You may recall “Magnum P.I.” star Tom Selleck and his red sports car if you have ever watched the show. The Ferrari 308 GTS is more than just a fast car. This Italian luxury automobile became a part of popular culture because to appearances in films and television shows.
Ferrari produced a number of iconic cars throughout the 1970s. The Italian luxury automobile company was in its heyday at the time, and they are still highly sought for today.
The Ferrari 308 GTS, which featured its distinctive two-seater design, became an instant classic. Its semi-convertible body style and detachable roof piece won over car fans as well. This sports automobile created history the moment it rolled onto the showroom floors.
However, the 308 GTS kept making much more of an impact in Hollywood. It made an eight-season run on the well-known TV series “Magnum, P.I.” as Tom Selleck’s primary vehicle. Every season, the program bought a brand-new model. The majority of vehicles, however, had “ROBIN1” license plates when they were eventually auctioned off.
The iconic Ferrari made another appearance in the 1981 film “The Cannonball Run.” Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. acted in it. They leave the scene driving a striking, vintage red 1979 model while costumed as Catholic priests.
‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ also included the famous vehicle. Chevy Chase’s character drives a 1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi with a “LUV ME” license plate while being preoccupied by Christie Brinkley.
Like other sports cars, the 308 GTS is very expensive. A classic Ferrari 308 model (GTS, GB, GTM, or GT4) would cost you at least $50,000, according to Hot Cars, which detailed just how much this beauty would cost you today. You may need to spend at least $100,000 if you want to purchase a Ferrari 308 in pristine condition.
Therefore, the 308 GTS would be a terrific choice if a Ferrari happens to be your ideal vehicle. It’s worth the premium because of its heritage and timeless appearance.
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Magnum’s Ferrari 308 Sells for $181K after Mustache Tax
The added value that a celebrity connection adds to a historic car might be challenging to measure. The Porsche 911 that Steve McQueen drove in the opening scene of the movie Le Mans sold for about $1.4 million back in 2011, a sizeable addition even given the increasingly absurd costs associated with early air-cooled 911s. At the top end, it’s plenty.
Now that one of the Ferrari 308GTS Quattrovalvole cars used for the filming of Magnum, P.I. sold for $181,500 at auction last week, we know that Tom Selleck has a lesser-known but nonetheless important influence. This is roughly twice what you would pay for a comparable 308 with less stardust, demonstrating Selleck’s mustachioed private eye’s undeniable cool.
Magnum, P.I. was a massively successful 1980s television series set in Hawaii, starring Selleck as the show’s titular crime-solving hero, Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV. For those who are either too young to understand its lurid allure or who have made a concerted effort to erase their memories, Magnum, P.I. He was given the opportunity to drive the billionaire’s Ferrari 308 between missions, assignations, and occasionally low-budget vehicle chases for reasons that were never entirely explained or certainly not exactly recalled. He resided on the private estate of an absentee millionaire. You should watch the opening credits because it was prominently featured there as well. right now.
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Magnum progressed from an early carbureted 308GTS to a GTSi and then finally moved to the QV in 1984; the vehicle offered at auction was used throughout the 1984 and ’85 seasons, according to auctioneer Bonhams. This automobile is thought to be one of the attractive camera stars. About five cars from each series were used in production, split between those used for close-ups and action.
This 308 had only two owners after being retired, shortly before Magnum himself was, and, based on the auction photos, it lives up to its description of being in nearly immaculate condition. It has 35,000 miles on the odometer and receipts for a $5000 service in 2015, and it had only two owners after that. It was purchased at Bonhams’ Scottsdale auction last week, and we anticipate that its new owner will try to replicate Magnum’s recognizable takeoff with the grass.
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Mustache and Hawaiian shirt not included.
Two of the most renowned Ferraris to have been on television in the late 1980s are being put up for auction. The 1986 Testarossa from Miami Vice, which will be the center of attention at Barrett-Scottsdale Jackson’s auction, has already been shown to you. As part of the Bonhams Scottsdale sale, the 1984 308 GTS Quattrovalvole from Magnum P.I. will now also be offered for sale.
The only known owners of this exquisite 308 GTS since new, aside from its evident TV celebrity and the time Tom Selleck and his gorgeous mustache spent behind the wheel. The original 3.0-liter V8 engine is still in use, producing 232 horsepower when mated to a five-speed manual transmission (173 kilowatts). From 1980 to 1988, just three Ferrari 308s were utilized on the program.
Ferrari acquired the automobile after the 1988 cancellation of the show, and they repainted and serviced it there. Before being sold once more to the current consigner in 1989, it was first sold to its first real owner in Walnut Creek, California. Its current mileage of just 36,000 miles (57,936 kilometers) indicates that it spent the majority of its broadcast career being utilized solely for close-ups and mild action.
The original leather interior has been re-dyed in the proper shade of brown, while the exterior’s original Rosso Corsa red paint is still present. Less than 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) ago, the car received a $5,000 major service that included replacing the factory exhaust with a Tubi one.
