Ferrari GT4

Ferrari 308/208 GT4
Ferrari 308/208 GT4
	1975 Dino 308 GT4
Overview
Manufacturer	Ferrari
Also called	Dino 308/208 GT4 2+2 (until 1976)
Production	1973–1980 (308 GT4); 1975–1980 (208 GT4)
Designer	Marcello Gandini at Bertone
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2+2 coupé
Layout	Transverse, rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	208/308 GTB and GTS
Powertrain
Engine	2.9 L Dino V8 (308 GT4); 2.0 L Dino V8 (208 GT4);
Transmission	5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,550 mm (100.4 in)
Length	4,300 mm (169.3 in) or; 4,488 mm (176.7 in) (U.S.)
Width	1,800 mm (70.9 in)
Height	1,180 mm (46.5 in)
Kerb weight	1,150 kg (2,535 lb) (dry)
Chronology
Predecessor	Dino 206/246 GT
Successor	Ferrari Mondial

Last updated November 23, 2024

The Dino 308 GT4 and 208 GT4 (later Ferrari 308 GT4 and 208 GT4) are mid-engined V8 2+2 cars built by Ferrari. The Dino 308 GT4 was introduced in 1973 and supplemented by the 208 GT4 in 1975. The cars were sold with Dino badging (continuing the Dino brand to differentiate non-V12 Ferrari) until May 1976, when they received Ferrari badging. The GT4 was replaced by the Mondial 8 in 1980 after a production run of 2,826 308s and 840 208s.

Design

US vs EU spec Dino 308 GT4

The GT4 was a groundbreaking model for Ferrari in several ways: it was the first production Ferrari to feature the rear mid-engined V8 layout that would become the bulk of the company's business in the succeeding decades, and was the first production Ferrari with Bertone rather than Pininfarina designed bodywork. Pininfarina was upset by the decision to give cross-town rival Bertone the design, considering all they had done for Ferrari.

The design has sharp, angular shapes, entirely in contrast to its delicately curvaceous two-seater predecessor, the Dino 246 GT and GTS, and was controversial at the time. Journalists compared it to the Bertone-designed Lancia Stratos and especially the Lamborghini Urraco – all were designed by Marcello Gandini, and Lamborghini had quickly become one of Ferrari's foremost competitors. The Dino 308 GT4 exactly copied the Urraco's layout, and styled by the same designer, it looked rather similar. Gandini was since not again hired for the design of a Ferrari.

From the cockpit the driver sees only the road. Enzo Ferrari himself took a major role in its design, even having a mock-up made where he could sit in the car to test different steering, pedals and cockpit seating positioning.^[3]

Specifications

The chassis was a tubular spaceframe based on the Dino 246, but was stretched for a 2,550 mm (100.4 in)^[2] wheelbase to make room for the second row of seats. The suspension was fully independent, with double wishbones, anti-roll bars, coaxial telescopic shock absorbers and coil springs on both axles. There are claims that Niki Lauda was involved in suspension setup prior to joining Ferrari which could have levered his aim to be the main Ferrari driver in F1. That is incorrect as Lauda denied it, having not joined Ferrari until after the launch of the GT4, and the final specification would have been decided some time before that. The confusion lies in advertising by the USA importer Chinetti, which wrongly claimed Lauda's involvement. Some creative licence was used when sales were difficult.^[3]

The 2.9 L (2927 cc) V8 was mounted transversally integrally joined with the 5-speed transaxle gearbox. It was fitted with 205/70VR14 Michelin XWX tires and 195/70R14 tyres on the 208 GT4. The engine had an aluminium alloy block and heads, 16 valves and dual overhead camshafts driven by toothed belts; it produced 255 hp (188 kW) in the European version and 240 hp (179 kW) in the American.^{[ citation needed ]} The induction system used four Weber 40 DCNF carburetors.

308 GT4

The Dino 308 GT4 was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1973. Its chassis number was 07202 and it was the only example produced that year. It was painted in Azzurro Metallizzato (Light Blue Metallic).^[4]

The 308 GT4 later went on sale as a 1974 model and gained the "Prancing Horse" badge in May 1976, which replaced the Dino badges on the hood, wheels, rear panel and the steering wheel while retaining the Dino 308GT4 logo on the rear boot lid. This has caused major confusion over the years by owners, enthusiasts and judges. During the energy crisis at that time many prospective owners were hesitant to buy such an expensive automobile not badged "Ferrari", being confused at the significance of the Dino name. Dino was Enzo Ferrari's son who died in 1956, and his name was to honor his memory on the models it was placed.

In an effort to improve sales until the 1976 official re-badging, Ferrari sent out factory update #265/1 on July 1, 1975 with technical and cosmetic revisions in many areas. Some of these revisions were implemented piecemeal by dealers. Some made all the revisions while some just made a few. This leaves many 1975 GT4's with a variety of modifications which are hard to document as "correct" to aficionados who may not understand the complicated series of events surrounding this model year. Some of the revisions included adding Prancing Horse badges, repainting in the Boxer two-tone scheme (lower half painted matte black), air conditioning fixes, etc. It also included bumper modification and exhaust changes for North American versions. The Dino 308 GT4 was the only Ferrari legally imported to the US in 1975, and it was also the year Niki Lauda won the Formula One drivers championship and Ferrari won the constructors title. The GT4 was the only 2+2 Ferrari ever raced with factory support.

There were two series of GT4; the earlier cars featured a twin distributor engine and fog lamps mounted in the front valance. The so called Series 2 cars ahd a wider and shallower grille with fog lamps mounted behind, European versions changed to a single distributor while USA and Australian cars continued with twin distributors, each with 2 sets of points, but European cars changed to a single distributor. On European cars Magneti Marelli electronic ignition was fitted from July 1978.

The series 2 cars had Cavallino Rampante badging on the nose and steering wheel and road wheel centres. The Dino 308GT4 logo remained on the boot/trunk lid and the Dino script continued on the instrument dials and the air vents. The revised sales brochure made no mention of Dino but was branded Ferrari. The chassis numbering sequence continued with even numbers, as started with the earlier Dinos, while the by now concurrent 308GTB/S had reverted to the traditional odd numbered chassis for road cars.

The Dino brand experiment had come to an end.

208 GT4

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1975, the 208 GT4 was a low-displacement version of the V8 produced for the Italian market, where cars with engines larger than two litres were subjected to more than double VAT (38%). The engine was de-bored to (66.8 by 71 mm) 2.0 L (1991 cc) V8, resulting in the smallest production V8 in history for a road car.^[5]

Power output is 170 hp (125 kW) at 7700 rpm for a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). Smaller Weber 34 DCNF carburetors, a lower final drive ratio and skinnier tires completed the technical changes for the 208. Chrome (rather than black) accents outside and the lack of fog lights were external visual indicators of the smaller-engined GT4. Inside the 208 GT4 featured a black rather than silver dash facing.^[6]

The 208 GTB replaced the 208 GT4 in 1980, after only 840 cars had been built.^[7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcello Gandini</span> Italian car designer (1938–2024)

Marcello Gandini was an Italian car designer, widely known for his work with the Italian car design house, Bertone, where his work included designing the Alfa Romeo Carabo and Montreal, Lancia Stratos Zero, Maserati Khamsin, Ferrari GT4, Fiat X1/9, and several Lamborghinis, including the Bravo, Miura, Marzal, Espada, Urraco, and Countach. Gandini himself said his design interests prioritised vehicle architecture, construction, assembly, and mechanisms over styling.

Ferrari 308 refers to a 3.0-liter 8-cylinder Ferrari sports car, of which there were three different models:

The Lamborghini Jalpa is a sports car produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 1981 until 1988. It debuted at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show alongside the Lamborghini LM001 concept off-road vehicle. The Jalpa was the last Lamborghini to use a V8 engine until the Urus SUV in 2018.

Dino was a marque best known for mid-engined, rear-drive sports cars produced by Ferrari from 1957 to 1976. The marque came into existence in late 1956 with a front-engined Formula Two racer powered by a brand new Dino V6 engine. The name Dino was used for some models with engines smaller than 12 cylinders, it was an attempt by the company to offer a relatively low-cost sports car. The Ferrari name remained reserved for its premium V12 and flat-12 models until 1976, when "Dino" was retired in favour of full Ferrari branding.

The Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer (BB) is a series of sports cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. The BB was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina. The first BB model, the 365 GT4 BB, replaced the front engined Daytona and was the first in a series of road-going Ferraris equipped with a mid-mounted flat-twelve engine. The 365 GT4 BB was succeeded in 1976 by the BB 512, equipped with a larger displacement engine, then by the fuel-injected BB 512i in 1981. The series was discontinued in 1984 when the BB 512i was replaced by the Testarossa, which used a revised version of the flat-twelve engine.

The Fiat Dino was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car produced by Fiat from 1966 to 1973. The Dino name refers to the Ferrari Dino V6 engine, produced by Fiat and installed in the cars to achieve the production numbers sufficient for Ferrari to homologate the engine for Formula 2 racing.

The Lancia Stratos HF, known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rallying, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was highly successful in competition, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976; as well as winning the 1974 Targa Florio, winning the Tour de France Automobile five times and the Giro d'Italia automobilistico three times.

The Ferrari 308 GTB berlinetta and targa-topped 308 GTS are V8 mid-engined, two-seater sports cars manufactured by the Italian company Ferrari from 1975 until 1985. The 308 replaced the Dino 246 GT and GTS in 1975 and was updated as the 328 GTB/GTS in 1985. The similar 208 GTB and GTS were equipped with a smaller, initially naturally aspirated and later turbocharged, two-litre engine, and were sold mainly in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari Mondial</span> Motor vehicle

The Ferrari Mondial is a mid-engined, V8, grand tourer manufactured and marketed by Ferrari between 1980 and 1993 – with styling by Pininfarina and bodywork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti.

The Ferrari Dino engine is a line of mechanically similar V6 and V8 engines produced by Ferrari for about 40 years from the late 1950s into the early 2000s.

Ferrari is an Italian company which has produced sports cars since 1947, but traces its roots back to 1929 when Enzo Ferrari formed the Scuderia Ferrari racing team.

The Lamborghini Urraco is a 2+2 sports car manufactured by Italian automaker Lamborghini, introduced at the Turin Auto Show in 1970 and marketed for 1972–1979 model years. It was named after a line of Miura-bred fighting bulls.

The Maserati Merak is a mid-engined 2+2 sports car produced by Maserati between 1972 and 1983. The Merak was closely related to the Maserati Bora, sharing part of its structure and body panels, but was powered by a 3.0 L V6 in place of the latter's 4.7 L V8. The extra cabin space gained by fitting a smaller and more compact powertrain was used to carve out a second row of seats—suitable for children or very small adults—making the Merak not just a less expensive alternative to the Bora but also a 2+2.

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a mid-engine sports car built by Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo. It was the fastest commercially available car for the standing kilometer upon its introduction. 18 examples were produced between 1967 and 1969. "Stradale" is a term often used by Italian car manufacturers to indicate a street-legal version of a racing car; indeed the 33 Stradale was derived from the Tipo 33 sports prototype. Built in an attempt by Alfa Romeo to make some of its racing technology available to the public, it was also the most expensive automobile for sale to the public in 1968 at US$17,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuccio Bertone</span> Italian automobile designer

Giuseppe Bertone, also called "Nuccio", was an automobile designer and constructor. He took over Carrozzeria Bertone from his father, Giovanni after World War II, growing the small business to a car building and designing powerhouse. After racing Fiat, O.S.C.A., Maserati, and Ferrari, Bertone moved to construction, agreeing to build his first car, a series of 200 MGs, at the 1952 Turin Motor Show. He drew attention at the Paris Motor Show that year with an Abarth concept, and was chosen to design the replacement for the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante. These so-called BAT cars used the Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint chassis. Bertone is also responsible for designing the famous Lambretta GP/DL range of scooters and the Luna line of scooters.

The Turin Motor Show is an auto show held annually in Turin, Italy. The first official show took place between 21 and 24 April 1900, at the Castle of Valentino, becoming a permanent fixture in Turin from 1938 having shared it with Milan and Rome until that time. From 1972, the show was held biannually and in 1984, it moved into Fiat's shuttered Lingotto factory.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury automobiles. Lamborghini's production facility and headquarters are located in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. Italian manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963 with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with offerings from established marques such as Ferrari. The company's first models were introduced in the mid-1960s and were noted for their refinement, power and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coupé, which established rear mid-engine, rear wheel drive as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era.

The Dino 206 GT, 246 GT and 246 GTS are V6 mid-engined sports cars produced by Ferrari and sold under the Dino marque between 1967 and 1974.

The Lancia Stratos Zero or Lancia Stratos HF Zero is a grand tourer concept sports car from the Italian automobile manufacturers Bertone and Lancia. It was presented at the 1970 Turin Auto Show, predating the production Lancia Stratos by three years. It is currently owned by Phillip Sarofim.

References

↑ "Designer". ajovalo.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
1 2 "Dino 308 GT4". auto.ferrari.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
1 2 "Ferrari 308 GT4". 7 May 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
↑ "FIRST PRODUCTION V8 FERRARI SET FOR GOODING'S PEBBLE BEACH SALE". Magneto Magazine. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
↑ "Dino 208 GT4". auto.ferrari.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
↑ Lingner, Heinrich (July 2017). "Wir wahren Helden" [Maintaining heroes]. Motor Klassik (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motor Presse Stuttgart. p. 16. ISSN 0177-8862.
↑ Lingner, p. 17

Bibliography

Buckley, Martin; Rees, Chris (1998). World Encyclopedia of Cars. London: Anness Publishing. ISBN 1-84038-083-7.
"Ferrari Dino 308 GT4" . Retrieved 24 November 2006.
Covello, Mike (2003). Standard Catalog of Ferrari 1947–2003. Lola, WI: Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87349-497-0.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ajovalo.net-1] "Designer". ajovalo.net. Retrieved 2012-02-08.

[Ferrari_308_GT4-2] 1 2 "Dino 308 GT4". auto.ferrari.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.

[howstuffworks-3] 1 2 "Ferrari 308 GT4". 7 May 2007. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2016.

[4] "FIRST PRODUCTION V8 FERRARI SET FOR GOODING'S PEBBLE BEACH SALE". Magneto Magazine. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

[5] "Dino 208 GT4". auto.ferrari.com. Retrieved 25 November 2019.

[helden-6] Lingner, Heinrich (July 2017). "Wir wahren Helden" [Maintaining heroes]. Motor Klassik (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motor Presse Stuttgart. p. 16. ISSN 0177-8862.

[helden17-7] Lingner, p. 17

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]