Safari 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 Off-Roader Was Clearly Not Approved By Maranello, But We Love It

When the Dino 308 GT4 came out in 1973, it marked a radical departure from the previous model as it adopted much more modern styling.

Designed by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini, the wedge-shaped 308 GT4 was also Maranello’s first mid-engine 2+2 coupe. At first, it was sold under the Dino brand but from 1976 it earned Ferrari badging. Today we bring you a very special 308 Dino GT4, a 1975 model in U.S. specification that underwent some interesting changes.

A fan of the Lancia Stratos, the owner wanted to turn their Dino into an all-terrain sports car and commissioned Houston, Texas-based DriverSource to do so. The car received a coil-over suspension for a higher ground clearance, as well as Corsa Velocita 15 x 7-inch wheels shod with 205/70 VR15 Michelin tires.

The tuner also had to rebuild the steering to suit the new configuration. Other off-road enhancements include the custom steel front bumper with D-hook mounts, external cage over rear bumper, fiberglass-enforced mud flaps, quad Hella lamps, and whip CB antenna.

As a nod to the Lancia Stratos, the rear decklid and window casings are wrapped in satin vinyl, while the grille vents are coated in black satin. Rounding off the exterior changes are the two-tone bodywork (Rosso Chiaro and black) and a laser-etched Safari logo on the front fender.

Inside, the 308 Dino GT4 “Safari” features reconditioned factory carpet and leather trim, original seats reupholstered with black leather, and period-correct corduroy inserts stitched in factory pattern. Other modifications include Repa four-point seat belts, aluminum pedals, upgraded leather luggage straps, fire extinguisher, and halftone gradient windshield banner. The car was delivered with the rare factory backseat-delete option.

This one-of-a-kind Dino 308 GT4 comes with the original service book, a copy of the owner’s manual, extensive servicing records (totaling over $26,000 in 2019 alone), a reproduction tool kit, an original jack/emergency roll, as well as recognition in the Dino GT4 Registry.

Going under the hammer on November 23 at The Riyadh Auction in Saudi Arabia, the Dino “Safari” features matching numbers for the engine, transmission and stamped body panels.

The 240 horsepower 3.0-liter quad-cam V8 engine was left in stock condition as the top speed of 154 mph (249 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 6.4 seconds were probably deemed good enough by the owner.