The mid engine 2+2 Dino 308 GT 4 stands out in the history of Ferrari for being the only Ferrari that was designed by Bertone, and this possibly only after pressure from Ferrari’s parent company FIAT had been applied.

Launched with Dino badges in 1973 to differentiate it from its V12 siblings the Dino was the first Ferrari to be powered by a V8. The Dino badges disappeared from the model in 1976.

The chassis was developed from the Dino 246 stretched to provide a 100.4 inch wheel base to provide accommodation for 4 and the transversely mounted engine.

The Dino 308 GT4 seen above at Castle Combe was driven by Andrew McAlpine and Ali Procter to a 20th place finish and class 8 victory in this years Tour Britannia.

While 308’s are not an uncommon sight in club motorsports only one 308 GT4 was prepared for international racing, chassis #08020 was entered by the North American Racing Team at Le Mans in 1974 where Giancarlo Gagliardi and Jean Louise Lafosse retired with clutch failure and in 1975 Cagliardi and Harley Cluxton failed to qualify eventually causing Luigi Chinetti to withdraw his whole team from the event just 80 minutes before the start of the race.

Between 1973 and 1980 2,826 308 GT4’s were produced, there was also an Italian spec 2 litre / 122 cui 208 GT4 built to take advantage of tax regulations. At around £20,000 pounds for a roadworthy example the 308 GT4 is probably the cheapest way of becoming a Ferrari owner today, though maintaining one might prove expensive as the motor needs to be removed for many maintenance tasks and it is not mounted on a sub frame as on some of the later Ferrari V8 models.

Thanks for joining me on this Bertone edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !