Ferrari 308 1958 2Door

2 Previous Owners, This Lot will be sold at auction at Symphony of Spring; Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 7th March. Rare Vetroresina modelRecent mechanical works carried out by DK EngineeringIntroduced in 1975, the 308 GTB was the direct descendent of the Dino. The body was designed by Pininfarinas Leonardo Fioravanti, who had been responsible for some of Ferraris most celebrated shapes to date, including the Daytona, the Dino and the Berlinetta Boxer. The first production GTB rolled off the assembly line with a body made of fibreglass. Ferrari were unsure if they would register enough interest with the model and so tested the waters with fibreglass which could be made more costeffectively in small numbers. The instant success of the Vetroresina meant that they would indeed tool up to build the car in steel. Powered by a 3.0 litre 90degree V8, with beltdriven twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank. It was transversely mounted in unit with the transaxle transmission assembly, which was below and to the rear of the engines sump. All models used a fully synchromesh fivespeed manual and a clutchtype limited slip differential. Suspension was allindependent. The fibreglass and early cars were equipped with carburettors and a dry sump, however in late 1979 the cars started to feature a wet sump and then in 1980 Ferrari made the leap to Bosch KJetronic mechanical fuel injection in order to meet ever more tricky U.S. emission standards. Clearly, Enzo Ferrari did not want to go this route as the race cars of the day retained carburettors.Resplendent in Rosso Red, this legendary midengined V8 coupe defined an entire genre of Ferrari. Recently restored by the current owner, the car was chemically stripped back to resin and refinished in Rosso, the colour for the GTB with the rich hue accentuated perfectly by all manner of light conditions. Achingly pretty from every angle, the Pininfarina designed body of the 308 is timeless thanks to a combination of sharp angles, sculpted intakes and sweeping curves. Black trim details provide a subdued contrast to the bright coachwork and show free from any signs of cracks or fading. Headlights, as well as rear light fixings, were also stripped, renewed and repaired where necessary. Perfectly offsetting the striking Rosso bodywork, the interior of this iconic sportscar is a minimal affair, showing a stunning combination of tan and black leather with intricate chrome detailing throughout. The seats show a little patination but still retain excellent shape and integrity. Door cards and dash still fit and feel solid whilst the truly 70s brown carpet is clean and tidy throughout.Low slung sports seats provide an upright but comfortable driving position, with a thin rimmed Momo steering wheel and trademark gated dogleg fivespeed gearbox creating that driverfocused feel synonymous with Ferrari. Providing some period luxuries the specification extends to a factory airconditioning system and Pioneer FM/cassette radio for some entertainment on the go.Featuring a DOHC 2.9 litre V8 mounted transversely behind the driver, the 308 is a significant car in the timeline of Ferrari. As the first car to feature a midengine V8 it set the tone for every coupe produced by the brand for 40 plus years. Producing 252bhp, this early carburettor Vetroresina is also fitted with a factory limited slip differential and gated fivespeed dogleg gearbox to create a new benchmark in sports coupes; capable of 060mph in just 6.2 seconds thanks to a dry weight of just over 1,100kg.Mechanically this 308 GTB is in superb order with a recent overhaul at DK Engineering, including a major service alongside a new cambelt, crankshaft seal and oil cooler airducting. Completing the period style of the GTB are a factory fitted set of Speedline 16 inch five spoke alloys accompanied by Pirelli P7 rubber on all four corners and the brakes have recently been bled and checked to ensure they perform as they should.It was delivered new to Australia in 1976, and it left the factory in Argento Silver and has since been resprayed in the timeless colourway of Rosso over a tan interior. A magnificent early history is annotated by all service invoicing and a summary sheet accounting for all work carried out up until 1985. After a period in storage, the car was imported and registered in the UK in 2015 with the owner deliberately seeking a solid and low mileage example from a dry climate such as Australia. Complete with its original owners manual and service book, this elegant 308 has recently been subject to a major cambelt service and additional works by marque specialists, DK Engineering. The GTB is a rarer car on our roads than the later GTS model and to many, demonstrates the Pininfarina design in its purest form. Consigned by James Good