1981 Ferrari 308 GTBi

The advent of the new Pininfarina-designed 308 GTB was hailed as one of the best Ferraris of modern times. And it is no wonder-following on the heels of the mechanically inspired but visually challenged 308 GT4, the new 308 was drop-dead gorgeous.

As Sergio Pininfarina himself pointed out, \"Every Ferrari car previously designed by us was a great success in the market.\" From a styling point of view, the 308 owes more to the legendary 246 Dino than to any previous road-going Ferrari. Perhaps equally important, the 308 GTB was the first non-12-cylinder road car to carry the Ferrari badge.

The car was quite sophisticated, particularly for the time, with a transverse-mounted all-alloy four-cam V8 engine, initially producing 205 hp-a remarkable figure. With four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, the car was extremely well-balanced, and offered taut handling along with a compliant ride.

Originally sold in...