RE: PH Heroes: Ferrari 288GTO

[carl_w]

I miss the days when you could see all of the gubbins including the rear diff underneath the rear bumper. If they made that car today there would be a big sheet of plastic covering all that up.

[tossbag]

carl_w said:

I miss the days when you could see all of the gubbins including the rear diff underneath the rear bumper. If they made that car today there would be a big sheet of plastic covering all that up.

The 'rear diff' is the gearbox my freind

[carl_w]

tossbag said:

The 'rear diff' is the gearbox my freind

Nevertheless, the point is valid.

[Martin A]

Hi All

I'm lucky enough to have had a couple of 288 experiences. I was at Goodwood a little while after the launch of the 288 GTO when one turned up in company of a 250 GTO. Managed to talk my way into the passenger seat of both. I would agree about the fantastic acceleration of the 288, more reminiscent of a formula car than a road car at the time. The 250 seemed like a very fast TR4 in an agricultural sort of way in comparison. Perhaps I should have blagged the rides in the other order.

To say the 288 GTO never raced is not strictly true. Those that were there will never forget the impromptu drag race between a 288 GTO and a (believe it or not) indecently quick Lotus Elan at Le Mans in the same year. The race took part at around midnight between two not completely sober drivers from the cafe at Les Hunaudieres towards Tertre Rouge corner. i.e the wrong way round the circuit. Naturally the Ferrari won but it was surprisingly close up to 100 leptons. The mainly English crowd were very impressed.

Sometime later at the same location the gendarmes took exception to even more foolish behavior by a 288 GTO. They flagged it down and proceeded to beat the crap out of it with their batons before the driver put his foot down.

Whenever I see a photo of one these memories come flooding back.

Best regards

Martin A

[ali_khl]

Thanks for that insight Martin! Most publications seem to note that the 288 GTO was a real pain to get off the line quickly and I guess that gave the Elan quite a fighting chance.

Martin A said:

Sometime later at the same location the gendarmes took exception to even more foolish behavior by a 288 GTO. They flagged it down and proceeded to beat the crap out of it with their batons before the driver put his foot down.

Do you mean the cops literally started hitting the car...?

[pSyCoSiS]

Truly iconinc looking car.

Love it.

And yes, I also possess a 1:18 scale Bburago incarnation of the car!

[tgx4776]

I want one soo bad. I am also 19.

[zebedee]

I have always wanted one of these. Shame the author didn't have the services of a professional photographer though, the car looks so much better than those shots, they don't do it justice.

[Martin A]

ali_khl said:

Thanks for that insight Martin! Most publications seem to note that the 288 GTO was a real pain to get off the line quickly and I guess that gave the Elan quite a fighting chance.

Martin A said:

Sometime later at the same location the gendarmes took exception to even more foolish behavior by a 288 GTO. They flagged it down and proceeded to beat the crap out of it with their batons before the driver put his foot down.

Do you mean the cops literally started hitting the car...?

Yes!!!

[MCB]

MogulBoy said:

My dream car when it came out. I think they cost £73k when new and I joked with my dad that he should sell our house and buy one. We could have turned a tidy profit on that within 5 years whilst living in a tent!

What ever happend to Colin Briggs the Ferrari dealer in Forfar for a while? I beleive he used to have one and possibly lent it to Car Magazine and others for their UK road tests....

There was a while when people were putting 288 GTO bodywork on lesser 308's. I haven't seen one of those come up for sale for a while. I wonder if they are any good although this would have been sacriledge to me at the time, I could probably be persuaded these days...

Colin Briggs was a good friend of my Dad's and I remember visiting his showroom regularly as a lad. Two memorable moments:
1. Seeing a metallic blue 308 GTS with a stoved in front from a barrel which had fallen of a lorry. His showroom was on a tight corner and the barrel had fallen off as the lorry came round. It was also full of some very dark sticky syrup which was also over the car. Not a good day!
2. As you say Colin bought a 288GTO just before he moved to Portugal. My folks invited him round with his partner for dinner before they left. Imagine my excitement at hoping to see what was then the fastest car in the world! This excitement was cruelly destroyed when they turned up in a white Vauxhall Nova! Tragic.
I have a Dexter Brown print somewhere of his 288 GTO which I got with Ferrari World Magazine years ago. Great memories!

[LotusOmega375D]

One of my favourite motoring memories was heading down the M1 South of Leicester. It must have been about 1996 and I was coming back from work in my Renault 5 Turbo 2. I was in the fast lane doing a steady nick. Then I spotted the unmistakeable 4 spotlights and raised wing mirrors of a 288GTO in my rear view mirror. I let him past with a smile and gladly followed him at his somewhat quicker pace for the rest of my journey. Must have been quite a sight and sound for the other road-users.

[gethyped]

Ferrari's finest looking car i reckon.288 GTO is a special car in every way.
Top of my wish list if Lotto numbers ever came up.

[Jimmycs]

For those who wish to see photos of 288 GTO, here is the link to the forum that I belong where I have uploaded numerous shots of my GTO.

www.ferrarilife.com/forums/supercars-288-f40-f50/1...

w/ smiles
Jimmy