One to Buy: ex-Antonio Zanini 1984 Rally Osona-winning Ferrari 308 GTB Gr. B
/
The Group 4 and subsequent Group B regulations that ran from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s saw a plethora of exotic machinery take to the special stages, one of which was the Ferrari 308 GTB.
Thanks to Ferrari’s factory-authorised partner, Michelotto in Padova, an array of trick parts were developed in order to prepare the 308 for rally use; customers could order either a complete car or alternatively just the parts needed to convert an existing machine to Group 4 or Group B trim.
Although the 308 was never going to rival some of the more robust cars in gruelling muddy events, it went on to prove enormously effective on tarmac rallies, perhaps most notably scoring victory on the 1981 Tour de France thanks to the Charles Pozzi-entered machine of Jean-Claude Andruet and Catherine Bouchetal.
Currently on offer at the Girardo & Co. showroom in Oxfordshire is a remarkably well preserved example of the 308 GTB in rally trim: chassis 24783.
Commissioned by multiple Spanish Rally Champion, Antonio Zanini, chassis 24783 was supplied and prepared by the Barcelona Ferrari agent Fernando Serena who converted it to Group B trim using parts supplied by Michelotto.
As the conversion took longer than expected, Zanini used a rented 308 from Pro Motor Sport in Italy for most of his campaign. As a consequence, chassis 24783 only contested three events in period, the highlight of which was a crushing victory for Zanini and his navigator, Josep Autet, on the Rally Osona in August ‘84.
Today, chassis 24783 is presented in superbly restored condition and comes complete with Ferrari Classiche certification.
