Last of the breed.
It was the occasional Sunday afternoons in a best friend’s backyard, our Ferraris pulled out onto a perfect stretch of lawn. Back and forth, we good-naturedly argued the virtues of each; mine a 348 GTB, his a 328 GTS, softening our verbal assaults on the other’s cars with each passing beer. All those years ago and people still have arguments about the 348. But the passage of time has only strengthened the world’s view of the Ferrari 328 being both a classic and still a very good deal for Ferraris from that era.
In transforming from the 308 to the 328, Ferrari wisely chose to continue much of the beautiful shape of the earlier car. But US bumper regulations forced Ferrari to graft ever bigger bumpers to the 308 series with an aesthetically detrimental effect. With the new 328, Ferrari engineers found a solution with a new front end, incorporating both Ferrari’s timeless egg crate grill while also satisfying the government.
Beneath the skin, a new 3.2 Liter motor could rev to 7000 RMP’s produced 270 HP, which was another 30 horsepower more than its predecessor, and propel the 328 to 60 miles an hour in 5.5 seconds. Keep your foot flat as long as you dare, and you can nudge the Ferrari 328 to over 160 MPH.
But why risk your license when the Ferrari 328 is designed for lazy days, and the 328 GTS was specifically designed for open-air cruising. The removal fiberglass targa top stows neatly behind the seats, letting driver and passenger savor the sun, wind and intoxicating exhaust sounds.
Knocking off the miles in this car is bliss. Easy to drive once you remember 1st gear is a dog-leg down and to the left, the gated gear shift is what Ferraris are all about. I learned not to rush from gear to gear, but rather finessing the shifter, snick-snicking up and down as the tach rose and fell. I also learned it’s best to let these now vintage cars warm up for some miles before you let it rip. Your mechanic and banker, will both remark on your wisdom.
From Ferrari dealers to owners, everyone agrees on the relatively low maintenance needed for the Ferrari 328. Belt changes are still required at regular intervals, but the techs don’t have to pull the motor out of the car to perform service, unlike my 348 and 355. And fluid replacement is straightforward and takes little time. “Bulletproof”, seems to be the words everyone uses to describe the Ferrari 328 GTS.
This particular 328 GTS is a 1988, and with just over 6000 328 GTS’s built, this one is nearly the last of the line.
Fitted with ABS brakes, with this safe feature, Ferrari went from a concave to convex wheel to allowing for spacing for the new system, and those convex wheels instantly identify these later ABS’d machines.
This Ferrari is a welcoming trip back in time, with just enough in instrumentation to let you know what’s happening. No power steering and parallel parking is good exercise, but the bit of heaviness goes away once you’re out of your parking spot.
Particularly dramatic in a rich black, thirty years ago, this car was all that you could ask for in a road going sports car, and it still is today.
