The opening credit of “Magnum P.I.” featured Tom Selleck peeling out in a Ferrari 308 GTS. It is most likely one of many pictures that made many non-car folks conscious of Ferrari within the Nineteen Eighties (“Miami Vice” being the opposite). It is not each day you get the prospect to personal a automobile this well-known, however Barrett-Jackson is placing Magnum’s automobile up for public sale. Technically, it belonged to the unseen present character Robin Masters, voiced by the legendary Orson Wells, however he gave Thomas Magnum free reign to drive it like a maniac on his personal investigator facet gigs for causes that solely make sense in ’80s motion present logic.
This is not simply any Ferrari 308 GTS that some present fan made to appear to be Magnum’s Ferrari, both. This is without doubt one of the automobiles used within the precise present, authenticated by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini and F-Register. We do not know for positive if that is the precise automobile from the opening credit score scene, however there’s an opportunity, because it was used within the pilot episode that shot got here from in addition to the early a part of the primary season. Most TV and film automobiles lead a tough life, however with so little display screen use, this automobile averted the grizzly destiny of most Pontiac Trans Ams from “Knight Rider” and a whole bunch of Dodge Chargers from “The Dukes of Hazzard.”
All present, some go
Some automobiles are extremely modified for display screen use, however the one modification this Ferrari acquired was seat alterations in order that Tom Selleck, at six-feet, four-inches tall, may match inside. In response to Magnum Mania, this concerned eradicating padding from the seats so Selleck would sit decrease within the automobile, in addition to shifting the driving force’s seat so far as doable from the steering wheel. Miata monitor day fans are seemingly fairly conversant in these mods. Hagerty says the seats have been returned to unique situation, however the public sale itemizing doesn’t verify this.
This 308 GTS has a 2.9-liter quad-cam V8 engine, 4 Weber carburetors (automobiles used later within the sequence have been gas injected), and digital ignition, making round 240 horsepower. That was loads for its time. My Subaru WRX made extra energy, however did not look almost pretty much as good doing it. These automobiles are reportedly not horrible to drive, and so they do have the enduring Ferrari gated shifter.
None of that basically issues, although. That is Magnum’s Ferrari. It may very well be your Ferrari. It is going up on the market at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Seaside, Florida public sale, which runs from April 16 by 18. Whereas we have seen these automobiles promote for between $58,500 and $67,500, Hagerty says a Magnum 308 GTB offered for $115,000 final yr, so be ready to develop an enormous mustache and pay a premium for the privilege.
