Chassis 08078 — Chairs & Flares
Engine Type 135 CS, Internal #11998 · Gearbox Type 607 E, Internal #3039 · Scaglietti Body #2943
HISTORY
Chassis 08078 was completed at the Ferrari factory on April 10, 1974, one of approximately ninety-one US-market 246 GTS spyders built with the “Chairs and Flares” specification. This was a factory option package combining wider 14x7.5-inch Campagnolo alloy wheels, flared ...
Chassis 08078 — Chairs & Flares
Engine Type 135 CS, Internal #11998 · Gearbox Type 607 E, Internal #3039 · Scaglietti Body #2943
HISTORY
Chassis 08078 was completed at the Ferrari factory on April 10, 1974, one of approximately ninety-one US-market 246 GTS spyders built with the “Chairs and Flares” specification. This was a factory option package combining wider 14x7.5-inch Campagnolo alloy wheels, flared rear fenders to accommodate them, and Daytona-style sport seats. The car was finished in Rosso Chiaro (20-R-190) over Nero Connolly leather (VM 8500) and equipped with factory air conditioning and power windows. The Scaglietti body carries internal number 2943, confirmed by chalk markings on the firewall and stamps on both trunk lid hinges.
The car was delivered in May 1974 to William F. Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors importership in Reno, Nevada, and sold new to a race car driver and Ferrari dealer owner in Santa Ana, California.
By 1977, the car was offered for sale through Ferrari of Los Gatos. It passed through several Northern California owners over the following decade, including periods offered through Ferrari of Los Gatos and Fantasy Junction in Emeryville. In May 1990 it left the United States, acquired by a Swiss dealer in Bern, and remained in European ownership for over thirty years.
The car spent time in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. During German ownership from 2013 to 2022, it was actively driven and maintained, accumulating approximately €81,000 in documented service spending. It participated in the Gaisbergrennen hillclimb in Austria, the Hamburg-Berlin Classic Rallye, the Thiesen Rallye in Hamburg, and was shown at the Dino Concours Display at Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Service during this period was performed primarily by Steinke and Esdar in Germany.
Ferrari Classiche issued the Certificazione di Autenticita on September 14, 2016, confirming matching-numbers chassis, engine, gearbox, and differential. The Red Book documents the original Campagnolo wheels as consistent with factory equipment, notes original Koni shock absorbers front and rear, and confirms the body as original with no repairs or rebuilds. The original ignition system is a Marelli Dinoplex AEC 103A. The Red Book also notes the absence of the original air pollution system and that the rear lights are not to original US specification, with European-style amber lenses fitted.
The car returned to the United States in 2022 and was sold on Bring a Trailer.
In March and April 2026, Coachwerks Restoration in Victoria performed a recommissioning service in preparation for sale. The work included diagnosis and repair of a no-start condition, fuel pump and filter replacement, fuel system drain, coolant flush, brake fluid flush, clutch fluid flush, brake lubrication, lever bezel and backing plate replacement, bump stop replacement, wiper blade replacement, weatherstrip adhesion, four new Michelin XWX 205/70VR14 tires, and provincial inspection. Total invoice $11,503 CAD.
SPECIFICATION
The mid-mounted 2.4-liter Tipo 135 CS V6 features a 65-degree angle between cylinder banks, dual overhead camshafts per bank, and three Weber 40 DCNF/19 carburetors. Engine number 0011998 is stamped on the block and matches both the Classiche Red Book and the Massini report. An aftermarket MSD ignition system has been installed externally in the luggage compartment; the original Marelli Dinoplex AEC 103A is believed to remain in its original position but disconnected. Power reaches the rear wheels through the five-speed manual transaxle (gearbox number 3039) with its gated chrome shifter. The rear axle ratio is 16/58.
The Chairs and Flares specification gives this car its distinctive proportions. The wider Campagnolo wheels measure 14x7.5 inches at all four corners, an inch wider than the standard Cromodora fitment, and the flared rear fenders are a factory modification designed by Pininfarina to cover the additional wheel width for road homologation purposes. New Michelin XWX tires measuring 205/70VR14 were fitted in April 2026. A 14x6.5-inch Cromodora spare wearing Dunlop rubber is secured in the front compartment. A chromed guard has been added over the front grille.
The cabin houses Daytona-style seats in black Connolly leather with color-matched door panels, console, and rear bulkhead. Black carpeting, mousehair dashboard trim, inertia-reel lap belts, power windows, factory air conditioning with a Borletti control unit, and a Sanyo AM/FM push-button radio are fitted. A MOMO steering wheel frames the Veglia Borletti instrument cluster with its Dino-script gauges. The five-digit odometer reads 77,401 miles. Total mileage is unknown.
DOCUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES
Ferrari Classiche Red Book (September 14, 2016)
Marcel Massini History Report
Owner’s manual in leather portfolio
German service invoices and documentation (2013–2020)
TÜV, DEKRA, and ASI certification documents
Coachwerks Restoration service invoice (March–April 2026)
Clean title
