The beginning of the 80s of the last century was a turning point in the development of Ferrari. The decline in car sales of this Italian supercar manufacturer forced the company to return to its roots, and as a result, the 288 GTO was born. It was produced between 1984 and 1987, and only 272 cars left the assembly line. One of them, a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, is up for sale.
Ferrari’s intention was to create a racing car for the road under the new FIA rules for Group B, in which Ferrari competed. However, in the meantime, Group B was cancelled.
The car is in excellent condition, finished in Rosso Corsa, and has only 23,609 km on the odometer. It has the original body, chassis, differential, engine, and gearbox. It was bought in 1985 as new, with air conditioning and power windows, from the factory and was owned by two doctors. By 2012, when it became part of the Gran Turismo Collection, it had changed several owners. In the meantime, it has been properly serviced by authorized service centers.
Although it has American license plates, the car has never entered the United States. It has all the proper documentation and was serviced for the first time by Charles Pozzi S.A. in 1985. In 2010, it was certified by Ferrari Classicha and received its “Red Book”. The same year it was sold to a new owner who serviced the car and repaired the electric window motor. The following year, the engine and gearbox were steam cleaned (DK Engineering), turbochargers were rebuilt and a major service was carried out.
In 2012, the cooling system was repaired, the valve timings were adjusted, a new clutch was installed, the timing and auxiliary belts were replaced, and more. In 2022 the owner paid £4,792 to DK Engineering to reseal the bell housing and replace the clutch release bearing.
When it comes to the powertrain, the 288 GTO is powered by a 2.9 L F114 B 000 twin turbo V8 engine with 395 hp (294 kW) and 366 lb-ft (496 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. It reaches 62 mph in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h).
The car comes with Ferrari Classiche “Red Book”, Ferrari Owner’s Manual, Sale and Service Organization book, Warranty Card and Owner’s Service Book, toolkit, space saver spare wheel, and jack bag. Price upon request.
Source: RM Sotheby’s