This car was much more updated and more comparative to the 82 and 83 cars my father owned. Despite mileage it looked and was quite clean. So I really wanted a chance to test this car more. Just to compare to a second 308 and with the initial excitement worn off to really see how the car felt. I always find a second test drive is usually more informative as you can focus on the car and not just initial jitters.
Looks
There is no question the Ferrari 308 looks are classic. Just a timeless design that holds up. Factor in the Targa roof and you get the best of both worlds for convertible vs hard top. Anyone who has watched a lot of Magnum P.I. or just grown up in the 80's will recognize this car.
While the car sits fairly high on its suspension it is the correct look for the period and vehicle. This vehicle had red carpet interior (not my favorite would prefer matching beige to the seats) and someone added non-period Ferrari "shields" to the front fenders. Despite that the car looks great. It garnered attention on the road and thumbs up from multiple people. I actually had a small conversation with a FedEx truck driver next to me at a stop light - because the targa top plus FedEx trucks have no doors meant we were practically right next to each other. "Looks like an amazing Ferrari for the age" was the comment along with "how much are they asking for it?".
Ergo and Interior
As mentioned this car has red carpet. Despite some wear/dirt on the drivers side the car interior was quite immaculate and seemed to be likely reupholstered if not well kept. While there was some usual age showing on the dials and such the interior was quite good. The owner appeared to have added red stitching to the steering wheel (again I don't think that was factory) and Ferrari logo floor carpet but it looks quite nice.
I managed to get a sitting position that worked for me. With the long throw of the clutch and my shorter stature I wasn't quite comfortable 100% in the seat but it wasn't horrible. In fact hopping back into my GT4 later I felt like my Porsche seats were stiffer and clutch more like a sport shift short and heavy throw. Very odd. The Ferrari pedals are notoriously oddly spaced. The clutch pedal very close to the dead pedal on the left making it tricky to not hit both. Meanwhile the brake and throttle pedals are far to the right and perhaps a bit too close to each other.
Steering wheel position is non adjustable. It did seem at least to my memory lower than I recall in the earlier 308. Mostly I remember the "tractor like" wheel position etc. That said this time around it didn't seem bad. While perhaps a little high for me it didn't really feel odd or egregious.
Amazingly the A/C also worked quite well. At least as much as I would expect from a car of this era and in literally 101 degree temperature outside. This was very welcome with targa top off baking in stop and go traffic. Beyond that the clutch knob reach is comfortable and the gated shifter in easy access.
Driving / Sound / Handling
There is no question that the 308 is a "classic" car. While F355 felt and drove comfortably and very much like a modern car the 308 has little interference between road and driver. Non-assisted steering is heavy while parked and loads up in turns on the road. Brakes are hard to press and don't give anywhere near the normal expected amount of breaking power compared to anything 90's and newer. Clutch work is slow and methodical but a joy when you get it right.
This is a car where you won't be on a cel phone or distracted with anything other than both hands on the wheel and foot ready to stop if needed.
Steering and suspension actually felt quite good. Taking a few normal street corners at moderate speeds we actually quite fun if not a fair bit of work to watch and do safely. It would be a lot of fun on fast sweepers and rolling roads. I am not quite so sure it's a car I would want to deal with on tight slow canyon corners with braking before sheer cliffs. As noted braking needs planning ahead of time. (Except the one time the car in front of me switched lanes and I found myself rapidly approaching a stopped car after a brief spurt of throttle... - HARD press on the brakes. They do work... but again effort). Body roll is definitely a part of the car... but again it's not a bad thing. In fact the ride is quite compliant... when I got back into my GT4 I had almost forgotten how back breaking the Porsche suspension is. This would be a great car for CnC rides, and slow rides to wine country.
Sound was enjoyable from a volume and noise standpoint. Still it doesn't have the high pitch wail one expects of modern Italian cars. More of an intake and vacuum sound mixed with pleasant engine noises and lower tone exhaust. Not bad. Just different than modern day sports cars.
Speaking of the engine if you want to look for power - don't. At least not really. It wasn't a bad level of power - again going in with normal expectations. But to keep up with normal flow of traffic it requires a heavy foot from stop lights partly because of time it takes to shift into gear and partly because any minivan will easily blast past you. That said I had no problem passing a few cars to change lanes on side streets. Visibility is decent although hampered by small side view mirrors and rear view. Still this isn't a car for stop light drag racing. It's a car to cruise in.
Overall Impressions
Having grown up with these cars and having memories of my Father's 308 parked in the garage while waiting for the school bus to come by it is quite nostalgic. I decided to drop the car into my garage just to grab a few pictures with his old signs and this car in there. There is no question the Ferrari 308 holds a prime place in culture and automotive history.
The thing I was pondering was would I prefer this over the GT4 and/or a modern Porsche. I am honestly more mulling a 911 for back seat usage with our two dachshunds. But if I were to stick with two seats...does this car do enough compared to the Porsche or say a Gallardo? At the end of the day I realized two things. First - no question it is fun to drive... and would be great for events and slow runs to get ice cream, but I am not a big convertible fan. Especially in 100+ temps it just wasn't enjoyable. Second - as much as I like the classic car look I realize there would likely be a fair bit of maintenance and issues. I sort of want a car that is modern and reliable and isn't going to require wrenching. My friend who has had a 328 has told me repeatedly the cars are very reliable. Still this is a 35 year old car. So in the end my conclusion was that this would be a great "extra" extra car. In other words have the Porsche or some modern day equivalent for back road work and then have this for the times when you want a classic. Right now that is out of my possibility but perhaps in the future.
If you live closer to the coast or in a more temperate area, and don't mind classic car feel, power, and issues then I suspect this would be great. I should note this car had no real problems driving it. It started every time I needed. Was relatively well behaved, and while the temperature got on the hotter side in the 100 degree weather it didn't overheat. And yes... it looks absolutely gorgeous. I still remember the leather smells a day later. Ah Italian super cars.
I suspect if I drove a 328 I might find a bit more power and comfort. The other interesting thing I have wondered is what would a 348 feel like? After driving the F355 which was almost modern feeling I wonder if the 348 bridges that gap between the 3x8 era and later cars. Would be interesting to experience, although I dare say with engine out service needed on 348 and 355 the latter would be the better vehicle. (No engine out cars for me please - 40 hours labor is not something I really want to experience). Anyhow in my personal case I suspect that the right answer is still a modern vehicle unless I can "add" to the garage. It was great to have a chance to really get more personal with the 308 to give it an accurate shakedown. I hope it finds a good home.
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| Early 80's photo of my Father and Grandfather in my dads early Ferrari 308 |
Thanks for reading!
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