Introduced in 1975, the Ferrari 308 GTB, designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, featured a modern design initially rendered in fiberglass—or “Vetroresina” in Italian. It was the first production Ferrari to be built with a body made of the lightweight composite material. Ferrari historian Marcel Massini notes that as few as 712 fiberglass-bodied examples were produced. Just 100 examples were sent to North America, and these cars were distinctively configured with engines that feature wet sump lubrication.

These early fiberglass cars were nearly 330 pounds lighter than the steel-bodied 308s that followed, thereby allowing drivers to take full advantage of the model’s transverse mid-mounted 2.9-liter V-8 for optimal handling.

CANADA TO CAVALLINO

This 1976 308 GTB Vetroresina, chassis number 19505, is one of very few Canadian-delivery examples recorded. The car was first sold via Luigi Sports Cars of Montreal on 25 October 1976 to Jean Robidoux of Sherbrooke, Quebec. From its early life in Quebec, 19505 remained in Ontario for many years, having passed through several of the province’s premiere collections. From November 2000 until March 2015, it resided in a prominent collection in Toronto. During this time it was treated to a complete, multi-year restoration to original specifications. The reported goal of this exhaustive process was to secure a Platino Award at the Cavallino Concorso d’Eleganza in Palm Beach, Florida.

After being stripped down to bare fiberglass, the car was reportedly repainted at a Ferrari-approved facility in Rosso Corsa. Similarly, the interior was masterfully retrimmed in tan leather with black inserts. In late 2014, it was furnished to an appreciable level of mechanical sorting (including major engine-out service) by Ferrari master technician Massimo Conti. Continued care has been executed within the consignor’s ownership by Tim Stanford Foreign Cars of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and today this desirable Vetroresina is an eminently presentable example of this rare breed.

Furthermore, correspondence on file from Ferrari Classiche confirms that they have issued its certification book, which at the time of cataloguing is being processed for delivery.

As presented today, the car rides on date-coded Campagnolo wheels shod in Michelin XWX tires. Immediately prior to the consignor’s acquisition of this Ferrari, its original metric odometer was replaced by a US-spec unit which reads in miles; the original remains with the car and is included in the sale. The original odometer reads 43,042 kilometers (~26,745 miles) and the installed replacement reads 26,970 miles (~43,404 kilometers).

Additional accompaniments include a matched spare, tool roll, and manuals. Representing the 308 GTB as it was originally meant to be, this early fiberglass chassis is an attractive choice for Ferrari enthusiasts looking for responsive performance and agile road-handling capabilities in a shapely and well-maintained package.