Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Jazz Legend Miles Davis’ Ferrari 308 Heads to Auction

The Ferrari 308 GTSi isn’t the best Ferrari. Heck, it isn’t even a good Ferrari. It was built during an era that saw Ferrari’s engines down on power and lacking that certain something that the company had built its empire on just a decade prior. As such, they’re not the most popular models. This one in particular, however, is something quite special. A Ferrari 308 GTSi once owned by jazz legend Miles Davis.

miles davis
David Warner Ellis/Getty Images

Miles Davis was, in his time, the man. The trumpeter led bands; composed scores of music; worked with the likes of John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, and John Scofield; won 32 Grammys; and continually worked for over five decades. He had his ups and downs, a period of addiction, but Davis remains one of the most, if not the most, prominent jazz musicians ever. His influence can still be felt throughout the jazz scene, as well as in other genres.

Today, however, is all about his car. Working with eBay and Beverly Hills Car Club, Davis’ 308 GTSi will be auctioned off; a portion of the proceeds going to The Grammy Museum Foundation for Music Education in Los Angeles. The 308 GTSi is finished in Fly Yellow with a chocolate brown interior and has just under 10,000 miles on its odometer. According to the club, the purchase will also come with proof of provenance.

Speaking ahead of the auction, Beverly Hills Car Club president Alex Manos stated, “ Miles had such exquisite taste. It’s a unique and exciting experience to be able to offer something to the public from the Davis estate. It will be exciting to know who the next person to own and drive it will be.”

Executive director for The Grammy Museum, Michael Sticka, added, “The Grammy Museum is deeply appreciative to the Beverly Hills Car Club for recognizing the importance of strengthening music education in our community. Through their generosity, we can continue to help foster the budding musical interests of all children.”

As of this writing, the current bid for Davis’ Ferrari is $75,000, which doesn’t sound like that much for your own piece of music history. Bidding will close at 2 p.m. PST on Friday, September 28.

Editors' Recommendations

Jonathon Klein
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathon is a former contributor to The Manual. Please reach out to The Manual editorial staff with any questions or comments…
2024 Mustang Mach-E GT performance upgrade: Ford’s fast EV love note
2024 Mustang Mach-E GT beats Tesla and Porsche
Blue 2024 Ford Mustand Mach-E GT performance upgrade driving directly at the viewer under a highway overpass.

Spring is in the air, and Ford engineers share their love for the 2024 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Upgrade. It's not like the Mach-E GT without the upgrade is a sluggard, not with 480 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque on tap. The standard 2024 Mach-E GT is good for 3.8-second trips from zero to 60 mph and scoots a quarter-mile in a hasty 12.8 seconds. Those are impressively short times, but Ford went further with the Mach-E GT Performance Upgrade.
Why Ford's Mustang Mach-E GT performance upgrade matters

Frankly, the Mach-E doesn't look like a scorching hot ride. The FDA categorizes the electric Mustang as an SUV, although to my eyes, it looks like a hatchback. However, neither vehicle profile pleased Mustang loyalists who insisted Mustangs should look like muscle cars and get their power from internal combustion engines (ICEs).

Read more
Bugatti Bolide: A track-only hypercar for drivers with no racing experience
The Bolide isn't a race-inspired road car, it's a street-inspired race car
Black Bugatti Bolide in the middle of a wide track standing ready to go.

Imagine a car for drivers with no track experience that accelerates past 200 mph faster than a Formula 1 race car. Expensive and not allowed on public roads, the Bugatti Bolide is the ultimate fantasy car. The Bolide doesn't appear to be the V16-powered hypercar in development that Bugatti teased earlier this year because it will build on the brand's proven 1,600 metric horsepower 8.0-liter W16 turbocharged engine.
Also, despite having antilock braking system (ABS) brakes, electronic stability programming (ESP), and road-car niceties not typically found on race cars, the Bolide won't have a future street-legal incarnation. According to Bugatti, "... the Bolide represents a departure from the norm, a shift towards a completely different realm of driving that Bugatti hasn't yet explored in its modern-day history."

That statement begs a look at the company's earlier history when, 100 years ago, it designed and engineered the Bugatti Type 35 solely for track performance.
Why an approachable track-only hypercar matters

Read more
Camper van vs Class B RV: How to choose which to buy for your outdoor adventures
Class B RV vs Camper Van - who ya got?
Man building a campfire in front of a Winnebago Ekko Springer camper van.

If you would love to go on road trips and experience the best national parks, there is no better way to do it and still feel comfortable like you’re at home than camping in an RV. Let’s be honest: You will enjoy sleeping on a cozy bed in an RV with an air conditioner more than in a moist and chilly tent. It’s also easier to prepare your meals in an RV because of the refrigerator, and you don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking your camping bags every night or morning. 

However, the big RVs can be a headache if you're driving through low-hanging bridges or tight spaces. They’re also more expensive to fuel and maintain compared to smaller-size vehicles. Alternatively, you could choose a Class B RV or a camper van if prefer an RV that strikes a balance between rural camping and big-city adventure. But the question is — what’s the difference between a Class B RV and a camper van? And which one should you buy?
A Class B motorhome is built with all the camping amenities

Read more