The story of the 1989 Ferrari that has never been driven

Through the archives of Sotheby’s, one of the most important auction houses in the world based in the UK, there is an example of a Ferrari that has already made history. It is a Ferrari 328 GTS that comes straight from 1989 and that has never been registered, never driven nor exposed to the weather elements. The car is immaculate: its Rosso Corsa paintwork gleams as its first day, you can still smell the gorgeous perfume of unblemished Crema leather and it comes complete with delivery stickers affixed to the driver’s side front wheel, alongside protective plastic covers on the inner sills. Furthermore, the car features its original accessories: original Goodyear tyres and an unused tool kit, within a red Prancing Horse logoed bag. More than three decades after its production, the supercar saw the light one more time in the past few months and was sold on February 25th, 2020 at a Sotheby’s auction for 66.125 €. 

Produced from 1985 to 1989, the Ferrari 328 is born from the ashes of Ferrari 308 and it comes in two versions: GTB and GTS. The acronym “GTB” stands for “Gran Turismo Berlinetta” and it was a coupé, while “GTS” stands for “Gran Turismo Spider”, and it was a Targa. In four years, Ferrari produced only 7.400 examples, that were sold mostly on the US at the price of $ 58.400-62.500, then it was replaced in 1989 by the new model Ferrari 348. The Ferrari 328 is a mid-engine V8 and it has a naturally aspirated 3.2-litre; as with the preceding 308 models, the engine was mounted in unit with the all-synchromesh five-speed manual transmission assembly. Its top speed is 166 mph (267 km/h) and reaches 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.5 seconds and 100 mph (160 km/h) in 13.0 seconds. It is a real standout. 

Once upon a 328 GTS

In the Eighties, demand for supercars such as Ferraris was sky-high. The first owner of this "virgin" example purchased the 328 GTS from SA.MO.CAR S.p.a of Rome and almost immediately sold it for almost twice what they paid for it. Though, as it happens with expensive brand-items or a pair of limited sneakers, after spending such a breathtaking sum, the car’s second owner was then afraid to actually use it: he actually never thought of driving it and exposing it to elements, so he didn't register it and chose to place it into professional storage, preserving its delivery condition. From that moment on, its history is uncertain: there are high probabilities that it remained in the UK from new for almost 25 years. Its last annual service was carried out in May of 2016, and it has been driven less than 100 miles since. When it came back on the market in December 2019, it was as brand-new. 

“This is likely to be one of the finest 328 GTS models in existence, worthy of the attention of even the most discerning collector”, you can read on the official Sotheby's website. More than a simple car, in fact, it looks like a time machine, or rather a machine for which time never passed. The sports car is genuine: in more than 30 years, the car comes with less than 500 kilometres on the odometer and every detail looks exactly as it was when it left the fabric.

The 328 GTS was a popular car that, today, is still well-loved and well-used by enthusiastic owners. Thirty years later after its release, this sample of the supercar is almost a piece of art that should be exposed in a museum.