The late Enzo Ferrari was not as passionate about road cars as many believe. While he thought that each vehicle rolling out of the factory bearing his name should exhibit engineering excellence, Mr. Ferrari saw them as a means to an end. He took the profits from each sale and diverted as much as possible to fund his beloved Formula 1 team. This 1980 Ferrari 308 GTBi is one of those cars that supported his passion and presents superbly as an original survivor. It is a low-mile vehicle that has been treated with complete respect, but the time has arrived for it to find a new home. Therefore, the seller has listed it here on eBay in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Frantic bidding has pushed the price beyond the reserve to $45,300.

The first Ferrari 308 GTB rolled out of the factory in Maranello, Italy, in 1975. It proved a resilient classic because although it underwent evolutionary changes throughout its production life, the last car appeared on a showroom floor in 1985. Our feature car breaks the stereotype for the brand, presenting in the shade called Nero, which is Black to us mere mortals. The paint is flawless, reflecting a life of care and attention. The current owner has been this Ferrari’s custodian for sixteen years, and it hasn’t seen rain or severe weather conditions during that time. It remains garage-kept, allowing it to stay rust-free and spotlessly clean. There is no history of accident damage or prior restoration work. The glass is flawless, and the beautiful aluminum wheels exhibit no physical damage or stains. It is hard to describe the presentation of a forty-two-year-old car as perfect, but this classic gives that definition a nudge.

The defining characteristic of any Ferrari is its engine, and the 308 GTBi is no exception. It features a mid-mounted 2,927cc all-alloy mid-mounted V8 that feeds its power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transaxle. The 1980 model year brought fuel injection to the table, hence the “i” presence in the model designation. As well as making the car less temperamental, it lowered engine emissions to meet tightening regulations. That sweet little V8 should produce 205hp, allowing the Italian stallion to cover the ¼ mile in 15.5 seconds before winding its way to 146mph. By modern standards, neither figure looks particularly impressive. However, it stood the car in good stead when it rolled out the factory doors. The seller indicates the vehicle has a genuine 37,917 miles on its odometer and has always been appropriately maintained. It sees limited use, but the owner starts it regularly and brings everything up to temperature to keep the fluids flowing. It has no stated issues and is ready to be enjoyed by its lucky new owner.

Any Italian supercar will win me if I open the doors and find a gated shifter poking out of the floor. That is one of the features of this Ferrari, along with spotless hand-stitched Caramel leather. It looks soft and inviting, showing no evidence of wear or abuse. The dash sports the usual cluster of gauges and dials that the driver views through the gorgeous leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel. The seller fitted a modern CD player, but the interior remains otherwise original and unmolested. A wire emerging from the passenger side of the console doesn’t rate a mention, but that is one of the few flaws I can spot.

By modern standards, the 1980 Ferrari 308 GTBi doesn’t offer potential owners performance that stands above that provided by many cars you could buy off the showroom floor. However, it possesses an indefinable aura that stirs a passion in many people’s souls. That is perfectly demonstrated by the auction action on our feature car. It has already attracted fifty bids, and there’s enough time remaining for the bid total and price to climb higher. I won’t be surprised if it tops $70,000 before the hammer falls. Regardless of where the auction ends, someone will drive away in an Italian classic guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes.