308 GT4 vs 308 GTS - Is the Tide Turning?

Last week, an almost perfect example of a 1979 Ferrari 308 GT4 (blue over tan) sold for $220,000 on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-ferrari-308-gt4-7/

Today, an almost perfect example of a 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS QV (red over tan) only hit $85,000 on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1985-ferrari-308-gtsi-quattrovalvole-28/

A near-perfect 308 GT4 sold for almost three times that of a near perfect 308 GTS QV. I don't know about the rest of you, but the world I grew up in, that's really weird.

I'm very bias as I own a 1975 308 GT4 and think it's a better car than a 308 GTS, but that doesn't mean I don't like the 308 GTS. In fact, when I was in the market, if I couldn't have found a 308 GT4 that I wanted, my back-up plan was to get a 308 GTS or GTB. Regardless, growing up the 308 GTS has always been the much more popular car… up until very recently it seems.

Maybe this is just a one-off anomaly, but since these cars auctions ended within seven days of each other, and they were both in similar condition, I thought this might be a fair comparison. But it seems no matter how you look at it, the 308 GT4 values seem to be matching or exceeding those of the 308 GTS (and even the 308 GTB in some cases).

As a huge fan of the both cars, and owner of one, I never thought I'd see the day where the 308 GT4 was anywhere near the price of a 308 GTS.

What are your thoughts on this crazy market??

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Everyone says that GT4 was an outlier… and they said that about the one that hit $100k too, less than a year ago. The thing is, those "outliers" are becoming a bit more un-outlier. But yes, there will always be a small few that sell for something far more than expected (or even far less).

When you look the data for the last year, the numbers for both 308 GTS QV and 308 GT4 are very much the same. The GT4 has an average sale price of roughly $73k, whereas the GTS has an average sale price of roughly $79k. Lowest sale isn't too far apart either with the GT4 coming in at $37k and the GTS coming in at just a bit about $44k. However, the top sale is vastly different with the GTS being $145k and the GT4 being $220k.

GTS QV Data:
https://www.classic.com/m/ferrari/308/gts-qv?interval=1y

GT4 Data:
https://www.classic.com/m/ferrari/dino/308-gt4?interval=1y​

You could also compare the GT4 to GTS and GTSi sales, it's even closer:

GTS Data:
https://www.classic.com/m/ferrari/308/gts?interval=1y

GTSi Data:
https://www.classic.com/m/ferrari/308/gtsi?interval=1y​

But then, if you look at all the years of the 308 GTS, and toss in the 308 GTB, then the numbers change a bit as the GTB is much more rare and the Vetroresina models are going for crazy money. But even then, the numbers still aren't terribly far apart when compared to the GT4.

All 308 GTS/GTB Data:
https://www.classic.com/m/ferrari/308?interval=1y​

I just find it fascinating, really fascinating. And, quite frankly, the GT4 has been catching up steadily for the past five years, it won't surprise me if it regularly starts beating GTS prices. I'm really happy to see that the rest of the world seems to recognize what an amazing car the GT4 is, the thing I've always thought for the last 35 years. Truth be told, while it's nice to know the value of the GT4 (and, really, all Ferraris) is on the rise, I also couldn't care less. I have no plans to ever sell mine, and it could suddenly be worth $100 tomorrow and I'd still love the car to no end! I'm a sucker for underdog stories, and the GT4 is definitely an underdog story.

 

Ah, that was such a good comment.

There's so much wrong information floating around out there, and one of the biggest being that the GT4 was the 246 replacement. THANK YOU for knowing your s**t!! It was meant to be a continuation of the Dino line, not a replacement for the 246. There seems to be very few who understand that. In fact, everything you mentioned in your comment is spot-on.

I was around in 1974… but I was only four years old, I didn't really become "car aware" until I was about 11 years old. The first time I ever saw a 308 GT4, was also the first time I ever became aware of its existence—and that was in 1987. I fell in love with it instantly. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for wedge-shaped cars ever since I first "discovered" the Lamborghini Countach (which was essentially the gateway drug to all wedge cars).

If I had been older in 1974 when the 308 GT4 came out, I wonder if I would have felt the same about it as I did when I first saw one in 1987? To me, it was the most "exotic" thing I had ever seen, and never understood why I didn't see them more frequently (like the GTS/GTB models). It took a while to research the car as the internet wasn't really a thing yet, in fact, it would be more than a decade before I realized how rare the GT4 was and how "unloved" it was. I was baffled by the latter.

