1976 Ferrari 308GTB Vetroresina

This 308 GTB vetroresina is chassis number 19627, and build number 046.

And it’s really very special indeed.

The vendor has owned the car for 24 years and has used it regularly but very sparingly.

So sparingly, in fact, that the mileage is an extraordinary 36,300 miles from new – a figure verified by the car’s MoT history, which is documented back to 1979 when the odometer was recorded as reading 16,626 miles.

The vendor, who is a member of the Ferrari Owners Club, has spared no expense whatsoever in this car’s upkeep, maintenance and curation.

It has only been used on high days and holidays, and it wouldn’t recognise a shower or a puddle if you took it to see Singin’ in the Rain’`

The engine was given a full top-end rebuild in 2000, at which time it also had Nimonic valves fitted.

There was a colour change from blue to the current traditional Rosso Corsa that took place in the 1980s.

A new alloy header tank and water pump were fitted in 2010, and the car had a cambelt service and full shock absorber refurbishment in 2014 at a cost of over £8K.

All work was (and continued to be) carried out by Shiltech, and the vendor tells us that the firm’s founder, Geoff Shilton, can vouch for the condition and quality of this car if needed.

In 2014 Shiltech commissioned XK Engineering of Coventry to carry out all and any necessary bodywork repairs, re-gap doors and panels as appropriate, and respray the car in its factory colour of Rosso Corsa...at a cost of over £9K.

The front calipers were serviced in 2018 and a cambelts and valve clearances service was carried out in 2020.

The car currently sits on 16” split rim wheels, but also comes with its original 14” wheels. It has an unused space-saver wheel.

The bodywork is in very fine fettle indeed and there are no dinks, dents, creases, cracks or other aberrations of note anywhere that we’ve seen.

It’s a similar story of excellence and careful preservation with the car’s gleaming and lustrous Rosso Corsa paintwork.

The chrome is excellent, as are the 16” split-rim wheels currently fitted to the car.

The matching Yokohama tyres look to have plenty of life left in them.

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in very good order.

There is a little bit of what looks like rippling and overspray to the paint at the rear edge of the raised section of the engine bay cover, plus a couple of light scratches further down on the cover.

There are one or two touched-up paint chips in evidence at the front edge of the ‘frunk’, and a very slight raised dimple at the front of the passenger door.

Aside from these very minor issues, the bodywork and finish are pretty much beyond reproach.

Even stone chips and scuffs are far more notable for their absence than their presence. 

The condition of the interior is every bit a match for its exterior counterpart.

The tan leather seats have yet to earn much more than a light crease, let alone any kind of ingrained patina, and there are no real signs of use or abuse to speak of anywhere.

The carpets and mats are in similarly impressive condition.

Ditto the headlining and door cards.

The car’s delightfully analogue instrumentation is as it should be and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s meant to do without complaint.

The passenger window makes rather slow progress and can sometimes need some manual encouragement.

The driver’s side window can also be a little idiosyncratic in its behaviour.

The seats belts, which are original, need to be gently teased into place in order to overcome their proclivity to grab and stick.

The lock barrel on the central storage locker has retired hurt.

Just like the outside, the condition of the inside can best be described as age-defying and in a time-warp state of preservation.

The ‘frunk’ is every bit as good as the rest of it.

The engine bay is notably dry, clean and tidy, and everything seems to be in its right and proper place. 

The undersides look to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity throughout.

This car comes with plenty of invoices and receipts going back to around 1985, with bills during the current owner’s stewardship amounting to over £23K. 

It also comes with a V5C, a clear HPI report and an MoT certificate that’s valid until April 2025.

We think this has to be one of the very best 308 GTB vetroresinas out there – both aesthetically (it’s gorgeous) and dynamically.

Owned for 24 years by a man who has never once compromised on the car’s maintenance and upkeep, its exceptional condition is remarkable even for the car’s mileage, never mind its age. 

It ticks all the right boxes for history, condition and, being a vetroresina, it is the model that all true 308 afficionados rightly prize and covet.

If you’re holding out in the hope of a better one coming along, prepare yourself for a very, very long wait.

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £90,000 - £120,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.