Whether you choose to think of them as the smart driver’s choice or the runts of the litter, there’s no question that the Ferrari 308 GT4 and Lamborghini Espada will get you as much attention as turning up at a cars n’ coffee gathering as wearing only Ferrari or Lamborghini-branded swimming briefs.
They are the unusual suspects, and that’s precisely why Ben Pratt, the owner of the 1975 308 GT4, chose it. “Nobody has these,” says Pratt, when asked why he bought one over a 308 GTB.
Magnus Walker is fully in agreement. “That’s what I like about it too; the one model only, Bertone-non-Pininfarina! This was the ugly duckling. You won’t get invited to the Ferrari concours; the tifosi are not digging it,” chuckles Walker.
Aaron Robinson, the owner of the 1970 Espada, freely admits he is a glutton for punishment, as this is the third one he’s owned. “The Japanese have a saying, ‘The only thing dummer than climbing Mount Fuji is doing it twice,” and I guess I’ve done it three times – and I’m looking at another right now.”
Bertone designed both these outsiders. That’s saying something, as the Italian design house counts the Miura, Countach and Lancia Stratos amongst its creations, and makes the 308 GT4 one of the few Ferraris from its era not to have been styled by Pininfarina.
The Ferrari 308 GT4 replaced the Dino, and is nothing like as sought-after or, consequently, valuable. A ’75 example like the car featured in the film would cost about £42,000 in excellent, #2 condition, according to the Hagerty Price Guide. By contrast, a Dino 246 GTS would cost nearly £255,000 in #2 condition.
It’s much the same story for the Espada. A ’70 example in excellent #2 condition would fetch close to £120,000, whereas the more obvious Countach is significantly more expensive, with an early ’74 LP400 likely to cost £860,000.
Regardless of the value, these cars are wonderful things to look at, talk about and drive. Unusual and all the more interesting for it, we salute Pratt and Robinson for keeping them on the road for the rest of us to encounter and enjoy.