And I certainly agree about the colors, of course most of them have been repainted red. But the original colors were amazing, and the car looks fantastic (and usually better) in so many of its original colors. Mine is verde pino.

 

Well, let's not compare apples to oranges. The 308 GTS QV had 20k miles, so here's some comparisons against unrestored GT4s (since the GTS was unrestored) with roughly 20k miles. Also, the blue GT4 had over $250k in restoration receipts (so it probably wasn't a fair comparison to the GTS).

$73k: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-ferrari-308-gt4-26/

$81k: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-ferrari-308-gt4-28/

$100k: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-ferrari-308-gt4-27/​

That last one, the GT4 for $100k, is probably the best one to compare to the GTS QV from my original post. Both cars are in similarly excellent condition, not restored, and similar mileage.

 

Rebuilt six years prior to its sale, it wasn't done in prep for the auction, I don't think that really had anything to do with it's price (or at least very little). And I don't think the sellers of the blue one were expecting to get their money back, not everyone sells a car to make a profit.

 

Absolutely. One of the big things people cite as a negative is the styling. I don't see how anyone could like the Lamborghini Countach and Urraco, Lancia Stratos, Lotus Esprit, Maserati Merak and Bora, DeTomaso Pantera, and all the other wedge-shaped cars, yet think the 308 GT4 is ugly. Makes no sense. I understand that wedge cars aren't everybody's thing, but if you do like them then the 308 GT4 is one of the best looking designs.

I think the biggest problem with the GT4 was when it came out, it was just really bad timing with the oil/gas crisis, inflation, etc. (much like today). Another problem was the badging/branding fiasco, but we have America to blame for that. The Bertone design was cutting edge, new, different… something no one else was really doing at the time. The GT4 is like a rock band's second album "Their first one was better." That's because people have a hard time accepting change, or going a new direction.

The 308 GTB is a beautiful car. The 308 GTS looks decent too, but I don't like the way the targa top flattens the roof line (looks gorgeous with it off though). I don't think I'd call the 308 GT4 a "beautiful" car, but I think it's stunning and striking. It's always been my personal preference because of the Bertone wedge styling. I'm not bombarded with Magnum P.I. comments when people see my car, nor am I obligated to grow a mustache, buy a Hawaiian shirt or a Detroit Tigers cap.

 

Yeah, you're right… data means nothing. It's all wrong.

 

Oh, come on now, there's no reason to act upset about anything. This isn't some kind of attack on any other model of Ferrari, it's merely a thread showing (via data) that the once "unloved" underdog of a Ferrari is now finally getting the respect it deserves. That's literally all this is. In no way is anyone saying yours, or anyone else's, 308 GTB or GTS is worth less, or no longer a good car. Nor is anyone saying the GT4 is suddenly a better car than anyone else's (that, is what's subjective).

The first Ferrari I ever drove was a 1984 308 GTS QV, and it was amazing. Absolutely a thrill! I still get to drive one of those on occasion as well, and I still enjoy it when I do. They're great cars, and I would absolutely love to own one. In fact, when I was in shopping, the GTS was my back-up plan if I couldn't find a GT4 that I wanted. You have a spectacular car.

When I was growing up, the posters on my walls were: Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Stratos, Lotus Esprit, Aston Martin Bulldog, DeLorean DMC-12, and even a Maserati Bora. See the pattern? If I had ever seen a poster of a 308 GT4 as a child, you bet your ass that would have been hanging on my wall.

Folks, all FChatters, it's okay to have your favorite Ferrari. It's okay to not like all the models that Ferrari has ever made (I sure don't). But I can't understand why some folks act all hurt if another model might be worth the same or even more than a model you might own. There's a whole lot of Ferrari's that are worth way more than a 308 GT4, and whole lot of other cars in general that are worth way more. I don't care. I really don't. I simply enjoy following the market and identifying trends. And I love underdog stories, which is EXACTLY what the 308 GT4 is.

I'm not here to insult or belittle anyone's car, and nowhere, in any way, have I even remotely done that. I'm just highlighting an interesting and exciting moment in time that may never repeat. Or, it could.

And, no, not all 308 GT4s are worth $220k. That's an anomaly statistically speaking, but it's what sparked my research into trending sales prices.

When there's data to back up a claim (check out the links in post #3), it's not really a matter of "opinion" but rather an analysis of a market trend. You could disagree with the data, or my analysis, but you'd really have to provide more/different data to make a valid argument against it. “Is the tide turning?” is merely a rhetorical question based upon the current market data.