A glance into the collector car market as 80s cars are beginning a meteoric rise. Image Credit: Tom Stahler
At $3.3 MM This Is Not Magnum's Ferrari
By Tom Stahler
The eighties were an interesting period in history. It brought us big hair, Boy George, Max Headroom, MTV, Hair Metal, Miami Vice and many shitty cars. For example there was the K-Car that saved Chrysler, the Corvette C4, Magnum P.I.’s Ferrari 308, the ill-fated DeLorean, the Yugo… But like my fellow GenXers, we still love the E30 BMWs (the M3 WAS the ultimate driving machine), the Lamborghini LP500 Countach the whale tailed Porsche 911 Carreras and a supercar that transcended the car culture — and many of my age-group put on their wish list to keep us studying hard in college: the Ferrari 288 GTO! It was definitely “justification for higher education.”
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| The muscular stance of the 288 GTO clearly differentiated it from the 308s of the day. Image Credit: RM Sothebys |
Eighties cars are doing very well at auction as of late — even those eight-cylinder Ferrari’s. Two years ago, an ultra low-mileage Yugo convertible brought $11,000 at Barrett-Jackson. Car and Driver, humorously, in its test feature back in 1986 said the car went 0-60 in 15 seconds (pushed off a cliff). It does sometimes make us wonder what they are putting in the complimentary drinks for bidders at the famed auction house.
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| At 400 bhp and a top speed rated at 189 mph, the 288 GTO was the beginning of car culture's love affair with the supercar. Image Credit: RM Sothebys |
The Countach is doing well and many other low mileage examples of machinery that played Lionel Ritchie and R.E.M. on their radios are coming up in the marketplace. At this year’s RM Auctions in Scottsdale this beautiful 2800-mile 288 GTO sold For $3,360,000! Not bad for an 80’s used car, eh?
The 288 was the first Ferrari to carry the GTO name since the iconic 250 GTO — which today on rare occasions routinely sell into the $40 Million range. Essentially a 308 with a longer wheelbase and steroids for good measure. Arguably, the lines were prettier and racier too! Designed and built to compete in the FIA’s Group B World Rally Championship, Ferrari produced the street-able 288 GTO in order to homologate it for competition. Which by FIA rules only required production of 200 cars.
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| The 288 GTO garnered much attention at RM's Scottsdale auction. Image Credit: Tom Stahler |
In the 1980s Group B was Rallying’s Can-Am series. Audi, Peugeot, Porsche and Lancia produced insane cars and introduced numerous advancements in motoring technology as the rules essentially were “there are no rules.” The Quattro, The Stratos, the 205 Turbo 16 E2, The 911SC came from this era — and all were making insane horsepower with amazing grip, thrilling crowds and killing drivers and co-drivers. So much so, that the class was cancelled by the FIA in 1987 — but like the turbo-era in F1, it still stirs the imagination.
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| It's a noun that stirs emotion in the onlooker. image Credit: RM Sothebys |
Sadly Ferrari’s fully developed and homologated 288 GTO never got to the starting line with its world beater by the time Group B was sent to memory. Instead of scrapping the 288 GTO project, Ferrari saw an opportunity to sell this early “Supercar” to a select group of customers.
The chassis was made from tubular steel and had four-wheel independent suspension. The Tipo F114B mid-mounted V-8 sat longitudinally and produced 400 hp through four valves per cylinder, Weber-Marelli electronic fuel injection, twin IHI turbochargers, and dual Behr intercoolers. Truly a race car for the street! Enzo Ferrari wanted to build engines that would “scare” his customers… This was achieved!
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| The fully serviced 2.8 liter DOHC four valve per cylinder V8. Image Credit: RM Sothebys |
GRP and carbon compound formed the bodywork while the doors, trunk, and engine-lid were lightweight aluminum. The 288 GTO’s stance and appearance shows a muscular looking 308 GTB. Big flared wheel arches to accommodate bigger wheels — 8-inches wide at the front and 10 at the rear. The attractive lines come from spoilers fore and aft — thanks to extensive wind-tunnel testing. The rear wings had three cooling slots behind the wheel, a beautiful shout out to the original 250 GTO.
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| The red seat inserts in this fully optioned 288 invites the driver... try not to drool on them. Image Credit: RM Sothebys |
Rated at a top speed of 189 mph, creature comforts made it very road-worthy. Features such as air-conditioning, leather seats and optional electric windows made it a highly sought after car to Ferrari’s most loyal customers. This particular 1985 example has all those options plus beautiful red seat inserts. In all, Ferrari sold 272 copies — more than the required homologation. As far as supercars go from the Prancing Horse, it remains the rarest. Consider the F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari had much higher production numbers.
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| In a shout out to the original 250 GTO, the cooling slots are functional and beautiful. Image Credit: Tom Stahler |
The three owner car was driven less than 2900 miles in its 34 year lifetime, yet previous to the auction, had a full service including belts, compression tests — which diagnosed the lovely example in perfect running order.
Was it worth $3.3 Million? Most would say “yes, for sure.” Clearly this car is on its way to becoming a certifiable classic — look for bigger numbers on other examples in the coming years for this and several other sought after eighties machinery.
TAGS: Magnum PI, $3.3 Million, RM Sothbys, Ferrari, 250 GTO, 288 GTO, Ferrari 308, GenXers Stahler
