A Ferrari for the Private Eye - Magnum’s 308 GTS

[@gerarddion4859]

This is my favorite body design of all time! It always takes my breath away when I see it in person!

[@decencywarrior9598]

A fond memory of mine when I worked in NYC - a trader made a fortune on a trade and had one of those delivered TWC plaza -and he did'nt know how to drive a stick. I knew how to drive stick , and everyone knew it so i got elected to drive the drunk guy home to Jersey. I was 18.

[@E.T.GARAGE]

😂

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

@@decencywarrior9598 Designated drivers deserve such rewards. Hats off to you for getting him home safely. We’re glad you got to enjoy one of these lovely machines!

[@wallyr.7854]

A classic Ferrari 308 GTS, plus a great review by Donald, I’d say my Friday is complete ☺️

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

@@wallyr.7854 Happy Weekend!

[@wallyr.7854]

@@AudrainMuseumNetwork The same to all of you at the Audrain Museum ☺️

[@robertbcope]

When I bought my '85 308, I did not realize just how iconic it was. You can't drive it anywhere without basically everyone recognizing it, stopping to watch it, etc. Way more presence than expected for the price. It's also just a fantastic driving car, one of my favorite. The engine and transmission is just so good. Watching (and listening) to you drive this around just makes me want to run out to the garage and go for a drive.

[@robertbcope]

I really wanted the GTB, but ended up with a GTS, and in the end I'm kind of happy that I did. The open top experience is really quite good... and I really, generally dislike convertibles.

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

@@robertbcope Do it! Run! It’s a beautiful day to enjoy your Ferrari!

[@robertbcope]

@@AudrainMuseumNetwork Got it out this morning, and as always, it fired right up and was an amazingly enjoyable experience.

[@MikesRestorations]

Love the 308! I think it doesn’t get near enough respect it deserves. Just a beautiful design. Nice shirt!!

[@reelreeler8778]

Great episode, wonderful car, nice shirt too. But please sir, don't start selling reverse mortgages. 😄

[@murdoc6501]

Have always loved this car, but agree with you that the 308 GTB Coupe is the one that really stands out from this era! Go Donald and Audrain, keep moving forward!

[@bigsarge2085]

Haha, awesome! As an aside, I've seen Magnum's house that was used in the TV show, not far from Diamond Head on Oahu (now privately owned)

[@troypatillo1688]

I remember reading an article in 1985 in Motor Trend magazine titled Flat Out Follies. It had a Ferrari 308, Lotus Esprit, Porsche 928 and 911, and a 1985 c4 Corvette. The Vette won in every category however, the 308 is worth a lot more today.

[@allenkranawetter9482]

Beautiful Ferrari

[@gregkarkowsky967]

I think that is the best version of any Ferrari .

[@BeauQuillen]

Aside from Top Gear Magnum P.I. is one of my favorite shows. Beautiful Ferrari Donald!

[@donhathaway3234]

In 1960 I was 7 and I could tell most cars just by their headlights at night. Many hours sitting in the backward seat of the family station wagon.

[@bellevue260]

First episode of Spenser For Hire had Hawk driving a white 308 Berlinetta through snowy streets of Boston!

[@E.T.GARAGE]

Always a fan of the 308 GTS and it looks great driving along the coast. 👍😎👍

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

Oh yeah!

[@marcoluoma3770]

Thanks so much for this. The 308 and 288 will always be my favorite Ferrari designs. Thanks again.

[@bobdadruma]

The 328 is my fav. I have professionally repaired both the 308 and the 328. Pure fun to drive!

[@Stu047]

Love it! 😁 It's definitely a keystone chapter in Ferrari's history (the hit TV show must have helped!) in that I'd go so far as to say that there must be at least 20 models of Ferrari subsequent to the 308 that exploits a little of the 308's design language in some way. As an eighties kid, who was car mad, who spent a lot of time with Thomas Magnum behind the wheel of his Ferrari, I've always had an affection for the 308 GTS. It's also amusing that Magnum PI has been off the air for over 3 decades and yet still it's hard to resist referencing that TV show whenever we talk about the 308. The 288 GTO is my fave though, which obviously owes a lot to the 308 (only with more muscles!). One of my heroes!! (46 years old now and still waiting to see one in person!).

[@redeftsayre]

I think the feeling you get when you drive a car is all about your attitude and expectations. The Ferrari is great, but I get the same feeling from my low budget collector car as I drive it around the hills of pa.

[@dannyg6592]

Such an iconic sports car. I had a 308 GTS and it is indeed a very special motorcar. And an absolute delight to drive. The engine makes great music behind your head and the gated shifter is a pleasure to use. Excellent steering feel. One of the more enjoyable cars I've driven. It does attract attention, however. Gas station stops take longer than one would think due to onlookers. And pretty girls will give you their phone number at traffic lights when you are behind the wheel. Thanks for the memories!

