Tony’s Take: And so it is told: Enzo Ferrari was peeved at his company’s lost luster in the passenger car arena. He commissioned the Ferrari 288 GTO to restore the brand’s rep at the race track. And so, in the early ’80’s . . .
Fiat built the Ferrari 288 GTO to meet Group B racing specifications. Oops! The Group B race series was cancelled before the car was launched. Never mind. The 288 GTO became an iconic model on its own merits.
Although it started life as a modified 308/328, by the time the 288 GTO left the factory gates it was a prancing horse of a different color. New bodywork, new materials, turbos, upgraded cabin – you name it.
The result: the greatest of all Pininfarina designs skinning a reasonably comfortable, fast AF, beautifully handling car that sounds like a proper Ferrari.
| 1985 288 GTO | 9,323 miles | 8/20/22 | $4,405,000 |
| 1985 288 GTO | 5,939 miles | 2/2/22 | $3,450,000 |
| 1985 288 GTO | 14,646 miles | 5/29/20 | $2,310,000 |
Ferrari built 272 examples of the 288 GTO, doling them out to those Enzo deemed deserving. It’s rarer than the eponymous Enzo (400) and redundantly-named LaFerrari (499), but the market doesn’t consider it nearly as desirable.
In 2020, a Ferrari 288 GTO with similar miles hammered for $2.2m. Add the 40 percent car craze factor and we’re at $3.2M. Add ten percent more for Ferrari Classiche-certification and it could easily fetch $3.6m. Given recent record-breaking price jumps, I’m tempted to predict $4m. But I won’t. Downside: I should have bought one five years ago.
| Make | Ferrari |
| Model | 288 GTO |
| Year | 1985 |
| Total Produced | 272 |
| Number of Owners | NA |
| Mileage | 14,669 miles |
| Condition | ★ ★ ★ ★ |
| Price When New | $83,400 Inflation Calculator |
| Highest Previous Price | $4,405,000 (8/20/22) |
| Auction House | RM Sotheby’s |
| Auction Date | 5/11/22 |
| My Prediction | $3.2m – $3.6m |
| Hammered At |
