Anonymous Buyer Pays $22,000 for a 1975 Ferrari Dino 208 GT4, but There Is a Catch

What car would you buy for $22,000 in the United States? A Toyota Corolla sedan would fit the shoes. A Kia Forte would fit the budget, too. The money would also be enough for a Buick Envista. But it would definitely not suffice for a Ferrari, no matter how old, new, or entry-level it would be.

Somehow, though, someone bought a 1975 Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 for the money. However, there are serious issues with the car. The model doesn't run and doesn't drive, and there is a reason for it. The yellow Ferrari was seized by the Brazilian authorities back in 2006 after it was smuggled into the country, and it has been parked in the same place since.

The car spent the last 18 years sitting in a yard where the Brazilian government keeps impounded vehicles. It was exposed to the elements and subject to a trial at the 9th Federal Criminal Court of Sao Paulo.

According to the listing, the vehicle is in very poor condition, with the bodywork completely deteriorated by rust, as much as what we called "the rustiest Ferrari" back in 2021. Every single panel of the yellow-painted Ferrari looks like it needs to be replaced because rust has been eating at it over all these years.

Dust, rust, and everything in between on the Ferrari that sat parked for 18 years

The interior is also deteriorated and holds an excessive amount of dirt, gathered in there over the past 18 years. Corrosion has severely affected the engine and all mechanical components. The vehicle was evaluated as scrap and auctioned off. However, the Federal Court of the State estimated that the restoration would cost around $176,000, which is more than this car would normally go on the used car market.

The bidding started at around R$991, the equivalent of 177, as reported by the local media. Forty bids later, a user going by the name of Celsoamici – there is no information of their real name – offered R$122,000, which translates to $21,785 to take the Ferrari home. The authorities have not disclosed their name, but we do know that they are from Cuarolhos, Brazil.

According to classic.com, a 1975 Dino 208 GT4 sold for as much as $130,000, but that was definitely far from such a state of decay. The average price of a 1975 model is around $63,695, which still puts it among the most affordable Ferraris.

Subject to illegal importation and chassis tempering, while being a victim to rust, the Ferrari has little chance to ever set wheels back on the road. But you know what they say: you can't total a Ferrari.

They are so rare and expensive that they are all worth fixing. This reminds us of the Ferrari Enzo split in two in a high-speed crash that took place on February 21, 2006, on the Pacific Coast Highway, north of Decker Canyon in Malibu.

The sports car was split in two, but it was eventually glued back together (Ferrari claimed it had nothing to do with the repair!) and sold for an impressive $1,75 million.

The yellow Ferrari used to be blue before it arrived in Brazil

However, the buyer probably needs it for parts. We can't possibly imagine what is still usable from this pile of rust. Furthermore, the listing provided by the Public Federal Ministry in Brazil says it is blue, but the photos show a yellow Ferrari. So, it is obvious that whoever imported it to Brazil painted it from blue to yellow in an attempt to keep it off the radar.

According to MSN, Bruno Richter Lazar, son of Ferry Lazar, the former owner of the Ferrari, who passed away in 2014, was surprised by the news of the auction. He was also planning to take back into the family the car that had a sentimental value to him and restore it to its former glory.

The Dino 208 GT4 hit the market in 1973 as a mid-engined sports car with a 2+2 layout, alongside the 308 GT4, with several features setting the two apart. The 208 GT4 is powered by Ferrari's 2.0-liter V8 engine, which generates 168 horsepower (170 metric horsepower) and 137 pound-feet (186 Newton meters) of torque.

It may not sound much by today's Ferrari standards, and performance figures aren't helping either. It needs 7.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph and runs the quarter mile in 15.6 seconds on its way to a top speed 137 mph (200 kph). However, this pile of rust and dust will have a top speed identical to the truck that tows it to the garage of its new owner.