A Ferrari without a championship

Announced by Enzo Ferrari in September 1983 and unveiled at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, the GTO heralds Ferrari’s return to low-volume series production (the previous limited edition having been the 365 California). The aim is to reach the 200-unit mark necessary to obtain rally competitions homologation. But the GTO has a different destiny in store: in a period when competition rules change rapidly, Ferrari finds itself with a race-oriented car, but with no championship to race in.

However, there is little cause for concern: the car generates such a buzz at the Geneva Motor Show that the number of units planned for production sell out in virtually no time. In the end, a total number of 272 cars are sold compared to the initially planned 200. The official denomination should read GTO, however, many enthusiasts refer to it as the 288 GTO to distinguish it from its GT racing forefather, the 250 GTO of the early 1960s. A project that, as mentioned, failed to materialise.