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.”
In This Article...
“Magnum P.I.used “‘s Ferrari is sold at an Arizona auction.
This 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS has been verified by the car’s manufacturer as having been driven by Tom Selleck during “Magnum P.I.” season 1984–1985 filming in Hawaii.
While the production crew waits for the next scene, one of the Ferrari 308 GTS cars from “Magnum P.I.” is parked on a street in Honolulu in 1988.
Ferrari North America lent CBS a variety of automobiles for use on “Magnum P.I.” during the 1980s season’s filming. In 1988, this one was put up for sale at $100,000. This week’s sale of another Ferrari that was utilized on the program is anticipated to attract bids of at least $250,000.
One of the original Ferraris driven by actor Tom Selleck during the 1980s television series “Magnum P.I.,” which was filmed in Hawaii, sold today for $181,500.
One of the approximately 15 vehicles the business claims CBS utilized on the show while it was in production on Oahu from 1980 through 1988, the 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS was sold by the British auction house Bonhams. The car was used in three separate model years (1978, 1980, and 1984), some for driving scenes and others for close-up views. CBS received the automobiles from Ferrari North America, which then took them back to paint and sell to new owners when the filming was finished.
It is confirmed that Selleck himself drove the Ferrari being offered today, which was purchased by an unnamed bidder at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the 1984–85 season of “Magnum P.I.” Along with an enhanced exhaust system (the factory stock exhaust parts are also included in the sale), it has a 2,926cc V8 engine, a 5-speed manual transmission, and a refurbished interior.
The vehicle was sold to a person in California in 1985 after it was returned to the manufacturer. With only 12,800 miles on the odometer when they sold it to the present owner (who will remain unknown), that person added fewer than 25,000 miles to the engine during the following more than 30 years.
An emergency tool box and magnetic trouble light that arrived with the car — in the original bag, no less — were also included in the sale along with other spare parts, in addition to a “history file” that also includes a note from Ferrari attesting to the vehicle’s provenance.
In Arizona, an auction with more than 100 vehicles was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time. The business anticipated that the Ferrari would sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.
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Vehicles
The television series Magnum P.I., which ran from 1980 to 1988, made the 308 famous by having its protagonist, Magnum, travel in it for eight seasons while conducting his investigations.
A number of 308 GTS vehicles were utilized, one for each season, the majority of which were sold at auction following production and all bore the license plate ROBIN 1.
- First season: 1979 308 GTS (chassis number 28251)
- Years 2 through 6 – 1981 308 GTSi
- 1984’s seasons 7 and 8 308GT When quatrivalving
The same color scheme as the original series—Red with Tan interior—was used for Magnum’s Ferrari 488 Spider in the Modern remake series. In the first episode of the contemporary version, the 308 GTS from the original series was also visible. Later, it crashed during a chase between the 308 GTS and the Unimog. A handful of Robin Masters’ vehicles, including an Audi R8, a Range Rover Sport, and a Ferrari California, can also be spotted throughout the series.
Rick can also be seen operating a 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabrio [991] in the contemporary remake .2]
How many Ferraris were used in the Magnum PI film?
PI Magnum drove a bright red 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, one of America’s favorite private investigators, and had exceptional taste in vehicles. Three automobiles were used by the producers to film.
Who is the Magnum Ferrari’s owner?
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.
Magnum P.I.’s Ferrari—is it real?
One reason for the 308’s popularity in Europe and the USA was its “character” on the television series “Magnum P.I.” where a private eye (played by Tom Selleck) raced around the Hawaiian island of Oahu in this red Ferrari. The 308 is one of the most recent “true” Ferraris produced when Mr. Enzo still made every decision.
What materials make up a Ferrari 308?
Collectors of automobiles are drawn to unusual, subtle variants of well-known classics. For E-type people, foolish, impractical things like flat floors without space for shoes larger than size 8 and shoddy outside latches on bonnets with similarly shoddy, welded louvers are the preferred stimulants. The ultimate Ferrari 308 collectible is a vetroresina (fiberglass) vehicle. Before the production of vetroresina automobiles was converted to steel in 1977, just 808 vehicles were produced.
In 1975, the 308 GTB made its debut at the Paris Motor Show. It was the opposite of the edgy, Bertone-designed 308 GT4 2+2, and was the creation of the incredibly skilled Leonardo Fioravanti, who also created the 365 GTB/4 Daytona and the 206/246 Dino while at Pininfarina. The GT4 wasn’t adored by everyone. Although it was officially provided as an alternative to the 246 Dino, it didn’t truly do so. Customers wanted the 308 GTB right away, and according to folklore, fiberglass was a faster way to get the car to customers.
Unfortunately, even though the quality of the fiberglass was extremely high, some buyers were turned off by it since it felt less upscale than steel and alloy. There were murmurs of creaks and squeaks. Fortunately, the glass automobiles are impervious to rust while non-galvanized pre-1983 308s rot like a Fiat. Additionally, real dry-sump lubrication systems and an additional ten horsepower are features of Euro vetroresina vehicles. American fiberglass 308s are the lightest, fastest, and most musical of all 308s thanks to their wet-sump systems, more aggressive camshaft profiles, and Weber carburetors.
But are they really worth twice as much as a regular 308? A excellent early steel-bodied 308 GTB might still be expected to bring $100,000 compared to roughly $225,000 for a vetroresina car, even though the 308 market currently appears to be easing a little.
Rarity rules the Ferrari market. Furthermore, the vetroresina is not particularly uncommon, even though the 308 itself is practically a “belly-button” car by Ferrari standards (nearly 12,000 were produced). It also represents the beloved 308 in its purest form. All of the “glass cars” were coupes (berlinettas in Ferrari lingo), and Giallo Fly and Rosso Corsa appear to be the most popular colors. Even though the 308 was rarely raced, the carbs, cams, and dry sump lubrication are all good nods to Ferrari’s racing history, and the 331-lb weight savings from the fiberglass could be felt when driving.
So, regretfully, we would have to respond, “Yes, if you had the money, it’s worth the premium for sheer driving pleasure and investment value.” The 308 market will always value fiberglass cars at the top. In addition, we should note that some people said the same thing about the 288 GTO, which is derived from the 308, when it was trading for around a quarter million.
How many 308 GTS Ferraris were produced?
Production estimates for the 308 can be debatable; Ferrari claims that 808 Vetroresina cars were produced, although other sources claim that there were 712. More than 12,000 308 cars, including the targa-topped GTS and the 208 models with a reduced capacity for Italian tax requirements, were produced in total.
What Ferrari is the fastest?
Pushing the limits of its own accomplishments is the primary difficulty Ferrari encounters when creating a new model. Designing a new 12-cylinder engine—the power plant that launched the illustrious Prancing Horse saga in 1947—makes this challenge even more challenging. Research and development concentrated on engineering insights obtained from the track to create a completely new performance benchmark. The 812 Superfast 12-cylinder engine produces 789 horsepower, accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in an astounding 2.9 seconds, and has a top speed of more than 211 mph.
The 812 Superfast features a highly developed transaxle system to couple a front-mounted engine and rear-mounted transmission in order to improve driving performance and achieve ideal weight distribution. It is the first Ferrari with an EPS system (Electronic Power Steering).
Owners of the 812 Superfast will savor the most exhilarating and satisfying driving experience conceivable, enabling you to push your personal limits and take advantage of everything Colorado’s majestic purple mountains have to offer.