Most Ferraris are not cool.
I know that’s a highly subjective statement that borders on hyperbole and is almost impossible not to be seen as offered in bad faith. But hear me out.
Ferrari absolutely deserves its reputation as the world’s most famous sports car brand. Its heritage and history are highly compelling. The brand has produced vehicles that are so attractive and tantalizing that they’ve become immeasurably desirable and cultural icons.
If you like Ferraris, that’s not a preference anyone needs to defend because we all get it.
But despite oozing passion, flair, and motorsports heritage, most Ferraris are, by their nature, elitist, humourless, and decidedly unchill. And more often than not, in my experience, so are the people who drive them. I simply wouldn’t want to have a beer with the average Ferrari owner, and I’m sorry, but in my opinion, that makes them terminally uncool.
If legends are to be believed, even Enzo Ferrari himself never really cared for the aristocrats who purchased his road cars. And if true, who could blame him?
Still, I’m painting with a very broad brush because, of course, there are cool Ferraris out there.
Case in point, this absolutely stunning 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS on AutoTrader for sale right now through August Motorcars in Kelowna, B.C.
August has a couple of ‘89 Ferrari 328s for sale, but the other two are red, and this one is “Nero” (black) with a tan interior, so it’s the coolest.
This isn’t some hyper-rare example, either. It’s not some one-of-one antique you would be afraid to breathe on, never mind risking a stone chip, less you damage a piece of history.
The 328 was, apparently, an exceptionally good seller for Ferrari, with sales estimates at almost 7,500 units. Of those, GTS models were common, outselling the hardtop GTB almost five to one. It’s not clear how many were painted black, but if you shop around, you’ll find them.
Still, that’s a good thing. It means you can enjoy your Ferrari around the common folk. You don’t need to hide it in a climate-controlled museum like a secluded billionaire. This is a car you can and should drive, experience, enjoy.
Other than an upgraded stereo with a CD player in the trunk (which, let’s be honest, is very period-correct), it’s all original. August has run it through a full service and certified it, but that’s it. It’s even got the original tool kit.
Everything from its targa top to its gated manual five-speed shifter, pop-up headlights, iconic five-spoke rims, opera window louvres, and overall shape scream ‘89, which is another way of saying analogue and alive.
For the time, it was relatively high-tech. The 328 got ABS for the first time in 1988, as well as vented disc brakes and fuel injection as standard.
But there was no traction control or computers figuring out your steering geometry. No double-clutch paddle shifts to command flawless, instant shifts. And crucially, no all-wheel drive to save your clumsy driving. The 328 was still rear-wheel drive only. You still had to drive and heavily engage with this car. You had to earn the status symbol beyond just what your pocket book would allow.
It didn’t have the kind of mind-blowing power of today’s cars. With only 270 horsepower produced by a 3.2-litre Ferrari Dino V8, you could mercilessly humiliate this prancing pony to 100 km/h in a modern Honda Civic Type R. In a modern GR Supra? That scene in The Fast and Furious is more than possible.
But honestly, that’s what makes this car even cooler. It no longer needs to brag or be the top dog. It’s content to deliver an analogue driving experience rooted in passion for the activity. It is as far from the automotive equivalent of a Supreme hoodie as you can get, and that’s a good thing.
But perhaps most special is that the 328 really didn’t last all that long. It was in production for only four short years. You can almost call it a stopgap or even something of a facelift for the previous 308.
After 1989, the 328 was replaced by the 348, which featured more contemporary styling and a host of technological leaps. For example, the 348 had trick weight distribution thanks to an even trickier gearbox that was mounted transversely for the first time in a Ferrari road car, and it even had some cherry-picked Japanese parts for considerations of reliability.
Despite being the last car Enzo Ferrari himself ever oversaw, the 348 marked a clear change in Ferrari direction — start making cars that any person with money could buy and live with. It’s not a coincidence that it looks like a V12 Testarossa but isn’t.
To its credit, Ferrari seems to have sold 1,000 more 348s than they did 328s, with the car staying in production for an additional two years. So, in some ways, the 348 is much more the “people’s Ferrari” than the 328.
Still, I’d take the raw edges of the 328 almost every time. Because buying a Ferrari should be about more than just the status or having the latest thing. It should be about an experience and getting a little closer to what the brand should stand for.
Showing off will never be cool. But shameless indulgence? A true passion for your hobby and for the love of all things holy, buying something that isn’t a C8 Corvette or BMW M4 when you’ve got $150,000 burning a hole in your pocket? That’ll never go out of style. And it will most definitely make you look like somebody we’d all want to have a beer with.
