to triangulate to a likely number. Thanks to Araknid78 for the fabulous tip!
The 2.8-liter V8 won’t snarl like Ferrari’s V12s, but fitted as it is with twin IHI turbos, Behr intercoolers, and fuel injection, output registers 400 hp. A tube frame, use of carbon fiber and Kevlar, and partial fiberglass bodywork have the 288 GTO weighing in at only 2880 lbs. Zero to sixty will come up in an honest 5 seconds. Dimensionally, the 288 is shorter and wider than the 308, suiting its racing aspirations. The suspension is adjustable for road (higher) or track. Braking is via big vented discs. The five-speed manual transaxle operates through a gated shifter.
Inside, contoured buckets are refurbished with red cloth inserts. The long gear shift lever is best if coaxed gently into the next slot. “Mouse fur”, as it is colloquially called, covers the dash to reduce glare. The brake and clutch pedals are notched to enable easy on/off movement. The dead pedal offers a place to park your left foot when it’s not busy – which might amount to very little time at all. This car has been driven at least 65,000 km by its four owners, in total. The last owner commissioned a complete restoration in 2022, chronicled in detailed fashion and culminating in a Ferrari Classiche certification. All numbers-matching and accompanied by its factory tools, books and records, as well as an original luggage bag, this is a top-notch offering. The only tradeoff I can see here is a potential demerit for its high mileage: Ferrari enthusiasts tend to pay more for nearly unused cars.
The Pininfarina design is clean and relatively unfussy. Those rear strakes are vents for the brakes; the louvers on the rear deck lid help cool the engine. The fenders are prominent, but the upturned tail is on the modest side. Once you’ve decided a 288 GTO is for you, it’s time to shop. You probably missed the last one sold two weeks ago, on this venue, for $6,825,000, not including commissions. A couple of years ago, this ’85 sold at RM’s Amelia Island auction for just shy of $4 million. You won’t be that lucky on the price however; rare Ferraris have exploded in value this year. I’ll bet today’s 288 GTO will sell for at least $6 million, but alas, we may never know the final figure.
When these first arrived , I thought they looked “cool” . Over the years , these have aged very well. I wish they had done something slightly different on the rear, as these still look like a 308 or 328.I never could understand why Ferrari never had tilt / telescopic steering wheels. I would have to worry about the steering wheel, as I’ll never have enough money to purchase.