Two Ferrari 308 GTBs that spent three decades sealed inside a cluttered Minnesota garage have been brought back into the light, offering a rare look at a pair of identical exotics frozen in time. The cars, a 1976 and 1977 model, were discovered sitting beside a DeLorean and bore every sign of their long hibernation, from aging tires to heavy layers of storage dust.
Both vehicles are fixed-roof GTB versions of the 308, a counterpart to the targa-top GTS made famous in television pop culture. Their condition told the story of their decades spent untouched. One wore gold wheels and sat on Michelin tires dating to the 1970s; the other, with silver wheels, still carried Riken rubber likely not much newer. The cars’ single-stage Rosso Chiaro paint had dulled under years of grime, making their revival particularly challenging.
The rediscovery came through the family of the late owner, whose son decided to bring the Ferraris out of their long slumber. The cars had a deeply personal history. The owner, once an avid motorcyclist, turned to sports cars following an accident that left him partially paralyzed. Limited mobility never stopped him from enjoying the gated-manual transmissions of his Ferraris, including a now-absent V12-powered 1950 Inter. He simply shifted with his left hand across the cabin.
The video documenting the cleanup focuses on restoring the cars’ appearance rather than their mechanical systems. With their original, clearcoat-less paint, the process required careful foam washes, gentle brushing, and meticulous trimming work to avoid damaging the aging finish. Moisture inside the garage produced mold on interior surfaces, particularly on the gold-wheel example, but most materials responded well to careful wiping.
As the cars transformed from beige-tinted dust collectors to glossy red coupes, two more 308s arrived—belonging to friends of the former owner—to observe the cleanup effort and join the unexpected reunion.
The highlight came when the family gathered for the reveal of the first completed car. Seeing the revived Ferrari moved the owner’s wife to tears, a reaction tied as much to memories as to the sight of the cars finally emerging from decades of stillness.
What began as a simple garage discovery became a moment of preservation, celebration, and connection—one that brought two dormant Ferraris back into the world and honored the legacy of the man who cherished them.
