Vehicle Description
It's the quintessential premium Italian sports car - the one you
just can't help but admire as it passes by you on the highway - or
even yet, as you walk by it parked right there - up front at the
valet stand in spot "numero uno". This 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS looks
that good, and it's in great shape too - having benefited from
unusually light usage over the years - and carries a stack of
maintenance records in its glove box as proof that it's
well-positioned to offer years of future driving excitement.
The 328 cuts an immediately recognizable yet dramatic appearance.
Its forerunner, the 308, was a huge success featured for years on
television's "Magnum PI," no doubt prompting millions of viewers to
admire the man beyond the wheel and think to themselves, "He's got
some kind of life." Still clad in just the original shade of red
you'd associate with this storied vehicle, you can see how this 328
represents a visual improvement over its predecessor, with its
updated grille and more contoured bumpers painted to match the rest
of the exterior. England's Motor Magazine put it best when they
reviewed the 328 the year this one came out and said, "It's as
close to a work of art as a car can be." All that visual magic is
intact, and in fact this is one of only two that came from the
factory with a red painted spoiler and targa top which itself is a
great feature - affording the pleasure of open air motoring with
the shelter of its lightweight panels just a couple of steps away.
After more than 30 years of life, everything remains well-aligned,
with flip-up headlights that raise promptly into position to reveal
very clear lenses and clean buckets inside.
The tan leather interior looks unusually fresh for its age,
reflecting the notion that this performer has lived a sheltered
life when not put to use. The bucket seats still have a very firm
shape and show no pronounced wear marks or cracking on their
surfaces, and are matched by a center console in between them
that's just as clean with its chrome shifter and black control
switches. The door panels on both sides were replaced a while back
and don't show much evidence of use at all, and the power windows
sitting inside them operate smoothly. The dash area looks great -
you'll find a thorough assortment of easily readable gauges in the
cluster and an arched black dash pad on top that, in spite of its
color's sensitivity to UV rays, remains supple looking and
split-free. An AM/FM/CD player stands by to provide your tunes
while on the road.
Some of the most welcome improvements gifted to the 328 are found
in its drivetrain. The 3.2 liter V8 under the hood features more
displacement than those before it and provides in excess of 260
horsepower - enough to rocket this lightweight car forward very
convincingly. Ferrari was out in front of the curve as far as
performance engineering, so you'll find independent suspensions
both fore and aft and a sturdy anti-roll bar sitting in place to
keep things level during hard cornering. The 5-speed manual
transmission shifts very easily, the rack and pinion is
impressively precise and, with power disc brakes at all four
corners, this GTS comes to a stop very quickly. Its timing belt -
so often an Achilles heel for many cars - was replaced a few years
ago to provide plenty of worry-free motoring and the stainless Tubi
exhaust provides the perfect note. A true Italian classic, it sits
on a set of 16" stock Ferrari wheels that have been refinished and
wrapped with Michelin tires.
This 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS represents the chance to put a classic
example of Italian automotive design in your garage. Call
today!