Some things are just sacred – or should be anyway. Then again, there are some things that seem so wrong but hold your fascination anyway. You want to look away, but you can’t. That is the feeling that many enthusiasts have about a very unique 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS that will be hitting the auction block in mid-January. And the thing that makes is so unique? It is the first Ferrari to be completely electric.
Yes, this is a restomod. No, the Italian carmaker won’t be rolling out any electric models anytime soon. In fact, Ferrari had nothing to do with the conversion. The vintage beauty sustained significant fire damage that took out the original engine (among other things), leaving it looking more like junk than a timeless classic.
Most people would have written the car off after that. It was badly damaged and, many would say, past the point of no return. However a company in California, Electric GT, that specializes in converting classic cars to electric power saw an opportunity. They didn’t see a lost cause, they saw a way to make it “better.”
Basically, they turned it into an automobile version of the bionic man.
After repairing the damage, they upgraded many of the parts in order to support the conversion to EV. While this was their first run at a Ferrari, the finished product is impressive to say the least.
And sending the purists into therapy.
They replaced the original gated shifter with a five speed Porsche sources shifter, and dropped in three electric motors. The almost completely silent ride now boasts 330 horsepower and 0 to 60 in five seconds, topping out in excess of 180 – far above stock. As we said, better than it was before.
Other improvements include a Girodisk brake system, QA-1 coil-overs (adjustable), and front sway bar upgrade, along with many more. These improvements are also expected to make the Ferrari a little easier to maintain as well.
The 308 will be headed to auction at the Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona in January, 2018. There will be no reserve and it will have a salvage title because of the damage from the fire. No word yet on any anticipated price, but identical cars (sans the electric motors and upgrades) have gone for $50,000 to $60,000. As far as how the bidding will go on this one of a kind car, it’s anyone’s guess.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Stock, electric, custom, the choice is yours and we’re here to help you bring it home. When you are ready to purchase that classic or exotic, we’re there for you. At Woodside Credit, all we do is finance classic cars, collector cars, and exotics. Visit our site and fill out a Quick Quote to see just how easy ownership can be.