(Ferrari) Dino 308 GT4

The misunderstood

How could anyone come up with the idea of having a new car designed by the very man who had already designed its biggest competitor? Perhaps that was precisely the reason? We don’t know, but Ferrari awarded the contract for the successor to the Dino 246 GT not to Pininfarina, but to Bertone of all people. A studio with which Ferrari had never worked before, apart from a few one-off projects. And where Marcello Gandini, the epitome of evil in Maranello since the Miura at the latest, was in charge. Pininfarina was furious, Bertone, always short of cash, naturally accepted the commission – and Gandini copied himself, as the similarity between the Lamborghini Urraco and the Dino 308 GT4 is quite striking. On the other hand, how else could a 2+2-seater with a mid-engine look? The design specifications don’t allow for many options, especially if you like angular, wedge-shaped designs. Be that as it may, the 308 GT4 remained Gandini’s only (Ferrari).

At some point, even Enzo Ferrari realised that the Porsche 911 was not just a pimped-up Beetle. The best years of the 911 were yet to come, but anyone looking for an affordable sports car in the early 1970s was more likely to find it in Stuttgart than in Maranello. And then there was that obtrusive tractor manufacturer, which had introduced a new entry-level model in 1970, the Urraco, which made the Dino 246 GT look quite old. And Maserati knew in Maranello that a little brother to the Bora was on the way; Modena is more of a village. The starting signal for a new Dino was likely given in mid-1970 at the latest – and it had to happen quickly, which is why Gandini was chosen.

The packaging of the (Ferrari) Dino 308 GT4 is quite ingenious. It’s not easy to accommodate four people and still offer a decent boot in a car that is 4.3 metres long and has a wheelbase of 2.55 metres.

In addition, a new engine had to be installed, a 3-litre V8, bolted to the gearbox to form a single unit, installed in front of the rear axle. The chassis construction with the space frame with three oval longitudinal tubes was taken virtually unchanged from the 246, and the suspension also came from its predecessor. The body, built by Scaglietti, is made of sheet steel, with only the bonnets made of aluminium. Weighing 1,150 kilograms and boasting 255 hp, it offered excellent handling, which was quite a statement, making Maserati and Lamborghini look rather old.

After three internal prototypes, the Dino 308 GT4 was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1973, with series production starting shortly afterwards with chassis number 07202. An initial series of 1,332 vehicles was sold as the Dino 308 GT4 and did not bear the Ferrari emblem.
The second series, starting with chassis number 12180, was then ‘upgraded’ with the Ferrari emblem on the front and the Cavallino on the rear right (probably because they hoped for better sales figures). The second series also differed in that it had new fog lamps installed inside the radiator opening, either behind or next to the radiator grille depending on the country, and later also had matt black plastic bumpers. Inside, the modified glove compartment cover, the cover for the fuses now located under the glove compartment and the additional outlet openings under the dashboard for the improved air conditioning system are striking. On the engine side, the two ignition distributors were replaced by one ignition distributor on the front cylinder bank. Minor changes were also made within the series; as always with Ferrari, the transition from Series 1 to Series 2 is not precisely defined. A total of 2,826 units were built by 1980, plus 840 examples of the 208 GT4 (i.e. 2-litre displacement, 170 hp).

The (Ferrari) Dino 308 GT4 did not have it easy. First there was the design problem, which the trade press gleefully pounced on. Then there was the ‘wrong’ name; a Dino was simply not a Ferrari, especially in the USA (and when it did become a Ferrari, things did not get any better). And yes, the market for 2+2-seater mid-engine sports cars was not infinitely large either. As used cars, they were far too cheap for a long time – and too often had to serve as spare parts carriers for the 208/308 GTB. That has changed in recent years, and the model below, which will be auctioned by Oldtimer Galerie Toffen on 21 March 2026, is estimated to fetch between 65,000 and 75,000 Swiss francs.

And then there is the only 308 GT4 with an official racing history, chassis number #08020. There was a Mr Bill Schanbacher who commissioned Luigi Chinetti’s N.A.R. team to convert one of these Dinos into a racing car, with Le Mans as the destination. For the appropriate fee, Maranello was of course willing to fulfil this wish. Everything that was not needed was removed from the GT4, the 3-litre V8 was tuned to around 300 hp, and the brakes from the BB were fitted. Although the car had hardly any mileage and could not be tested extensively, Gagliardi/Lafosse achieved a remarkable 38th place in qualifying; however, the race was over after 30 laps due to clutch problems. And there was another problem: the Dino had to start in the prototype class because it was not homologated in time. Surprisingly, this was also the case in 1975, when the 308 GT4 L/M was not allowed to compete at all – and Chinetti became so angry that he withdrew his three other registered vehicles as well.

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