The Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 was an Italian sports car which was first unveiled to the public in 1973. It was developed and manufactured by Ferrari S.p.A in Modena, Italy. Its main feature was its powerful V8 90° gasoline engine, which generated 255 horsepower. It enabled the car to accelerate from 0 km to 1 km (1,000 m) in 27 seconds. The Dino 308 GT4 was one of the many Gran Tourer cars which has been produced in limited series by the Italian car firm until today, and it was developed by Ferrari from direct experience in motor racing. In 1980, it would be replaced by the F. Mondial 8 (Type F108), which was powered by the same engine.
The Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 had been exhibited to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on October 25, 1973. There were two series of Dino 308 GT4 cars. The earlier cars were fitted with a twin distributor engine and fog lamps mounted in the front valance. The so called Series 2 cars, on the other hand, featured a wider and shallower grille with fog lamps mounted behind. European versions changed to a single distributor while USA and Australian cars continued with twin distributors, each with 2 sets of points. On European cars Magneti Marelli electronic ignition was fitted from July 1978 onward.
Technical Description
The engine of the Dino 308 GT4 was made up of 8 cylinders arranged in a 'V' layout configuration set up at 90°. It had four valves per cylinder, with a bore and stroke of 81x71-mm. The piston displacement was 2926.9 c.c., with a compression ratio of 8.8 : 1. The engine delivered a maximum of 255 HP at 7,700 rpm. It featured a light alloy crankcase with shrunk in cast-iron liners. The engine had four inclined overhead valves per cylinder, with four overhead camshaft and five bearing crankshaft. Ignition was done by a single spark-plug per cylinder, with one Morelli distributor and electrical system with alternator and transistorized regulator. It also featured four twin choke Weber carburetors.
The chassis of the Dino 308 GT4 consisted of steel tubular frame, with a Coupé 2x2 body, which was designed by Bertone. The car was fitted with a 5-speed all-synchromesh gearbox, which was operated by a central gear lever. It featured rock and pinion steering and the wheels had independent front and rear suspension, with coil springs over over telescopic shock absorbers. It had servo-assisted hydraulic brakes, with ventilated discs on all four wheels. It had electronic revolution counter and speedometer.
Specifications
Type: Gran Tourer sports car
Weight: 1,150 kg
Length: 4.3 m
Width: 1.8 m
Height: 1.18 m
Power Plant: one 255-HP, 2.9L, Ferrari Dino V8 90°
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 liters
Transmission: 5 speeds + reverse manual
Maximum Speed: 250 km
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| The Dino 308 GT4 produced in 1977. |
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| Side view of the 308 GT4 that rolled out of factory in Italy in 1973. |
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| Front view of the Italian car. |
The Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 acceleration. Demonstration (video)