1979 Ferrari 308 GTS

Enzo Ferrari's son, Alfredino "Dino" Ferrari, had a promising career as an engineer and businessman and was poised to take over his father's motoring empire, continuing the Ferrari legacy through the next generation. Dino gained experience working alongside some of the greatest engineers in history, such as Vittorio Jano. He is credited with the concept of the big-bore 4-cylinder 750 Monza and convincing his father of the merits of a compact V6. Sadly, he became ill and passed away at the age of twenty-four but his legacy lives on in the form of the Dino 246GT and the unbroken line of mid-engined V8 cars that continue today. Dino's 2.4-litre twin-overhead cam V6 was a jewel of an engine and was fitted to the first mid-engine regular production Ferrari, subsequently going on to become the lifeblood of the brand for the next 45 years.

The successor to the Dino, the exciting 308, gained two cylinders and earned a Ferrari badge. The 308 GTB/GTS is still the company's most successful model to date, selling more than 12,000 examples over a 10-year production span. As the volume leader for so many years, the 308 was often toward the bottom of the collectibility scale and many suffered from poor maintenance. Properly maintained 308s are now highly sought-after and the model is enjoying a well-deserved and dramatic rise in popularity.

First registered in the UK on 31/07/2015, this left-hand drive, 1979 model is an early steel-bodied 308 Spider that features the desirable carburettor setup. It is classically finished in Rosso Corsa with Tan leather, a combination that is ideally suited to the Pininfarina-designed body. Our vendor purchased this car through Silverstone Auctions having been freshly imported from Denmark, and, unlike a number of similar cars, it has been used and enjoyed with the odometer now indicating 50,255 miles.

Although part of a private collection our vendor frequently chooses to use this car and it has not long returned from a trouble-free return trip to Monaco. Naturally, a car of this nature needs to be regularly maintained and there are a number of accounts on file confirming this. Emblem Sportscars in Poole were entrusted with the car in January 2016 and there are detailed invoices to the value of £2,709. Autotec Classic Cars from Cheltenham attended to the car in August 2016 and including a full strip and rebuild of the rear brakes and a new set of Michelins, the bill was £3,583. These invoices are in the history file along with its V5, import documentation, and the MoT valid until 17/08/2017.

Externally the car looks even better than we remember it and has obviously received its fair share of care and attention. The overall condition is very pleasing and it looks very pretty and sounds fabulous. Provided they are well-maintained and frequently used, 308s are not that expensive to run and are basically very reliable. As they say in the trade; "A busy Ferrari is a happy Ferrari".