Miguel Sánchez
Photographs Ferrari 308 GTB Vetroresina: RM Sothebys
Normally, there is a lot of talk about the enormous influence received by motorsports from aeronautics. In fact, This can be seen in not a few of the cars we use in our day to day.. To begin with, although the person responsible for popularizing it in the eighties was Renault, the truth is that the turbocharger has been around for a long time. Specifically from the interwar period. When their action added oxygen to the mix as the planes gained altitude and therefore accessed areas with less combustible air.
In addition, cars like the Mercedes 300SL pioneered direct injection by borrowing it from warplanes. And boy, as if all this were not enough, the F1 course itself has a lot to do with the wings. In fact, the application of the so-called Venturi Effect generated what, thanks to Lotus, became known as the Soil Effect. Undoubtedly one of the most interesting and controversial advances in this specialty, providing never-before-seen adherence.
However, the truth is that automotive design also pays a multitude of tributes to sailing. Thus, the skiff bodies took on the smooth and refined forms of pleasure boats during the first decades of the last century. In addition, Vicenzo Lancia and Battista Falchetto drew on the boat hulls the necessary inspiration to create the Lambda. Equipped with the first mass-produced monocoque chassis, this model not only stood out for its good weight but, especially, for the rigidity achieved thanks to that new design.
A giant leap for mass motoring although, in addition, techniques designed to improve sports performance have also been copied from nautical. In this way, one of the most notable materials has been fiberglass. Pioneeringly used by Glasspar on the bodywork of its 2 G1949. A small and light sports car made on the West Coast that, based on the chassis of a Jeep Willys, came to be the American answer to the small British roadsters. From here, fiberglass made the leap to the general public thanks to the 1 Corvette C1953. Dressed in this material along with other significant models such as the Kaiser Darrin.
With all this, and despite the obvious initial difficulties when working with such an innovative material, more and more manufacturers were interested in bodyworking their designs in this way. Especially when we talk about the British houses focused on sportsmanship. It's more, Lotus reached the paroxysm of this phenomenon by presenting its Elite Type1957 in 14. An ultralight two-seater that was encouraged to use fiberglass as the basis for the development of its monocoque chassis. At this point, the curious thing was to see how British enthusiasm for that material of nautical origin did not spread in Italy.
What's more, from Touring to Zagato through Ghia, each and every one of the transalpine workshops preferred to bet on aluminum when talking about reducing weight. However, the arrival of the seventies was going to present novelties in this sense. News that would come under the arm of one of the most popular Ferrari of all time. The 308 GTB from 1975. Introducing it as a substitute for the Dino 246, thanks to this berlinetta the saga of the “cavallino ” with V8 engines in central-rear position. The same one that, until today, has interpreted with great success the range of access to the manufacturer of Maranello.
FERRARI 308 GTB VETRORESINA, A ROUND AND BACK STORY
Without a doubt, the 308 GTB was not only a success for Ferrari. But, especially, for Pininfarina. In fact, the master lines marked by her in this model were the basis for a whole saga that is still present today. Also, that penetrating and muscular appearance established in the form of a production car everything experienced by Paolo Martin, Giorgetto Giugiaro or Marcello Gandini since the end of the previous decade. A process known as the "Wedge design" and that, in the 308, it curdled with a special aesthetic appeal that Ferrari knew how to take advantage of to catapult itself until the eighties.
In any case, the manufacture and assembly of the panels of the 308 GTB was not done at Pininfarina. Far from it, Scaglietti was entrusted. The body shop that, since the forties, began to be a company almost indistinguishable from Ferrari. In fact, she was finally absorbed by it when she found herself, even, a few meters from it. It's more, with a bit of skill Enzo Ferrari could have heard from his domain the hammering and the presses of Sergio Scaglietti. Who, by the way, came to have some 450 employees almost exclusively focused on producing for his powerful neighbor.
However, the entry into production of the 308 GTB marked an interesting point for Scaglietti. Not surprisingly, this was going to be the first Ferrari bodyworked in fiberglass. Material that, in the melodic sound of Italian speech, was to receive the name of Vetroresina. Put in this position, the truth is that that sounded most interesting. And it is that, after all, the use of fiber lowered the weight of the berlinetta to 1.090 kilos. If we combine this with the tubular steel chassis or the joy of its V8 with 255CV, we have a really spirited sports car. Even more so when we observe its feeding with four Weber carburettors or the double camshaft per bank.
However, for many users of the brand there was something in the 308 GTB that did not quite fit. And yes, it was the use of the Vetroresina. A material, according to them, low class. Very poor quality for Ferrari and, in fact, more typical of experimental models produced by small British houses. In sum, the client from Maranello valued the nobility of metal over the light benefits of fiberglass. Material that, with the exception of the bonnet -made of aluminium-, completely dominated the bodywork of the new berlinetta V8.
At this point, at the end of 1976 the units destined for the US market began to be dressed in aluminum and pressed steel. A change to which, in mid-1977, those assigned to European distributors were added. In fact, Ferrari ended up very chastened from the use of this material. So much so that it has not been used again on any model beyond a few specific pieces on the nose or skirts. A pity. Well, in truth, the quality with which Scaglietti worked the fiberglass was truly outstanding. Nothing to do with some other sports cars, where even with the naked eye you can see the poor finish.
However, the history of the 308 GTB Vetroresina has an interesting paradox. And it is a back and forth story. Thus, while in its first years the 712 units of Vetroresina devalued worryingly, now the opposite is happening. Far from being forgotten, They are the most sought after and appreciated units by collectors. Something that triggers their sale prices above 200.000 euros, also detecting the continuation of this upward trend. And it is that, as the years go by, there are novelties and advances that even delight the most reactionary.
P.D. The unit used to illustrate this article will be auctioned this coming February 1 in Paris by RM Sotheby's. As can be seen, it is not just any Vetroresina. It is one of the Group 4s created by the Facetti brothers. Endowed with a more than interesting track record in races, it is an excellent complement to the 308 Michelotto prepared -also under Group 4 rules- for the world of rallies.
