If you haven’t noticed, prices for manual Ferraris are pretty much headed to the moon, and never coming back. If you wanted to get into a car with a gated shifter and a prancing horse for under $100,000, your options are growing increasingly slim. This is actually an arena I explored recently, and while I will not be adding a Ferrari to my garage, I certainly understand if this 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 listed here on Car and Classic catches your eye. It’s currently up for grabs for €60,000, which works out to about $70,000 USD. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Araknid78 for the find.
Confession time: I spent a great deal of mental energy over the last few weeks convincing myself that I could, and should, own a vintage Ferrari. I went down the rabbit hole of chasing any Mondial 3.2 coupe I could find, and not surprisingly, I am late to the party. Supply was always limited, but now, it’s non-existent. I was offered one of the later Mondial T models with the same engine as a Ferrari 348 for a heady $100,000. That’s just bananas, especially for a car that has historically been one of the most unloved Ferraris of all time. This particular car was imported to France when new, and it still wears its unusual yellow tinted headlight lenses – a French market requirement.
The 308 GT4 is more or less a spiritual predecessor to the Mondial, and while this may have seemed like a drawback a few years ago, that sentiment has dramatically changed. Any Ferrari with a naturally aspirated V8 mounted in the middle of the chassis and connected to a classic manual gearbox is going to be held in high regard these days, especially since Ferrari has abandoned this combination of features in its modern road cars. The car shown here was not exactly a smash hit when introduced, as it was sold under the Dino brand without any Ferrari badges, before this strategy shifted and the prancing horse appeared in an attempt to boost sales.
The 308 is equipped with a 2.9-liter V8, producing around 255 b.h.p. in European-spec trim. The description notes it has been in current ownership for many years but has an “average” maintenance history, with the last timing belt change performed in 2011. The challenge I had with cars like these is you’re currently paying for a moment in time when Ferraris with three pedals are surging. What happens to cars like this and the Mondial, when the mood shifts and the next generation loses all interest in old sports cars with a stick shift? You’ll be holding the proverbial bag on a vehicle that still costs significant money to own, but its future value remains in question. What do you think: will Ferraris with a V8 and a manual always appreciate?
These cars sold so poorly that some dealerships reportedly repainted them red and fitted them with Ferrari badges to help them sell faster. This car was originally blue and had a badge change. I wonder if this is one of those cars painted at the dealership.