'Motorsport' magazine review of Ferrari 308 Vetroresina

[browngt3]

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

I stumbled across this fascinating review recently. It is written by the great Denis Jenkinson who seems to be a little underwhelmed by the Vetro. He doesn't seem that bothered by the Berlinetta Boxer either. Even after a lap or two of Paul Ricard sat next to Niki Lauda no less!

I also love his criticism of the 308's instrumentation -' 'styled' by someone in Turin more used to 850 c.c. Fiat's'! Personally, I think the 308 interior to be one of the most stylish and attractive of any car - classic Ferrari elegance.

Enjoy the article

[cgt2]

Guys like Jenks, Russell Bulgin and LJK Setright are greatly missed. Even when I disagreed with their opinions they were wonderful to read.

[rat rod]

browngt3 said:

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

I stumbled across this fascinating review recently. It is written by the great Denis Jenkinson who seems to be a little underwhelmed by the Vetro. He doesn't seem that bothered by the Berlinetta Boxer either. Even after a lap or two of Paul Ricard sat next to Niki Lauda no less!

I also love his criticism of the 308's instrumentation -' 'styled' by someone in Turin more used to 850 c.c. Fiat's'! Personally, I think the 308 interior to be one of the most stylish and attractive of any car - classic Ferrari elegance.

Enjoy the article

Thanks for posting,found it very interesting having owned 3 glass GTB'S, not all at once, I found the instrumentation and the style of the interior very Ferrari ,less is more and i find the modern cars a little fussy but do realise that 's what the modern buyer wants and i live with my head in the past. The fibreglass is perfect especially as it was Ferrari's first attempt with no smell of resin at all, Had steel cars as well and apart from the obvious rust problems there's not much in it,mayby the glass car feeling a bit lighter on it's feet unlike the Boxer. A true successor to the Dino

[rat rod]

cgt2 said:

Guys like Jenks, Russell Bulgin and LJK Setright are greatly missed. Even when I disagreed with their opinions they were wonderful to read.

All ways enjoyed Jenk's articles in the" Motor Sport" reporting on his continental trips in Europe following the Grand Prix 's in his E types ,a series 1 fixed head and then a series 2 Roaster l.h.d from memory, I would buy the "Motor Sport" when i was still at school infact i still have all of them(sad really) .HE was to blame for my E Type fixation which led me to buy my first one at 20 ,a 3.8 fixed head in red for the princely sum of £480, mot'd and taxed ,went well but didn't like stopping and remember pulling my best friend back in the car as i was negotiating a right hand bend as the passenger door didn't like shutting,

[yzr500]

Back in 1984 I owned a black with red interior fibreglass 308gtb CFE348S used her every day for over a year clocking 12,000 miles only service was a oil-change +plugs sold it with 75,000 miles via the Exchange +Mart for £11500 in 1986,the only issue with these cars was surface crazing on the gel and corrosion with the metal side window tracks .

[rat rod]

yzr500 said:

Back in 1984 I owned a black with red interior fibreglass 308gtb CFE348S used her every day for over a year clocking 12,000 miles only service was a oil-change +plugs sold it with 75,000 miles via the Exchange +Mart for £11500 in 1986,the only issue with these cars was surface crazing on the gel and corrosion with the metal side window tracks .

Hi Jim hope your well, ye these GTB'S were very usable i drove mine most days ,quite nimble with light steering although i think that might be something to do with narrow 6 1/2 inch wheels most of the early cars had,they always looked a bit lost in the wheel arches ,Did you sell your 360 ,would be interested if you haven't, managed to get this bloody virus and been stuck indoors for the last 4 weeks so could do with a project to relieve the boredom, private message me if you want,

Edited by rat rod on Monday 18th May 01:06

[jtremlett]

yzr500 said:

Back in 1984 I owned a black with red interior fibreglass 308gtb CFE348S used her every day for over a year clocking 12,000 miles only service was a oil-change +plugs sold it with 75,000 miles via the Exchange +Mart for £11500 in 1986,the only issue with these cars was surface crazing on the gel and corrosion with the metal side window tracks .

88,400 at the last MOT so it has only done a few more miles in the last 25 years than you did in 2.

[ras62]

Enjoyed that run down memory lane Sent the link to my Ferrari mad mate who texted back...was it a silver car? I've still got that mag in the loft!

[browngt3]

ras62 said:

Enjoyed that run down memory lane Sent the link to my Ferrari mad mate who texted back...was it a silver car? I've still got that mag in the loft!

Hi Rob, hope you're well? Yes it was a silver car with red interior.

[Leithen]

The "Vetroresina" monicker always causes a quiet chuckle.

