1982 Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole

The Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole gave the fixed-roof 308 a four-valve-per-cylinder V8 specification in 1982.

History and purpose

The Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole gave the fixed-roof 308 a four-valve-per-cylinder V8 specification in 1982. Ferrari’s model record provides the original programme identity and a 748-car tally. That number belongs to the complete GTB Quattrovalvole, not to all 308s and not to the more numerous open GTS version. The profile follows the original four-valve berlinetta as a model with its own mechanical and body boundary. The credited exhibition photograph explicitly identifies a 1984 GTB Quattrovalvole, making it suitable for a programme introduced in 1982 without pretending that the pictured car itself was built in the launch year.

Design and engineering

The fixed roof completes the 308’s compact cabin as one continuous body volume. In the supplied photograph, the angular nose and low beltline lead toward the rear-mounted engine compartment. The body is familiar, but the Quattrovalvole identity concerns the cylinder-head arrangement as much as the exterior form. Ferrari’s archive supplies the injected transverse V8 and five-speed transmission specifications. The image verifies the named fixed-roof configuration through its source and appearance; it cannot display the internal valve count. That distinction keeps a mechanical model claim tied to documentation instead of asking an exterior photograph to prove details hidden beneath the engine cover.

Identifying the original configuration

GTB, GTS, earlier carburetted models and two-valve injected models should not be treated as one interchangeable 308 population. The roof alone can separate body forms, but the original engine configuration needs chassis and factory records. The complete 748-car count applies only to the four-valve GTB programme. A GTS image with its roof fitted would still be the wrong subject if used as an exact GTB photograph. This batch therefore uses an explicitly described GTB Quattrovalvole rather than relying on a generic 308 picture. Later modifications or engine replacements should be recorded in an individual-car file instead of being silently folded into the original specification.

Collector context and preservation

The model’s collecting significance can be explained through evolution within a recognisable design. A reader can compare the GTB Quattrovalvole with the early 208 GTB Turbo and see how related body language accompanied different engine strategies. That comparison does not require a verdict about which car drives better or an unsupported current market hierarchy. For a particular 308, retain delivery records, engine identity and service history alongside body photographs. The small complete programme supports rarity, while the individual documents explain the survivor. Precise naming also makes the profile more useful in search: a reader looking for the fixed-roof four-valve model reaches a page whose count, image and specifications all describe that same collecting subject.

Reading the evidence for this profile

The original source links below identify the programme and the historical statements used in this article. The photograph has its own creator and licence record, separate from the manufacturer’s vehicle history. Keep both when transferring this profile into a collection catalogue. A manufacturing tally describes how many cars belong to a defined original programme; it does not measure how many survive, how many are publicly visible, or how many retain all their original components. Those individual questions require dated chassis and restoration evidence. The reference year likewise describes the programme’s introduction or named historic configuration, while the supplied caption states the photographed setting and any established individual identity. This lets future research expand the car’s history without blurring the scope of the record already assembled here.

Specifications and verified rarity

Frequently asked questions

What does Quattrovalvole mean here?

The original V8 specification has four valves per cylinder.

How many GTB Quattrovalvole cars are recorded?

Ferrari gives 748 for the complete fixed-roof programme.

Are GTS cars part of that number?

No. The open-body version is a separately scoped programme.

Which car is pictured?

The source identifies a 1984 fixed-roof GTB Quattrovalvole at a French exhibition.

What rarity or archive scope is verified?

Complete original 308 GTB Quattrovalvole programme: 748 fixed-roof cars. The separately produced GTS and earlier two-valve 308 models are excluded.

Who took the supplied photograph?

Cjp24 via Wikimedia Commons, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The original file and licence links accompany the image. Retain that credit when the photograph is uploaded, exported or reused.

Related Ferrari profiles

• 1982 Ferrari 208 GTB Turbo
• 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO

Sources and photo credits

• Original manufacturer or custodial record

Photograph: Cjp24 via Wikimedia Commons original file, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source-provided photograph supplied without local cropping, retouching or text removal. A source thumbnail is used where available. Source-described 1984 Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole at Aubigny-sur-Nère, France; the fixed-roof body matches the named programme.