2,419cc DOHC V6 Engine
3 Twin Weber Carburetors
195bhp at 7,600rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes


*Former part of Jacques Swaters renowned Ferrari collection
*Exceptional condition throughout
*Two long-time owners and less than 38,000 kilometers from new
*Presented in the factory-delivered livery
*Offered with Marcel Massini's history report


THE FERRARI DINO

It was the need for a production-based engine for the new Formula 2 that led to the introduction of a 'junior' Ferrari, the Dino 206GT, at the Turin Motor Show in 1967. Building on experience gained with its successful limited edition Dino 206S sports-racer of 1966, Ferrari retained the racer's mid-engined layout for the road car but installed the power unit transversely rather than longitudinally. A compact, aluminum-bodied coupe of striking appearance, the Pininfarina-styled Dino - named after Enzo Ferrari's late son Alfredino Ferrari and intended as the first of a separate but related marque - was powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cam V6 driving through an in-unit five-speed transaxle. The motor's 180bhp was good enough to propel the lightweight, aerodynamically efficient Dino to 142mph, and while there were few complaints about the car's performance, the high cost enforced by its aluminum construction hindered sales.

A 2.4-liter version on a longer wheelbase - the 246GT - replaced the Dino 206 in late 1969. The body was now steel and the cylinder block cast-iron rather than aluminum, but the bigger engine's increased power - 195bhp at 7,600rpm - was adequate compensation for the weight gain. A Targa-top version, the 246GTS, followed in 1972. While not quite as fast in a straight line as its larger V12-engined stable-mates, the nimble Dino was capable of showing almost anything a clean pair of heels over twisty going.

Testing the ultimate V6-engined Dino – the 246GT – in 1972, the authoritative American motoring magazine Road & Track enthused, 'it is a thrill to drive a car like the Dino, one whose capabilities are far beyond what even an expert driver can use in most real-world motoring, and that is the Dino's reason for being. The real joy of a good mid-engined car is in its handling and braking and the Dino shone as we expected it to. The steering is quick without being super quick, and it transmits by what seems a carefully planned amount of feedback exactly what is going on at the tires. Thanks to the layout's low polar moment of inertia the car responds instantly to it. The Dino's cornering limits are very high... ' Truly a driver's carpar excellence.


THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Completed at the Ferrari factory in June of 1973, the exceptional example of the applauded Dino 246 offered here, chassis no. 06626, was built as the closed Coupe version in the E production series, and equipped as a left hand drive European example destined for the Belgian market. According to renowned Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, the new Dino left the factory in Rosso Chiaro Ferrari 20-R-190 Red over a Nero 161 Black interior, fitted with Cromodora alloy wheels.

The new Dino had been ordered on March 14, 1973, by Jacques Swaters Garage Francorchamps SA, the famous Belgian Ferrari importer and racing driver of Ecurie Francorchamps fame. Swaters sold the car on July 17, 1973 to the first owner, Mr.Jean Oury, resident of Monceau-sur-Sambre, Belgium. In February of 1989, the Dino was repurchased by Garage Francorchamps' proprietor, Mr. Jacques Swaters, and formed part of his renowned personal Ferrari collection until 2013.

Today, this exceptional Dino 246 GT presents extremely well throughout. The body is straight with a superb fit, and the factory-correct deep, lustrous Red finish shows off beautifully. The silver Campagnolo wheels are fitted with vintage-style Michelin XWX tires, giving the car the elegantly aggressive look it would have had on the street during the mid-1970s. The mileage recorded on the cars odometer is less than 38,000 kilometers; a figure believed to be the cars actual mileage. With two long-term owners until 2013, the Dino is complete with history file and Marcel Massini's report. One of the best Dinos we have ever had the pleasure of handling, this wonderful low-mileage example of the final-evolution 246 GT Dino is perhaps the ideal representation of the model, and one which should attract an eager audience either on the show field...or out on the road.