For some enthusiasts, the Ferrari story begins with an engine note. For others, it begins with a television opening sequence, a Hawaiian road, and Tom Selleck behind the wheel. The appeal of Magnum, P.I. was repetition: the Ferrari kept coming back. It became familiar enough to imagine using, while remaining special enough to want.
One television identity, several versions
Ferrari’s official account of the 308’s history follows the original series from its 1980 debut through 1988. It identifies a 1979 308 GTS in the first season, a fuel-injected 308 GTSi from the second, and a 1984 308 GTS Quattrovalvole from the fourth. “Magnum’s Ferrari” therefore describes a succession of versions, rather than one unchanged car across eight seasons.
That is useful context when two fans remember slightly different details. The enduring image is consistent: a red, open-roof Ferrari in Hawaii. The mechanical specification and the details changed as the production car evolved. A reference to the show is a starting point for identifying a car, not a substitute for its model year or paperwork.
What GTS means when you are looking at the roof
The 308 GTS has a removable roof panel, while the GTB has a fixed roof. Ferrari records the arrival of the GTS in 1977. With the panel removed, the car preserves the shape behind the seats while opening the cabin above them. It is a different visual and practical proposition from a full convertible. Ferrari’s 308 history places the body styles and subsequent fuel-injected versions in context.
It is an easy distinction to overlook when shopping from memory. A red 308 with the roof fitted can look, at first glance, like the car you have pictured for years. Spend a little longer with the photographs: establish the body style, then decide whether your imagined ownership includes open-air drives or the uninterrupted line of the fixed roof. Neither choice needs to be justified by which one appeared on television.
A little more clarity
Common questions
Was Magnum’s Ferrari always the same 308?
The original series used successive 308 versions. Ferrari identifies the GTS, then the GTSi, and later the GTS Quattrovalvole.
Is a 308 GTS a full convertible?
It has a removable roof panel. The GTB is the fixed-roof version. They should be considered separately when choosing the body style you want.
Does a red 308 advertised as a “Magnum car” have television provenance?
A similar specification is not proof of screen use. An actual production connection needs documentation identifying that particular car.
The Quattrovalvole connection
Ferrari’s 1982 archive entry for the 308 GTS Quattrovalvole records a 2,926.9 cc V8 mounted transversely behind the cabin. The name refers to four valves per cylinder. That makes the later television car part of a distinct step in the 308’s evolution, rather than simply a new trim package or another badge on the same specification.
For a prospective owner, this is where the research should become specific. Ask which version is being offered, which market it was originally supplied to, and what documents support that identification. Compare service history and current condition alongside the year. A favorite season can tell you which image you love; it cannot tell you how an individual car has been maintained.
Why the connection lasted
Our view is that the 308’s television appeal comes from the balance between exotic and familiar. Its shape is dramatic, but the show repeatedly places it in ordinary routines: arriving, leaving, waiting, being used. The car becomes part of a life. That is a more powerful invitation to ownership than a single beauty shot could be.
There is room for that sort of enthusiasm in a serious car search. It explains why color and roofline can matter as much as a performance figure, and why a buyer might be happy to wait for a particular combination. The useful next step is to put those preferences into words, so a dealer understands the car you want rather than merely the badge you recognize.
The 308 beyond Magnum
Christie Brinkley’s red 308 in National Lampoon’s Vacation belongs in the same conversation. There, the car is a fleeting road-trip fantasy; in Magnum, it is a recurring companion. We look at the film and its 308 GTS in our Ferrari and Lamborghini movie-car feature. The shared shape carries quite different stories.
That is also the spirit behind On the Road: cars outside, in places, as part of experiences. If the television image first brought you to a Ferrari, the next chapter should be about the journeys you would actually like to make. For a later interpretation of the open-roof theme, explore our F355 guide and the difference between a GTB, GTS, and Spider.