1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4

I was the one who sold 308 GT4 S/N 10540 for $23,500 back in 1990

by Steve Ahlgrim

Ferrari’s family of immensely successful V8 road cars began in 1973 with the 308 GT4. The Maranello factory’s first V8-engined road car and first mid-engine 2+2, the 308 GT4 was styled by Bertone rather than the customary Pininfarina. By placing the front seats well forward, Bertone made room for two children or one sideways-seated adult in the rear, while the compact engine/transaxle package left space behind the engine bay for a luggage compartment. Although the newcomer’s wedge-shaped styling was controversial, the performance of its quad-cam, 3-liter V8 did not disappoint, proving sufficient to propel the 308 past 150 mph, with 0-60 mph coming in under 7 seconds. Road & Track was most impressed by the 308 GT4’s blend of speed and civility when they tested one in 1974: “Apart from the performance, which you take for granted in a Ferrari, and the aforementioned remarkable flexibility of the engine, perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Dino 308 is...