[@Mike-rk8px]

In 1985 my mother bought herself a new 308gtb. She was single and back in the dating pool after a bad marriage to my father, so she was having a blast in the Ferrari. The car attracted a lot of attention even in the San Francisco Bay Area where were lived. I was 18 and had been driving my own 1978 Volkswagen Scirocco with a 5-speed since I was 16, so my mother would let me drive the Ferrari when she didn’t need it. You would think that would be heaven for an 18 year old guy, but she had a bumper sticker that said “So Many Men, So Little Time!”. As you can imagine, in the San Francisco Bay Area, that bumper sticker got me a ton of unwanted attention.

[@dannyg6592]

@@Mike-rk8px That is a great story!

[@chassisresearchkid]

Nice! Id like to see a video of 38-41 Bantams. Coupe, panel, pickup trucks, so on and so forth.

[@Czechbound]

I remember a champion Irish showjumper had one in a beauitiful deep blue. My biggest surprise was that showjumping was that lucrative in the early 1980's

[@pj4534]

That Fram oil filter perfectly fits the quality build of the Ferrari

[@MCW1955]

That Hawaiian shirt, that PI car, looking good!!!

[@donaldwiller9238]

So cool 😎 great video

[@trainships1795]

Beautiful Car, I wonder if there is a Triumph TR7 or TR8 in the collection. Another Beautiful late 70's and early 80's car.

[@brandonburr4900]

Not on does ribbon master approve but so does Rick, TC higgens and Tomas magnum approve. Rip to higgens, tc, and Rick. Still enjoy that show.

[@kennethswain6313]

Life is good especially when you can drive someone else’s Ferrari!

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

@@kennethswain6313 Thanks, Higgins!

The second most gorgeous car ever (after the E-Type)

[@daniellatimer1876]

Tom Selleck always had the roof off, because he was too tall for it.

[@crbourret]

Thinking of our friend who took Best in Show at the first Audrain Youngtimers show 😢

[@Zagato67]

He was an amazing guy indeed.

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

He was the best and is missed very much!

[@paulm6481]

Tom Selleck made this car. Period.

[@Edison73100]

2 cool

[@Jonathan-dq8hb]

The actual car used in the TV show was later purchased by Larry Manetti , who played "Rick" . Don't know if he still owns it .

[@tonyrichmond8524]

I had the good fortune to meet Leonardo Fioravanti in Italy. An amazingly gracious gentleman. And the 308 was far from his only genius design as he also designed the Daytona.

[@danv8717]

Originally he was suppose to drive a Porsche, which would have been more low-key and appropriate for a private eye but he couldn't fit in it.

[@jamesonpace726]

My Italian Dad told me to skip Ferrari, unless I wanted to be a crooked mechanic, bank robber or dentist. Much as I loved Thomas' 308 & Sonny's Testarosa, they didn't thrill me like 356 & 454 did....

[@TNPTVconnect]

Great video. The S in this car stands for Scoperta, not spider. Scoperta means uncovered in Italian.

[@Zagato67]

Grazie mille! Ma, nella depliant originale, Ferrari hanno chiamato il modello GTS ‘Spider’…

[@TNPTVconnect]

@@Zagato67 Ok, forse lo hanno fatto per non creare confusione nei mercati esteri, come l America. The Dino had the S standing for scoperta, but perhaps for foreign markets even that was turned into Spider.

[@ejford5083]

Everything was good except for the lack of a tan interior …. That’s only if you are trying to replicate what transpired on Magnum PI

[@Joolz777]

😎😎😎😎👍👍👍👍

[@YuTbCensorship]

Rode in a F355 spider twice. Were the 308/328 models the ones that required the Engine to be removed for a Tune Up and Timing Chain replacement??? Costing like $7K- $9K ????

[@julitro]

Actually not. You can work on belts removing the rear right wheel. 308s maintenance cost is reasonable good

[@rparker2824]

I get the shirt and hat.

[@samblock2366]

that’s my dads car!

[@danpelate2810]

I still can't believe you get paid to do this!!!!

[@chriscadman6379]

Hello.

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

Hey, Chris!

[@glenbolton7333]

It was a 308 GTBI .

[@lukeskywalker1840]

Beautiful car indeed. Wonderful sounds. Sadly slower than a modern Accord Sedan.

[@williamborges3914]

Donald! You're dressed so conservatively. We're you going to a funeral?

[@NewpsBeach22]

Beautiful but this is an American car. The Euro cars had different front and rear bumpers, didn’t have the black louvers on the hood and had the deep front spoiler (American cars had that spoiler only as an option) and the small grill in the front. The Euro car also had a different exhaust setup. It looks like they put the Euro side mirrors on it but it’s an American car.

[@Zagato67]

Thanks for watching! When you watch again, you’ll hear that I identified it as a Euro car. And the exhaust note is fantastic!

[@NewpsBeach22]

@@Zagato67 That’s my point. It’s not a Euro car. It’s an American car with Euro side mirrors on it (aftermarket).

[@METALBUG999]

i found it comical how big tom selleck looked getting out of that car. not a good choice for tall people.

[@richardm7030]

Fram filter, Really!

[@AudrainMuseumNetwork]

That's the OEM part!

[@davidjernigan8161]

DeTomaso did it better and earlier.