The rules in Group B request that 200 commercial cars are produced. Manufacturers can make design adjustments for race that are referred as Evolution.
Ferrari is interested but reminds the difficulties of homologation twenty years earlier for the 250 GTO and the 250 LM. No risk is taken against the Group B requirements. The introduction of the new model 288 begins in 1984 by the 200 road cars. To assess that their brand is the good guy, the new car is identified by Ferrari as GTO (Omologato).
The 288 GTO is a significant development, with a bodywork inspired by the 308 GTB and modernized by Pininfarina. It is lightweight, powerful and fast. Customers are appealed and the production is increased to 272. One of them is estimated $ 2.3M for sale by RM Sotheby's on March 12 in Amelia Island, lot 148. It had been in 1985 the first 288 GTO officially exported to Japan.
Everything is well excepted that the FIA gives up the Group B in 1986 after two fatal accidents. Launched in 5 units, the 288 GTO Evolution was not ready. None will compete. Two of these Evoluzione are modified to be used as prototypes for the F40. Unused in its original application, the 288 GTO has the great merit of opening the two decades of commercial success of the Ferrari supercars : F40, F50 and Enzo.
SOLD for $ 2.6M including premium
First Look: preview highlights from this year's Amelia Island auction @rmsothebys: https://t.co/rmhmhqvMBC #RMAmelia pic.twitter.com/YbDpx1LnhV
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) February 19, 2016