Book Review: Ferrari 308 GT Buyer’s Guide

Actually, the car belonged to Mr. “Robin Masters,” a celebrated, if totally fictitious, lusty romance novelist who also “owned” the 200-acre Hawaiian beachfront estate, “Robin’s Nest,” where Magnum lived in a rented guesthouse. Ah, it’s a wonder we ever survived the 70’s! But we’ll have to leave that story for another issue of VT.

Back to our P.I. and his likely anemic proclivity for reading Ferrari buyer guides or owner manuals prior to acquiring said automobile; the answer to the “What Would Magnum Do?” question is, well, nothing.

Nosiree. Chances are this swashbuckling gumshoe didn’t do anything even vaguely responsible or practical before firing up the transverse, mid-mounted V8 on “his” Pininfarina-styled beauty. No, he had Hollywood scriptwriters and TV producers to do all that pesky research and image stuff for him.

But … if our high-velocity crime stopper had been a true Ferraristi; one who wanted to be a smart, savvy, informed shopper before dropping several thousand large of his hard-earned money; well then, Steve Cook’s new book, Ferrari 308 Series Buyer’s Guide, Owner’s Manual, would have absolutely, positively been the book for him (and for Tom Selleck, as well).

The Book

Cook is the founder of www.FerrariList.com, the oldest online Ferrari information resource. And it shows. Well-organized, well-researched and, at just 131 pages, a quick and easy read, the author has accomplished the unlikely task of delivering to the well-stocked Ferrari literary world an original, fun and exceptionally useful bite-sized automotive masterpiece.

Ferrari 308 Series is a light, affordable ($ price) and downright delicious Rosso Corsa cornucopia. Cook artfully blends entertaining stories, life lessons and Jeopardy question Ferrari facts, with page upon page of invaluable information about the most popular Ferrari ever made.

Best of all, the book is chocked full of the author’s unvarnished advice about all things 308. From what to know before you buy (lots!), and how much you should pay (as much as you can afford, but more than $15k and less than $40k), Cook takes us all the way to proper care for your vehicle (no dish soap, buy a Halon fire extinguisher) and, our personal ownership favorite, how to fix your 308.

Cook knows what he knows, which is quite a bit. But he also knows what he doesn’t know, and he’s disarmingly forthright about admitting it. It’s a valuable display of candor and hubris that is, shall we say, not always found among those who own, drive, collect or repair exotic cars.

Whether you are in the market for a 308, or already own one and just want to learn more about it, Ferrari 308 Series is a delightfully personal, eminently enjoyable and, above all, informative handbook that needs to find a place, and fast, in the reference collections of all 308 owners, collectors and wannabe’s.

The Highs

The book’s high points are many. Easy to read. Logically arranged. Full of good stories. Loads of valuable 308 information. Honest advice. Excellent resources.

We were especially taken with Cook’s self-effacing introduction, “A Primer on Passion and Soul,” and the author’s liberal inclusion of extensive “What,” “Where” and “How-to” lists. These run the gamut from 308 websites and recommended books, to the numerical specifications of every 308’s headlamp, and an itemized list of the exact contents of each model’s factory-issued tool kit.

The latter, for example, should always have, “8 open ended wrenches, 6-22mm,” while the book, Original Ferrari V8, by Keith Bluemel, is declared by Cook — quite appropriately — to be a “must read.”

One other unusual, and brilliantly practical, feature is the incorporation of several blank questionnaires, each intended to safely guide a potential buyer through the most important – and often shark-infested — stages of pre-purchase information gathering. These include 39-item, transmission-to-tire “Telephone Questionnaire,” an “Inspection Checklist” and two particularly fine “Test Drive” checklists.

The Lows

The book doesn’t have any major lows. Most are superficial. No hardcover version. No color illustrations. Precious few photos. And a somewhat clunky cover featuring a close-cropped photo of a red 308, awkwardly superimposed on top of the broad green, white and (much brighter) red stripes of the Italian flag.

For the militant proofreader, we also should mention that our review copy contained enough type-o’s and punctuation idiosyncrasies to make a high school English teacher blush. But, Heck! Who reads buyer guides and owner manuals for perfect typing and aesthetic appeal?

Oh, and we probably should also mention the one genuine, potentially dangerous downside to this book. Hint: it was the same downside cited in the recent VT review of Bruce Taylor’s new book about the Alfa Romeo Montreal. Namely, if you buy this book without already owning a 308, you may be very tempted to find yourself a really nice one.

And, in the word’s of VT’s inimitable Pete Vack, “that, my friend, will cost you a great deal more than just the book.”

The Verdict

This book is Ferrari unplugged.

It ain’t real pretty to look at, so don’t buy it to impress the neighbors, but if you’re looking for a fun, down and dirty 308 buyer’s or owner’s guide, one that’s inexpensive, practical and easy-to-use (even for this Ferrari-challenged writer), then this, friends, is it.

Also, check out Steve’s website on the 308, www.308book.com

Ferrari 308 Series Buyer’s Guide, Owner’s Guide, is published by Veloce Press, www.VelocePress.com.

—

Ferraristi, Timothy W. Andrews, is president of the award-winning advertising and PR agency, Andrews Creative Worldwide, LLC., and Executive Editor of The Writing Department. Visit www.andrewscreativeworldwide.com or www.thewritingdepartment.com