He lost 50,000 $ selling his Ferrari 308 GTSi... too soon!

When he signed the sale papers for his Ferrari 308 GTSi, this American owner probably had no regrets. At the time, in the early 2010s, the market for Ferrari "Accessible" was dreary, and selling his copy for around $35,000 was even a bargain. Ten years later, the story has taken a different turn. A glance at current auction results reveals that the same car is now sometimes worth more than twice as much, or even almost three times as much, depending on condition and version. A simple calculation is enough to make you cringe: by selling too early, he may have missed out on a $50,000 capital gain.

An underrated Ferrari

The Ferrari 308 has long been overshadowed by more prestigious V12 models. Produced between 1975 and 1985, it was powered by a 2.9-liter V8 engine developing around 250 hp, an engine as raw as it was endearing, typical of Ferraris of the 1980s. In the 2010s, this charisma didn't appeal to investors. The 308 was seen as an aging entry-level Ferrari, costly to maintain and undesirable in the face of more modern models. As a result, prices plummeted.

Between 2014 and 2015, auctions showed results that were sometimes surprisingly low. Some Ferrari 308 GTSi sold for less than $40,000, while a few very well-preserved examples occasionally exceeded $90,000, but remained exceptions. Here is a representative summary of this low period:

Year	Observed prices
2014	from 38,500 $ to 92,400 $
2015	from €33,376 to €71,500 $

At the time, its sale price of 35,000 $ from one owner to another was not absurd. It was perfectly in line with the market.

Ten years on: collectors' awakening

In 2025, the picture is radically different. The Ferrari 308 has once again become an icon in its own right. It now embodies a bygone era of lightweight Ferraris, with no electronic aids and pure, unfiltered Italian design. Nostalgia, coupled with a dwindling supply of well-maintained models, has boosted demand. On specialized auction platforms, the results speak for themselves. In 2025, even a standard example frequently fetches around $60,000 to $80,000, while restored or low-mileage Quattrovalvole versions regularly reach new heights. Here's an overview:

Date	Year	Version	Mileage	Price
Jan. 27, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	26,000 miles	100 000 $
March 23, 2025	1982	GTSi	84,000 km	68 000 €
March 26, 2025	1984	GTSi Quattrovalvole	24,000 miles	90 000 $
Apr. 5, 2025	1982	GTSi	43,000 miles	82 500 $
Apr. 10, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	23,000 miles	76 000 $
Apr. 22, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	33,000 miles	60 000 $
Apr. 24, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	105,000 miles	58 000 $
May 1, 2025	1980	GTSi	16,000 miles	67 500 $
May 11, 2025	1984	GTSi Quattrovalvole	63,000 miles	77 000 $
June 3, 2025	1984	GTSi Quattrovalvole	40,000 miles	95 000 $
June 13, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	54,000 miles	67 500 $
June 20, 2025	1982	GTSi	39,000 miles	76 000 $
June 27, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	31,000 miles	95 000 $
July 10, 2025	1982	GTSi	55,000 miles	71 000 $
July 15, 2025	1980	GTSi	63,000 miles	47 000 $
July 26, 2025	1980	GTSi	59,000 miles	57 000 $
August 4, 2025	1981	GTSi	2,000 miles	50 000 $
August 4, 2025	1982	GTSi	691 miles	57 500 $
August 5, 2025	1982	GTSi	55,000 miles	52 500 $
August 11, 2025	1983	GTSi Quattrovalvole	4,000 miles	93 500 $
August 20, 2025	1980	GTSi	21,000 miles	78 000 $
Sept. 3, 2025	1980	GTSi	30,000 miles	54 500 $
Sept. 28, 2025	1982	GTSi	22,000 miles	71 000 $

One American owner, for example, sold his model for $100,000 in January 2025. Other comparable examples are now selling for between $75,000 and $95,000, depending on their condition. Given these figures, the former $35,000 transaction now looks like a painful error of timing.

"Time in the market

This misadventure perfectly illustrates a well-known investment saying: "time in the market is more important than time out". In other words, it's often better to hold on to a quality asset for the long term than to try to sell at the perfect moment. Missing out on $50,000 is never pleasant. In the world of car collecting, this story is almost commonplace. Owners have lost far more by reselling Ferrari F40s at a time when no one imagined they'd be able to make a profit. that they would amount to several million euros or dollars.