Ferrari promoted the Dino name as an entirely new sub-brand for selected road cars in the 1960s. The intention was to market its more affordable models with the new badge, while continuing to sell its halo products—those powered by a V-12 engine—under the Ferrari moniker. While the Dino 206 GT was very popular, followed directly by its equally successful replacement, the 246 GT and GTS, bosses at Maranello decided to retire the marque. The 308 GT4 and 208 GT4 were launched before the Dino brand was discontinued in 1976 and the factory switched to finishing the same models as fully-fledged Ferraris.

The Dino 308 GT4 was Ferrari’s first car with a mid-engine V-8 layout, and the first from the marque with a Bertone-designed body. European customers would find a 2.9-litre V-8 engine under the bonnet, with cogs swapped via a five-speed manual transmission. The sharp lines and wedge-like shape contrasted with the flowing curves of the earlier Dino-badged 246 GT.

The example offered here, chassis 08580, left the factory in July 1974 finished in Marrone Dino Metallizzato over a Pelle Beige/Panno Beige (part-leather) interior. The 308 GT4 was distributed to the prominent Parisian Ferrari dealer, Charles Pozzi SA. The car’s history is then unrecorded until the Dino was acquired by Marcel Petitjean, the highly respected French collector of new and old Ferraris, in 1996. By this point, chassis 08580 had been repainted in the shade of blue it is shown in today. Under Monsieur Petitjean’s long-term ownership, the Ferrari was carefully stored on static display. As a result, the car will require mechanical inspection prior to being driven again.

As per the accompanying Ferrari factory data (available to view on file), this example retains its matching-numbers engine. With its attractive Bertone styling and punchy V-8 powertrain, the Dino 308 GT4 represents a fascinating point in Ferrari history.