They were a 308 which happened to be "glass fibre" or "fibreglass" when being sold and owned.

For a while after that they were a cheap way into Ferrari ownership, and then the market went mad and any form of perceived rarity was important.

All of a sudden a lovely Italian sounding name was attached to them.

[browngt3]

Leithen said:

The "Vetroresina" monicker always causes a quiet chuckle.

They were a 308 which happened to be "glass fibre" or "fibreglass" when being sold and owned.

For a while after that they were a cheap way into Ferrari ownership, and then the market went mad and any form of perceived rarity was important.

All of a sudden a lovely Italian sounding name was attached to them.

It sounds so much sexier than 'fibreglass' though, doesn't it!

'Monodado' for the original single mirror Testarossa is another example. Amazing how those single bolt alloys make the car so much better looking, imo

[yzr500]

add an italian word and the car that's sounds expensive? I had a series one Testarossa with one high mirror now when advertised they have an itie word for one mirror, mono something !remember back in the past when Ferrari horse-power was even referred as italain pony power

[priley]

Yes, I recall a 26k mile one for sale locally for for 25k about 11 years ago. I had some money at the time and decided to go 355 for mid 30's (I also passed on a white 246GT-requiring restoration-for 37k). However I managed to buy a 'regular' carb' GTB this time last year and absolutely love it.

Anyone recall the actual weight difference, steel/fibreglass?

[browngt3]

priley said:

Yes, I recall a 26k mile one for sale locally for for 25k about 11 years ago. I had some money at the time and decided to go 355 for mid 30's (I also passed on a white 246GT-requiring restoration-for 37k). However I managed to buy a 'regular' carb' GTB this time last year and absolutely love it.

Anyone recall the actual weight difference, steel/fibreglass?

It's not as much as some figures make out, roughly 25kg?

Harry Metcalfe actually weighed a Vetro in his video review at 1250kg. The official kerb weight for a GTB QV is 1275kg. The only variables I can think of are the optional 16' rims and aircon

[priley]

Right. Probably that much difference between some owners!

Funny reading that article. I was just left wondering what would have actually impressed him? Interesting to see what a shock a V8 Ferrari was at the time too.

[tomtom]

priley said:

Yes, I recall a 26k mile one for sale locally for for 25k about 11 years ago. I had some money at the time and decided to go 355 for mid 30's (I also passed on a white 246GT-requiring restoration-for 37k). However I managed to buy a 'regular' carb' GTB this time last year and absolutely love it.

Anyone recall the actual weight difference, steel/fibreglass?

I'm pretty sure there was a fairly ratty yellow fibreglass (not 'vetroresina' at that time as noted above...) car that changed hands for £16k or £17k in 2007/2008, possibly ending up with a bloke in Harpenden? I wonder what happened to that one. I wish I'd bought it now.

[Slippydiff]

browngt3 said:

It's not as much as some figures make out, roughly 25kg?

Harry Metcalfe actually weighed a Vetro in his video review at 1250kg. The official kerb weight for a GTB QV is 1275kg. The only variables I can think of are the optional 16' rims and aircon

Hi Antony, I hope you’re keeping safe and well ?

Apparently the ”resina” was incredibly thick, Ferrari wanting to ensure the material wasn’t flimsy and didn’t crack, whilst using it on their first production car.

Did you get my last email btw ?

Edited by Slippydiff on Monday 18th May 16:41

[tomtom]

I've just done some trawling of old F Chat posts from c2005 and the yellow 308 I mention was sold by Justin Banks for ~£15k(!) and had an old style reg' starting 'TAP'... Ring any bells?

[Fast Eddie]

Wonderful to read that review and thanks for posting. What a different style of journalism from today.

Jenks was old school in many ways but right up with it in so many others.

Cars have changed beyond all recognition now and it's what the buyer (and the roads we drive on) demands.

Jenks was a family friend and I have a picture of me with him before he took me out in the very Urraco he mentions in the article.

When I asked Jenks why there were Green Shield stamps stuck over some of the dashboard lights such as indicators and main beam he characteristically said its because they so bloody bright I can't see the road at night.

He didn't fear the manufacturers.

[browngt3]

Slippydiff said:

Hi Antony, I hope you’re keeping safe and well ?

Apparently the ”resina” was incredibly thick, Ferrari wanting to ensure the material wasn’t flimsy and didn’t crack, whilst using it on their first production car.

Did you get my last email btw ?

Edited by Slippydiff on Monday 18th May 16:41

Hi Henry, just checked my emails, last one received 7th? I emailed you Saturday night with some pics of the QV