Introduced in 1975, the Ferrari 308 GTB, designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, sported sleek, muscular wedge styling that would influence the look of Maranello’s offerings for years to come. The model was also quite successful, evolving numerous times over the following decade. Yet the very first examples are of particular interest to collectors today: The initial cars wore bodywork rendered in fiberglass (vetroresina in Italian), notably making the 308 GTB the first production Ferrari to be built using the lightweight composite material. Ferrari shifted from the relatively exotic fiberglass construction to the more familiar steel panels after a limited number of cars were completed; according to some sources, as few as 712 cars received fiberglass bodywork.

In addition to their rarity, these early fiberglass cars were indeed substantially lighter than the metal 308s that followed. Tipping the scales at only 2,315 pounds, they weighed approximately 330 pounds less than their successors, allowing the drivers to take full advantage of the 308’s transverse rear-mounted 2.9-liter V-8, paired with a five-speed manual transmission with gated shifter, and nimble independent suspension. These were also designed to be comfortable long-distance tourers, and as such, they were equipped with features including air conditioning and power windows.

This 308 GTB was completed in June 1976, and sold new to the United States via Luigi Chinetti. By 1978 was offered for sale in the Ferrari Market Letter by Mark Derish of New York, who described it as red with beige interior and having only 3,000 miles. Prior to its acquisition by Walter Medlin in April 1979, the car was offered for sale by FAF Motorcars in Tucker, Georgia and was described as having 5,200 miles. Photographs on file taken circa 1980 show the car in its present colors: The classic combination of Rosso Corsa over tan leather with black inserts. Despite its great performance potential, this Ferrari apparently enjoyed only limited road use; at the time of cataloguing, its odometer displayed just 9,587 miles.

At some point, this car’s Scaglietti-built fiberglass bodywork sustained damage, as did its windshield, but it remains a largely complete example of this rare 308 variant and would be an appealing candidate for restoration—particularly as it retains its numbers-matching engine and gearbox. The interior features a full complement of Veglia Borletti gauges, and a Blaupunkt AM/FM radio with cassette deck has been installed in the dashboard. Further, it retains one Vitaloni Californian mirror on the driver’s side. The car rides on a set of four instantly recognizable five-spoke alloy wheels.

Representing the 308 GTB as it was originally meant to be, the Lost & Found Collection’s 1976 “Vetroresina” offers its next owner the exciting opportunity to own and restore one of the most desirable incarnations of Ferrari’s highly influential mid-engined wedge.