1975 FERRARI 208 GT4 Registration Number: Italian-registere...

Hammer

£38,500

1975 FERRARI 208 GT4

Registration Number: Italian-registered 
Chassis Number: 11468
Recorded Mileage: 97,600 kilometres (61,000 miles)

- Rare variant of Bertone-bodied Dino Ferrari
- Recent mechanical overhaul at a cost of c. £9,000
- Cosmetic refresh in current ownership

The smaller brother of the Ferrari 308, the Dino 208 GT4 came at a crossroads in the evolution of Ferrari’s road car lineage. When launched in 1975, the Dino brand was still active as a standalone marque alongside Ferrari, eventually being brought together in 1976. The Dino badge represented entry-level accessibility, as typified by the preceding six-cylinder models such as the 206 GT and 246 GT. 

The 208 GT4’s 90-degree V-8 engine contained belt-driven twin-overhead camshafts per bank, transversely mounted, with the all-synchromesh, five-speed transmission assembly below, and to the rear of, the engine’s wet sump. It was fitted with a bank of four twin-choke Weber carburettors, producing a very capable 180 horsepower.

The model was conceived and designed for the Italian market, where cars with a larger than two-litre displacement engine were subject to a value-added tax (VAT) of 38 percent. In order to circumvent this restrictive taxation, the engine was downsized to 1,991 cubic centimetres, making it the smallest production V8 ever used in a Ferrari road car. 

With a pronounced wedge-shaped body, penned by Bertone, a look that was very much in keeping with the sharp-suited style of the period. The overall design is compact and well balanced, withstanding the test of time and shifting fashions. Only available in left-hand-drive configuration, the Dino 208 GT4 remained in production from 1975 to 1980, and remains a rarely seen Ferrari.

Formerly part of a large and significant Italian-based Ferrari collection, the 208 offered today has joined a small collection since arriving in the UK in the last few years. Dry-stored in recent times, in 2020 the Ferrari benefitted from recommissioning works at a cost of c. £9,000. The engine received a full service and tune including all belts, fluids and filters, and engine oil leaks rectified. The steering rack was replaced, the driveshafts stripped and new CV boots were fitted and the brakes were overhauled. A new fuel pump was fitted, as were new fuel hoses, and the electrical system was tested and any faults addressed as required. Following this extensive work, the paintwork was refreshed where required and now presents well. The interior trim is in tidy order, with a room for minor areas of improvement here and there. 

All of this work has a highly usable and distinctive 1970s sportscar which can be used and enjoyed straight away. The 208 is offered with an Italian title document, bills for recent work as stated above, and older UK MoT certificate.

Interested parties should note, should this car remain in the UK, buyer’s should expect to pay import taxes of 5% of the sale price, plus other UK registration costs as required.