Can't wait to see these faces on Christmas Day when you show up in Chris Rea's Ferrari Dino 308?
The Driving home for Christmas Hitmaker and chart-topper of the 1980s, Rea put his 1980 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 up for auction at the start of the holiday season.
The beautifully presented model from Rei's private collection will go on sale in early November with an estimated price of between £40,000 and £50,000.
Christmas hitmaker and 1980s chart topper Rea has put his 1980 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 up for auction as the holiday season begins
Rei's 1988 Christmas classic was voted the nation's favorite Christmas road trip song, winning 47% of the votes
Rea, well known for his Ferrari fever and holiday cheer, owns many cars outside of Modena – from GT4 racing versions to road-going examples – but it is the 308 GT4 that has been sitting in his garage for years.
The singer who created the 1988 Christmas classic was voted the nation's favorite Christmas road trip song with 47 percent of the vote – he originally bought it in need of TLC.
Rea has since worked with Ferrari specialists QV in London to restore his 308 GT4 to the beautifully presented and fully recommissioned condition the car is in today, including perfectly restored Cromodora alloy wheels.
The 30-8 GT4 was Ferrari's first production car to feature a mid-engine V8. It was also the first production model to feature Bertone styling
This 308 GT4 has been a fixture in the garage of Ferrari Rear fans for years
Rea worked with Ferrari QV specialists in London to restore his 308 GT4 to the beautifully presented and fully recommissioned condition the car is in today, including perfectly restored Cromodora alloy wheels
Chris changed his Ferrari Pirelli Challenge car from red and gold to a Grigio Ferro instead of a Blu Dino Scurro
While the 3.0-litre V8 308 GT4 is one of the few small Ferraris to match the two-tone livery, Chris changed his Ferrari Pirelli Challenge car from red and gold to Grigio Ferro instead of Blu Dino Scurro.
The Dino's interior is finished with Bordeaux Red seats and carpets and is extremely one of the very rare cars with “factory” rear seat deletions (where the rear seats have been removed for space or performance reasons).
This seems counterintuitive as the GT4's raison d'être was the extra seats, however, luggage space in the 308 GT4 was minimal, so converting the car to a 'touring' configuration rather than a 2+2 configuration made practical sense.
The 308 GT4 was Ferrari's first production car to feature a mid-engine V8. It was also the first production model to feature Bertone styling.
About 3,600 copies were sold.
Rea recorded twenty-five studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart; Road to Hell in 1989 and its successor Auberge in 1991
This is extremely one of the very rare cars with a 'factory' rear seat deletion (where the rear seats have been removed for space or performance reasons) – the interior is finished in a beautiful Bordeaux Red
The GT4's top speed is 150mph and it can accelerate from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds, so you don't have to worry about red lights or traffic jams as you drive home for Christmas
The 1988 Bop Rei is still Britain's most popular car over the Christmas period. Other holiday hits popular for road trips include Mariah Carey's vocally demanding “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Bing Crosby's “White Christmas”
And with the GT4's top speed of 150mph and 0-60 acceleration in 6.4 seconds, you don't have to worry about red lights or traffic jams when you get home for Christmas.
Chris Rea's 308 GT4 has 53,000 miles and goes to auction on November 9 with Cult Auctioneers at the NEC Classic Motor Show and has a guide price of £40,000-50,000.
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