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The Ferrari Dino was designed by Dino Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari’s son who passed away before the launch of the car that would bear his name. Enzo Ferrari decided to pay tribute to his late son by posthumously releasing the Ferrari Dino, although it was not a Ferrari as it was released under a subsidiary brand called Dino.
Enzo created the Dino brand specifically to produce V6 engine cars to compete with the commercially booming Porsche 911, which had negatively impacted Ferrari's sales figures. Enzo did not consider the 911 a true competitor to Ferrari and believed that a Ferrari should not have a V6 engine. Thus, he established the Dino brand both to compete with Porsche and to honour his son, while preserving the reputation of his beloved Ferrari brand.
Dino Ferrari was tasked with designing a small engine that met the standards of Formula 2 championships, which Ferrari would use in their racing cars. He began designing a V6 engine, which was relatively small by Ferrari standards. However, Dino died before he could complete the design. According to regulations, cars participating in Formula 2 races had to be produced in a minimum of 500 units, which was a challenge for the small Ferrari factory. Ferrari enlisted the help of Fiat, which would produce the V6 engine for them. Dino was a collaboration between Ferrari and Fiat, which elevated both Italian car brands to new heights.
Ferrari Dino 246 GT
The Dino 246 GT was introduced at the Turin Auto Show in 1969, however, production already began beforehand with high expectations and anticipation for success.
Under the hood, there is a transversely mounted V6 engine that produces 195 horsepower that is manually operated with five gears, a real pleasure. The Dino offered competition to the Porsche 911 and was commercially successful in the market. Ferrari cars were less competitive with the 911, given the even higher segment in which they operated.
The interior is very Italian: fashionable, elegant, and designed with an eye for the smallest detail. ‘Less is more’ sets the tone. The seats are finished in fine beige leather and hint at sportiness. The dashboard emphasizes Italian performance with a sporty steering wheel and a dashboard with numerous gauges.
Just over 1,000 examples of the 246 GT were built. The fine design and the Ferrari-unusual V6 engine are very popular. The Dino 246 GT is the dream car of many Ferrari enthusiasts.
Technical information:
Body work
Mechanics