At $75,000, Is This 1990 Ferrari 348TS Just A Tease?

The straked side scoops on today's Nice Price or No Dice 348 ape those of its even more audacious V12 brother, the Testarossa. With those cars going for well into six figures these days, we'll have to decide what the scoop is on this V8-powered Targa at its much lower asking.

Preachy types tell us that "It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice." The 1978 Datsun 200SX we looked at yesterday seemed fairly nice in the ad's pictures. The question, however, was just how important it could be. The general consensus in the comments was "not very." That, and the seller's vague warning of mechanical maladies in the statement that the car "could stand a tuneup," cast a harsh light on the $6,800 asking price. Ultimately, the majority of you felt the Datsun didn't stack up to that asking, evidenced by the hefty 73% 'No Dice' loss it suffered in the voting.

At one point, Ferrari road cars were known for their exclusivity and V12 engines. When the company branched out into a lower-tier, higher-volume category, chasing the Porsche 911's success with a new V6-powered car, that ethos continued to be embraced, as those models were marketed as Dinos. The same held true for the company's first V8-powered road car, the 308 GT4. However, it and all ensuing models, regardless of cylinder count, were welcomed into the Ferrari fold in the mid-1970s. Despite not having V12 engines, the GT4's bandmates, the GTB and GTS, proved to be sufficiently beautiful and capable in their own right that no one ever questioned whether they were truly Ferraris. Ferrari followed an evolutionary path for those V8 cars, massaging the engines and smoothing the bodywork, in an effort to keep things funky-fresh throughout the 1980s.

That all changed in 1989 with the introduction of the 348tb and ts. While the overall form factor remained the same—two-seat, mid-engine sports cars in closed- or targa-body configurations—the new cars featured a radical shift in drivetrain layout. Instead of a transverse engine sitting atop the transmission, Ferrari placed the 348's engine lower and longitudinally. To ensure a compact package and keep as much of the drivetrain's weight within the wheelbase, the transmission is transversely mounted behind the engine. Ferrari was so proud of this layout that it put it in the model's name, the t in tb or ts standing for "Trasversale."

This 1990 Ferrari 348ts is from the second model year and shows off, not just that radical drivetrain, but also Ferrari's Pininfarina-led styling motifs that also proved a dramatic shift from all designs previous. It's less obvious on this car, owing to its Nero Daytona Metallic Black paint, but the 348 features dramatic side strakes sculpted into the doors leading into huge intakes just ahead of the rear wheel arches. Out in the back, Ferrari's iconic four-round taillamp arrangement is replaced by a pair of wide rectangular lenses, covered by a decorative four-bar grille.

These styling tropes were adapted from the larger, V12 Testarossa and proved controversial at the time. The 348 would prove to be the sole V8 model with these tradition-eschewing styling decisions. The succeeding 355 returned to the fold with less dramatic side scoops and proper round rear lamps. That makes cars like this a unique chapter in Ferrari's history.

It also means some gymnastics are required to get into and out of the car, owing to how wide the sills are —a necessity of the wide, air-channeling doors. Once in, however, this car looks to make the effort worthwhile. Dressed all in black, with leather covering nearly every surface, the cabin of this targa-roof beauty appears to be in excellent condition. It looks to be all stock, save for a carbon fiber appliqué added to the instrument cluster face. How much do you think something like that must have cost? That's a minor distraction from the interior's party piece, though: the silver cue-ball-topped gated shifter for the car's five-speed stick. Sitting directly behind the seats is the 3405cc quad-cam 32-valve V8. The F119G engine delivers up to 296 horsepower, and on this car, it is said to exhale through an aftermarket exhaust system.

Craigslist

According to the ad, there are 38,000 miles on the clock, and the bodywork and factory five-spoke alloys present as though none of those miles matter. The car is claimed to come with extensive maintenance records, though the ad doesn't specify when the last service was. Further incentives include a clean title, original manuals, and the factory tool kit in the boot.

The asking price for this 348ts is $75,000. Let's just be clear here: this isn't just a cool bit of history, it's also the opportunity to claim Ferrari ownership, which is the ultimate life goal for many an enthusiast. But is this one a good deal at that price? There is, after all, the unanswered question of possible deferred maintenance. A major service on one of these can run $15K, or $20K, depending on how much work needs to be done. Then there's the outlier effect. This is not one of Ferrari's most handsome V8 cars, even if its shock value has lessened over time.

What's your take on this 348 and that $75K asking? Does that feel right for the car as it sits? Or does that price tag turn your interest in this Trasversale Spider fully sideways?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

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