For Sale: 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSI in Houston, Texas

1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi
VIN: ZFFAA02A1B0035335

We know what you're thinking.
After the last few Wholesale Wednesday Ferraris, surely, we've dragged another questionable red Italian object out of the corner of the warehouse.

Not this time. Somehow, against all odds, we appear to have found an attractive garage find.

This is a 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi showing just 16,023 miles, finished in the color combination Enzo and Magnum P.I. intended: red over Beige leather.

Better yet, this is a California garage-find, recently emerging from long-term storage where it had been sitting alongside a Ferrari 512 BBi. And while California DMV might hate classic cars, its dry weather sure loves them.

The 308 was delivered new through R.A.B. Motors, Inc. in San Rafael, California, after entering the country through Long Beach. It retains its California blue plate, original books, original window sticker, two sets of keys, Ferrari jack and work lamp, along with enough period paperwork to make you wonder why anyone bothered keeping all of it for 45 years. We're glad they did.

The history backs up the mileage remarkably well. The original service book records its 1,200-1,500-mile complimentary service in October 1981, followed by additional documented oil services through the 1980s and early '90s. CARFAX records 15,735 miles in 1997, 15,851 in 2007, 15,974 in 2012 and 16,004 in 2014. Current mileage? 16,023. The odometer has basically been working from home since 2014.

And then there's the AutoCheck History Report.
Score: 87.
Comparable vehicles: 71-82.

Yes, the 45-year-old Ferrari that spent the last decade sitting in a garage somehow broke the curve. We weren't expecting that one either.

CARFAX is equally boring in the best possible way, with no accidents or damage reported, no structural damage, no title issues and no indication of an odometer problem.

Cosmetically, this is considerably nicer than what normally wanders into Wholesale Wednesday. We've given it a detail, and the red paint presents very well. The Beige leather interior has the kind of honest, gentle patina you'd actually want to see in a 16,000-mile 308 rather than an interior that's been completely redone and pretending the 1980s never happened.

The original gated five-speed is there, it will be your main bragging right. The Bosch K-Jetronic injection is still there. The Marelli Digiplex ignition is still there. Even the California emissions equipment is still there.

And yes, it's a 1981 GTSi. Before somebody runs to the comments to remind everyone that the early injected 308 wasn't Ferrari's answer to the Space Shuttle, we know. Nobody is buying this because they need to beat a Tesla away from a stoplight.
You buy it because it's a red, gated, open-roof Ferrari 308 with 16,000 miles, California history and a paper trail going back to Ronald Reagan's first year in office.

Now for the Wholesale Wednesday portion of our regularly scheduled program.

The car was last registered in California in April 2016 before entering long-term static garage storage. When we acquired it, we resisted the temptation to pretend that ten years of sitting constitutes a recent major service. Instead, we gave it a cosmetic detailing and left the mechanical recommissioning to its next owner. At least that's plan A.

Amazingly, it starts, runs, drives and stops under its own power.

That does not mean we're telling you to grab the keys and head for the twisties. We have no record of the last timing-belt service, so consider belts and a comprehensive mechanical service part of your introduction to ownership.

And the Michelin TRX tires? 2004 date codes. They're old enough to vote, drink, and have strong opinions about interest rates. Admire them for their period correctness. Then replace them.

LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND TOAST TO SOMETHING GOOD
• 16,023 indicated original miles
• California car since new
• Recently emerged from long-term garage storage alongside a Ferrari 512 BBi
• California blue plate
• Clean CARFAX
• AutoCheck score of 87 - apparently an overachiever
• Red over Beige leather
• Five-speed gated manual - which one are you going to buy for less?
• Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection
• Marelli Digiplex ignition
• Limited-slip differential
• Factory air conditioning
• Power windows
• Tinted glass
• Heated rear window
• Power antenna
• Electric driver's mirror
• Original window sticker
• Original owner's warranty and service books
• Documented early service history
• Two sets of keys
• Ferrari jack & work lamp
• Comprehensive cosmetic detailing completed
• Starts, runs, drives and stops under its own power
• The price. The price is soooo good here.

THE WHOLESALE WEDNESDAY STUFF
• Out of regular use since approximately 2016
• No recent mechanical inspection or service performed by us.
• Timing-belt service history unknown - plan on doing it
• It's a 1981 GTSi, so your neighbor's Camry may have more horsepower. But your neighbor also still owns a Camry.

What you're buying here isn't a freshly serviced 308 or one that's been passed around the collector-car market for the last decade.

It's a 16,023-mile California garage find with its blue plate, original books, original window sticker, early service history and remarkably intact presentation, recently pulled from long-term California storage.

This isn't one of our usual Wholesale Wednesday rescue missions. And while they tend to insta sell, we wouldn't mind having this one for a while. It's genuinely nice and now needs somebody to wake it up properly.

If nobody buys it here, we'll probably do the belts, put some fresh tires on it, send it to auction, and suddenly become much more emotionally attached to a much higher price.

Consider this your chance to buy the garage find before we ruin the wholesale part.

$74,900.00 FIRM

The above vehicle information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. It is provided 'as-is', without warranties as to its accuracy, whether expressed or implied, and is intended for informational purposes only. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated.

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