Despite its celebrity connections, it is in flawless condition. It will be put up for auction as a part of the Bonhams sale starting on January 19 in Scottsdale. Early estimates indicate that it might cost between $150,000 and $250,000 (PS120,000 – 210,000).
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A 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole that was featured at an auction will be sold by Bonhams.
Tom Selleck, complete with a mustache, served as the executive producer of the detective drama Magnum P.I. This was a later model that was used for filming in 1984 and 1985, according to the auction company.
The automobile is also in excellent condition. After appearing on the show, it only had two owners, and the second owner possessed the vehicle since 1989. It comes with the OEM tool pack and is almost entirely stock. The only modification was a
replacement Tubi exhaust. However, the automobile comes with the original plumbing.
However, the 232-hp V8-powered Ferrari won’t be inexpensive. The car is anticipated to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000, according to Bonhams.
That is rather expensive for a 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, according to Hagerty Insurance, which values the car at $83,900 for “Excellent” condition models and $122,000 for “Concours” models. That is, however, for someone who was never seen on television. And for a rich person
If you’re a fan of Magnum P.I., you can’t get much better than a Ferrari driven by Magnum.
Buy the Ferrari from Magnum P.I. The 308 GTS driven by Tom Selleck in a 1980s TV series is expected to fetch more than twice the price of a conventional vehicle when it is auctioned off.
- During series 5 of the popular crime drama’s filming, a Ferrari 308 GTS QV was utilized.
- It is being sold with proof that Tom Selleck drove the vehicle while it was being recorded.
Magnum P.I.’s Ferrari will be auctioned off this week, so it’s time to put your biggest aviator sunglasses, unbutton your nicest Hawaiian shirt, and trim your best attempt at a mustache.
That’s right, a 1984 308 GTS driven by Tom Selleck’s character Magnum in the popular 1980s TV series is being offered for sale at Bonhams’ US auction in Scottsdale, and it’s likely to fetch a price much over what you’d typically have to pay for one of these open-top V8 Ferraris.
The car is anticipated to sell for up to $250,000 (or PS200,000), which is two and a half times the $100,000 (or PS80,000) price Hagerty assigns to an outstanding standard Ferrari 308 GTS.
This week, a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole used by Tom Selleck in the 1980s television series Magnum P.I. will go up for auction in the US.
This is one of the automobiles utilized for slow-moving action scenes and close-ups during filming in 1984 and 1985, according to Bonhams, which will auction the car at the Scottsdale sale in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday.
The iconic music and the frequent appearance of red Ferrari 308s are what most people remember about the 1980s television series starring Thomas Magnum, a private eye who lives in Oahu, Hawaii.
One of the most well-known Ferraris ever, according to Bonhams, this one is being sold with proof that it was driven by Selleck before being delivered back to Ferrari North America following the conclusion of series 5’s action-packed crime thriller filming.
Meet Jay Hernandez and the Ferrari 488 Spider, the stars of Magnum P.I.
Magnum PI has returned to our screens after nearly 30 years away, but a new Magnum need a new vehicle. As we go, we learn to know them both.
Jay Hernandez, the star of Thomas Sullivan Magnum 2.0, was picked up in the Ferrari 488 Spider, a work of automotive art. Jay is also quite pleasant.
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The 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine in the 488 Spider from Maranello delivers 660 horsepower to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that shifts gears more quickly than you can blink. This should make a good replacement vehicle for the new Magnum with a 0-60 mph time of only 3 seconds and a top speed of just over 200 mph.
Then, we switched to OG Magnum’s first vehicle, the Ferrari 308 GTS. This is the epitome of car design from the 1980s. No, literally: Many a locker and bedroom wall was covered with posters of this Pininfarina design. One of the most beautiful Ferraris ever made, it still draws attention.
The 2.9-liter naturally aspirated V8 that powers the GTS produces 237 prancing horsepower; however, the 1980 GTSi variant that we currently own only makes about 214 horsepower because of better pollution controls. Nevertheless, not bad for 1980. Additionally, even the new model lacks a gated, dog-legged five-speed manual transmission.
Uses a real Ferrari in Magnum P.I.
Eight seasons of the action-packed TV show Magnum, P.I. aired on CBS from 1980 to 1988. Tom Selleck, a mustachioed actor, played Thomas Magnum, a private investigator who traveled to nearby crime scenes in his Ferrari.
The most popular private eye in America was behind the wheel of a bright red 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole. Three automobiles were used by the producers to film. Ferrari North America “supplied CBS with the automobiles and retrieved them once they were finished with filming to repaint and sell to new owners,” according to Star Adviser.
One of the supercars used in the 1984–1985 campaign was auctioned off in 2017 at Bonhams in Scottsdale, Arizona. According to Motor 1, the original 3.0-liter V8 is still in use, producing 232 horsepower when mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle brought in $181,500.
The original Rosso Corsa red paint job on the Ferrari was still in flawless shape, and it had only 36,000 kilometers on it.
The New York Post reported about the auction’s listing, “This Ferrari won the hearts of millions throughout the 1980s in living rooms throughout America as Tom Selleck drove this very car around the streets of Hawaii in the pursuit of justice.”