As the halo Maranello product of its era, the Ferrari 288 GTO was the quintessence of the word “awesome”, challenging the Porsche 959 and Lamborghini Countach for the abject devotion of salivating teenage boys worldwide.

Originally devised for racing, the 288 was for all intents and purposes a hot-rod version of the 308 model; extended in physical dimensions, equipped with a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine, refined with racing-specification components, and adorned with a new flared-fender, spoilered version of Pininfarina’s iconic coachwork.

With production capped at 272 examples, the 288 GTO was assured the rarity of a high-level collectible, and it has since gone on to be recognized as the progenitor of Ferrari’s modern tradition of limited-edition supercars and hypercars, succeeded by the F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari.

Even the legendary racing driver Phil Hill was impressed by the new GTO, as he clarified in the August 1984 issue of Road & Track : “The progressiveness of the [288] ...