From the planes, trains and car files

Mark LaCiura.

A 1980 308 GTS having issues with the charging system at a Mojave Air and Space Port Ferrari Club event in 2023.

The car pictured above is from a car club event awhile back at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The airport crew are pushing a 1980 European 308 GTS Ferrari. It's a carburatored car and you can see the tell-tale signs it's a Euro car by the rounded marker lights. The car has no 5 MPH bumpers, which were required in the USA for cars in 1980.

Maintenance has always been extremely costly on any Ferrari. A great collector car for sure, but no daily driver in my opinion. They were having issues with the charging system with this 308 on this day. These 308s were heavy in the horsepower, not super fast but nothing matches the good looks of a Pininfarina styling design.

Another car I got to see is a 1984 308 GTSI Ferrari, a fuel injection car with an upgraded ignition. The owner told me his Toyota Prius was way faster off the line then his 308 GTSI "Quattrovalvole," meaning it's a four-valve per cylinder on this V-8 motor. I have to say, there is nothing like the sound of a Ferrari and the feel of shifting these Italian cars. There were 3,042 examples of these 308 "Quattrovalvoles" were made between 1982 to 1985, all with 240 horsepower. The 308 stands for a 3.0 liter V-8 motor.

In my experience while hanging out with the car clubs at Willow Spring Raceway in Rosamond, California in the 1980s, these 3.0 liter V-8 Ferraris made greater horsepower later on in the power curve. I got to drive a few of these fantastic Ferraris and other cars doing photography for the owners of these iconic and interesting cars. The De Tomaso Pantera, Mustang, "AC" Cobra clubs were just as much fun to see back then at the track.

When I worked in the '80s in "La La land" doing post production work in the movie industry, I spotted a Dino 246 GTS Ferrari. It was a pretty "Fly Yellow" Dino. The driver looked very much like Sylvester Stallone the actor who played "Rocky."

Well, it was him!

Stallone was very personable, approachable and easy to talk to about cars. He had nobody with him. The first thing I said to him was, "Fantastic looking Dino, sir!" He said, "Thanks." Stallone also added, "Buy them now," referring to the 1972 Dino being worth a lot more in years to come.

In 1972, this Dino 246 Ferrari originally cost $14,000 new, with a 5 speed trans 2.4 liter V-6 with 195 horse-power. Back then, other cars were called the poor man's Ferrari. $14,000 for a car back then was a lot of money. I think it would be out of reach for many people back then. The median family income was $11,120 in 1972. Average hourly earning was $3.88 and minimum wage was $1.60 per hour, according to a Google search. I know I was making about $2 per hour working at a Union 76 gas station when I was in high school in 1975.

A 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT can be worth today, depending on condition, from $435,000 to $970,000. In my research, even a 246 GT Dino that's a "barn find" is worth quarter of a million dollars. This is an un-restored car in original deteriorating condition, which has not been fired up for over 25 years.

Wow.

Stallone was very right about these cars. He is a smart car collector.

This 308 GTSI V-8 is similar to the Dino from Ferrari with its Pininfarina styling. These 308s did very well in sales in the 1980s. Some of these great sales were due to fact that these cars were showcased in the "Magnum P.I." TV show, with actor Tom Selleck at the wheel of his red 308 GTSI. For the car buffs, the "GT" stands for "Grand Touring," the "S" means a spider convertible and the "I" means fuel injection.

The 308s did not greatly increase in value as the Dino Ferrari did. The 308s are worth about $54,000 to $70,000, depending on condition today. These 308s maybe worth more in years to come. I like the 308 GTB version with the cleaner, prettier body lines, and they are better road race cars with it being lighter in weight. I bet someone is asking what's the "B" means. It stands for Berlinetta, which translates to "Sedan" or "little saloon" in Italian. We would just call it a hard top.

If you are a car lover like I am, we have a fantastic car show coming up here in Tehachapi. The 2024 Thunder on the Mountain is set for Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will feature more than 250 cars and I know for sure a few local Ferrari's will be featured.

Registration is open now, go to http://www.thunderonthemountaincarshow.com for more information.