There is something about a Ferrari that evokes something within us. Normally we speak of Ferraris in F1 or at Le Mans, but for a time they did grace us on rally stages.

And with Oliver Breittmayer, we get to experience that joy once again. His Group 4 spec Ferrari 308 GTB was on stage at the recent Spa Rally, as part of the Belgian Rally Championship.

The rally did not get underway so well for the immaculately presented, Pioneer liveried machine, having to skip the first loop while the team ironed some kinks out of the system.

One must wonder what you actually have to do to keep a 40+ year old Italian supercar in competition spec…

But the rest of the rally would go to plan, setting good times and wowing those stage side. Breittmayer with codriver Pierre Sibille would go onto win the HC3 class, even if he was the only one to finish.

One only has to look at Breittmayer’s profile on eWRC.com to understand this is a man with a good taste for historic rally machinery. Ford Escorts, Lancia 037, Lancia Delta, Alpines, Porsches, Toyotas – he has driven them all. Plus son, Emile, was rallying a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo in Spa…

But what of the Ferrari 308 GTB. A car homologated in 1976 for WRC, ERC and other competition, it was a rare car with only 12004 GTB models being made at all, with the car originally made for Group 4 spec and altered to Group B until the cessation in the early 80s as it was apparent that the car could not keep up with the 4WD cars, even on tarmac.

So they are quite a rare treat to see in the flesh.

Despite that, Jean Claude Andreut would finish second in the 1981 European Rally Championship in the car that featured a 90 degree V8 engine. That year he would score four wins, including the 24 Hours Ypres Rally, also in Belgium

Andreut would also take 2nd on the 1982 Tour de Corse, behind Jean Ragnotti’s Renault 5, on a course that covered more than 1100 competitive kilometres.

Undoubtedly, it is great to see such a car back on the stages, and particularly on a rally like the Spa Rally…and we can’t wait to see it again!

The RacerViews info

By Sam Tickell,

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