By 1982 the Ferrari 308 GTS had accumulated nearly a decade of production history, a global television profile and a fundamental engineering revision. Norev translates the result into a die-cast 1:18 scale model that foregrounds both the car's Targa architecture and an unusually refined metallic gold finish — a factory-palette option that collectors rarely encounter at this scale.
A Mid-Engine Targa from Pininfarina
Pininfarina's brief for the 308 range produced one of the most resolved mid-engine bodies of the 1970s. The GTS variant — Targa-top rather than fixed-roof GTB — debuted at the 1977 Paris Motor Show, adding open-air versatility without compromising the coupe's structural character. Beneath the rear deck sits a 2.9-litre DOHC V8 in flat-plane configuration, producing around 214 hp in carburettor form. Total production of all 308 GTS variants, from 1977 to 1985, reached approximately 3,222 units.
1982: The GTSi Generation
From 1980, Ferrari replaced the bank of carburettors with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to satisfy tightening US emissions regulations, redesignating the cars 308 GTBi and 308 GTSi. The 1982 model year therefore sits squarely within the injected phase — a detail that separates it from the earlier carburettor cars and that seasoned collectors treat as a distinct specification. Output settled at around 211 hp, marginally below the carb cars but with a cleaner throttle response. The gold metallic finish represented here was among the metallic options available through Ferrari's coachbuilding arm, Carrozzeria Scaglietti, making it a legitimate factory-palette choice rather than a later modification.
Norev's Die-Cast Interpretation at 1:18
Norev renders the 308 GTS in die-cast metal at 1:18 scale, a format that gives the Targa body sufficient surface area for the Gold Metallic paint to read with proper depth. Die-cast construction at this scale allows the shut lines, louvred engine cover and characteristic flying-buttress C-pillars — defining elements of the 308 GTS silhouette — to be reproduced with the fidelity that distinguishes a collector piece from a toy. The Gold Metallic colourway is markedly less common in the 1:18 308 GTS market than Rosso Corsa, giving this edition clear shelf differentiation.
Placing It in the Collection
The 308 GTS pairs naturally with the closed GTB coupé in the same or contrasting colours, or with the Quattrovalvole introduced in 1982 — the quad-valve head being the next engineering step in the same bloodline. Collectors building a Ferrari Targa lineage will find it sits coherently alongside a 246 GTS Dino and a 328 GTS, tracing the open-top strand from the early 1970s through to 1989. The gold finish provides a visual counterpoint in a shelf otherwise dominated by red Ferrari road cars from the same era.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What is the 308 GTSi, and how does it differ from the standard 308 GTS?
From 1980, Ferrari fitted Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection to meet US emissions standards, creating the GTSi designation. The injected cars produce around 211 hp versus approximately 214 hp for the earlier carburettor models. A 1982 car is therefore a GTSi.
Why is Gold Metallic an interesting colour choice on the 308 GTS?
Ferrari offered metallic finishes, including gold and champagne shades, as factory or special-order options through Carrozzeria Scaglietti in the early 1980s. At 1:18 scale, Gold Metallic examples are considerably rarer than the standard Rosso Corsa, making them a genuine alternative for collectors looking beyond the red cars.
How many 308 GTS units were produced in total?
Ferrari built approximately 3,222 units of all 308 GTS variants combined — carburettor and injected — between 1977 and 1985.
What material is the Norev 1:18 model made from?
The Norev Ferrari 308 GTS 1982 Gold Metallic is produced in die-cast metal at 1:18 scale.
