Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1973, the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 broke with almost every convention Ferrari had established for its road cars. It was the first mid-engined Ferrari to mount its V8 transversely, the first to carry 2+2 seating in that configuration, and the only Ferrari of the modern era styled by Bertone rather than Pininfarina. Approximately 2,826 examples were built between 1973 and 1980, leaving the 308 GT4 a relatively low-production model that still divides opinion among purists — and attracts serious collector attention precisely because of that.
The Car Bertone Built for Ferrari
The Tipo F106 AB platform underpinning the 308 GT4 housed a 2,926 cc DOHC 90-degree V8 fed by four twin-choke Weber carburettors, producing around 240 hp (DIN). Mounted transversely in a mid-rear position, it was a technical departure from the longitudinal V12s that defined Ferrari's image. The 2+2 cabin, accessed via a wheelbase of 2,550 mm, gave the GT4 a practical dimension absent from the two-seat 308 GTB that followed. Bertone's angular, geometric coachwork was a deliberate counter-statement to Pininfarina's flowing forms on every other Ferrari of the period.
1973 Specification: Dino First, Ferrari Later
When the 308 GT4 reached customers, it carried Dino badging alone — no prancing horse on the nose or tail. Ferrari used the Dino sub-brand to position the car at a lower price point and, arguably, to distance the main marque from an unconventional design. It was only in 1976, following sluggish early sales, that full Ferrari badging was applied and the Dino brand was retired. The 1973 launch specification reproduced here therefore represents the car exactly as it appeared at introduction — historically precise in a way that later-production examples are not.
Top Marques and the 1:12 Scale Model
Top Marques has built its reputation on 1:12 scale models that bring road cars to a display size rarely attempted by other manufacturers. At 1:12, the 308 GT4's Bertone bodywork — its angular flanks, the recessed rear quarter windows, the distinctive roofline — can be examined at a level of detail that smaller scales cannot support. Top Marques' 1:12 programme is associated with photo-etched and metal components alongside resin construction, applied here to one of Ferrari's most architecturally interesting road cars.
