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Post by mikael on Oct 19, 2021 20:22:23 GMT
I remember visiting a FIAT dealer with my parents who were looking for a new car. I was about 10/11 and had a Ferrari badge stitched on my jacket. While my father sat in a car, the salesman said that he had something nice for me and then he came back with two Ferrari brochures. One with an overview of the range and the other about the 308 GTB. I was very happy of course but it was also a clever way to please my parents.
I still have them both and apparently they are worth quite a bit now.
A very nice present/souvenir, René, and nice that you have kept it thorough the years. (The present price tag on such a brochure is nice too!)
When I showed interest in buying a Mazda RX8 in 2004, the salesman presented me with an original brochure for the 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport. I was surprised, because I think it's quite rare (but they must have had quite a few of them saved away, nonetheless). (I will try to 'dig it out' and makes some photos, on some weekend ...) It had the (for the salesman) thought-out effect, because eventually we bought the car (the RX8)  If the Cosmo Sport brochure is valuable, I don't know. In any case, I wish to keep it.
The 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport. Photos from the Japanese Magazine "Motor Fan", Aug. 1967. |
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Post by Carl on Oct 20, 2021 2:27:15 GMT
Mikael, I remember the Mazda Cosmo Sport, which one could say resembles a somewhat clumsy prototype of the RX-7, or conversely that the RX-7 was the Cosmo brought to perfection. Japanese design, once awkward and provincial, caught and often surpassed the rest of the world during the 70s.  My previous yearnings for a TR-6 or MGB-GT were replaced by Mazda's more advanced sports cars, although I never lost my love for one of the all time great sports cars, the Lotus Elan, and neither did Mazda, enough to recreate the Elan in the Miata. 歓声と拍手 (cheers and applause) - Carl |
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Post by mikael on Oct 20, 2021 6:47:17 GMT
Apropos of the Wankel/rotary engine: the Mazda (after-marked) parts company MZRacing has released a beautiful model of the R26B engine, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Le Mans win. (The price is approx. 1,500 USD, however, perhaps a bit "over the edge" ...)
A couple of links: |
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Post by mikael on Oct 20, 2021 12:46:27 GMT
To return to the Ferrari 308 (GTB) - as I understand it, this was an "entry level" Ferrari which, although it was an expensive car, wasn't "crazy expensive"; perhaps on (price-) level with, say, a Porsche 911 Carrera, or a Porsche 911 Turbo, isn't this (approximately :-) ) correct? It was/is certainly a very beautiful car.
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Post by René on Oct 20, 2021 17:19:41 GMT
Apropos of the Wankel/rotary engine: the Mazda (after-marked) parts company MZRacing has released a beautiful model of the R26B engine, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Le Mans win. (The price is approx. 1,500 USD, however, perhaps a bit "over the edge" ...) A couple of links: 1991, my one and only visit to La Sarthe. A great experience and an iconic winner. I must dig out the pictures I made one day. |
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Post by René on Oct 20, 2021 17:41:52 GMT
To return to the Ferrari 308 (GTB) - as I understand it, this was an "entry level" Ferrari which, although it was as expensive car, wasn't "crazy expensive"; perhaps on (price-) level with, say, a Porsche 911 Carrera, or a Porsche 911 Turbo, isn't this (approximately :-) ) correct? It was/is certainly a very beautiful car.
The 308 GTB and GTS was more the mid range sports car. I believe their price tag was around 70-80.000 Deutsche Mark at the time. But yes, very expensive but not crazy extreme expensive.
The entry level car was the 208 and 308 gt4, often sold under the name Dino. It was the only car in the range not designed by the Pininfarina studio but by Bertone. For a long time this model was seen as less desireable but that has changed and a good car can be very expensive now.
The most expensive Ferrari road car in the mid seventies was the 512 Berlinetta Boxer. Fantastic car.
Back to the 308 GTB, this car was in fact developed with a lot of input from Niki Lauda.
The 308's body was designed by Pininfarina's Leonardo Fioravanti, who designed most of the Ferraris in the seventies. Personally I think those are the most gorgeous Ferrari road cars ever.
Leonardo Fioravanti
Gilles arriving at Maranello HQ with his 308 GTS. Always drifting and powersliding...
...and testing a GTB at Fiorano. |
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Post by René on Oct 20, 2021 17:43:40 GMT
Off course some of us will always associate the Ferrari 308 with Magnum PI and his "S" version. Yes Magnum PI and his boss Higgins if I remember correctly. Even more childhood sentiment!  |
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Post by mikael on Oct 20, 2021 17:57:08 GMT
Very interesting info about the Ferraris. Thank you René.
It's really something - a memory to treasure - to have heard the Mazda 787's at "full song". Wauw!
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Post by Carl on Oct 20, 2021 20:23:02 GMT
Very interesting info about the Ferraris. Thank you René.
It's really something - a memory to treasure - to have heard the Mazda 787's at "full song". Wauw!
Wauw is right!
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Post by René on Oct 21, 2021 18:05:35 GMT
Very interesting info about the Ferraris. Thank you René. It's really something - a memory to treasure - to have heard the Mazda 787's at "full song". Wauw!
Wauw is right!
Fantastic! Almost scary, like F1 used to be in the old days. |
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Post by mikael on Oct 24, 2021 8:09:42 GMT
The 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport brochure (that I mentioned earlier). It's like a collection of mini-posters. Quite a unique layout, I think.
Yes, the design and "beauty" can be discussed; yet due to the low lines, I find it to be the most "pure sports car" of all the Wankel/rotary engine-based cars that Mazda ever made (perhaps with the exception of the very last (1992-2002) iteration of the RX-7).
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Post by René on Oct 24, 2021 13:12:53 GMT
Fantastic Mikael, that is a truly beautiful brochure. A lot of attention has been given to the graphic design, I like it a lot!
Japanese car design was a bit strange to European and American eyes in the beginning. But looking back it was probably also a matter of getting used to a different design style. If I now see an old Datsun coupe for instance, I actually quite like it while at the time I probably didn't. The detailing has always been great on Japanese cars and still is. Just look at the latest Lexus models.
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Post by René on Oct 24, 2021 13:17:41 GMT
And now I can't stay behind of course...  here is a small compilation of the two Ferrari brochures I mentioned in another post. Not as beautiful as the Mazda brochure Mikael showed but still very nice I think. Original 1970's styling.   |
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Post by mikael on Oct 24, 2021 15:27:46 GMT
Great stuff, René! - including the Le Mans and Monza photos :-)
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Post by Carl on Oct 24, 2021 17:23:50 GMT
Wonderful photos, René, especially the young tifoso rossa beside the Ferrari Testarossa which, by all rights, you should have been able to drive home. |
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If the Cosmo Sport brochure is valuable, I don't know. In any case, I wish to keep it. 
here is a small compilation of the two Ferrari brochures I mentioned in another post. Not as beautiful as the Mazda brochure Mikael showed but still very nice I think. Original 1970's styling.