Although the Dino marque is the brainchild of Ferrari, yet the Maranello-based automaker actually intended to keep the brand separate from the ‘normal’ Ferraris of the time.
Back in 1967, as a way to homologate a new 2-liter V6 engine which would be used for racing, Ferrari had to build sufficient examples of the road-going version of the race car to qualify the brand to enter competition.
Ferrari contracted the production of the engines to Fiat. In exchange, Fiat would adopt the engine in its cars, effectively creating a mutually beneficial relationship that birthed two cars that have become collector's items today – the Fiat Dino and the (Ferrari) Dino cars.
The Dino 206 & 246 Were Mongrels That Became Classics Due To Their Heritage
The ‘Dino’ brand was launched due to Enzo Ferrari and his associates believing that a V6 – with the mid-engine layout – would dilute the brand, as then was the golden age of motoring, when integrity was everything.
Dino is the nickname of Enzo Ferrari’s son Alfredo Ferrari, who died at a young age, but was credited with helping with the design of the small V6 engine, which was engineered in a 65-degree angle, a rather unusual layout for that time.
Built in two examples, the Dino was a mid-engined sports car that had either a two-liter engine (206) or 2.4-liter (246), with the first version weighing 2,200 lbs versus 2,400 lbs for the later car.
Even the first Dino was capable of almost 150 mph, with 0-60 mph possible in under 8 seconds; good for a 2-liter car built before 1970.
The first generation was all-aluminum, and it features independent suspension with all-round disc-brakes, while the second generation was made of steel to save cash.
Built in substantially-fewer examples over 2 years, the 180 hp 206 Dino was and is rarer today, while the Fiat Dino, which used the same engine in a grand-tourer package, didn’t have the heritage or Ferrari appeal, hence, it's cheaper to buy on the second-hand market.
Ferrari's 246 Dino GT L Is The One To Have, But It'll Cost You
Of the two semi-Ferraris, the Dino 246 which was produced in more examples and with slightly more power from the 2.4-liter engine from 1969-1974 is perhaps the one to have today, if you don’t fancy the front-engined Fiat Dino, of course.
Ferrari built a 246 GT and 246 GTS; the latter being a spider, or Targa top with a removable roof, with several variants of the GT accumulating over the production run of the 246 units.
Spanning from 1969 to 1970 only, the ‘L’ version of the Dino 246 would be the first type, and now the oldest 246 you can buy.
What the 246 and indeed 206 had going for them was great innovations – although it wasn’t a Ferrari in traditional Enzo philosophy, it was however forward-thinking and constructed around Dino Ferrari’s legacy, at least under the hood.
With a sophisticated chassis and drivetrain that was at odds with the V12 grand tourers that made up the lion’s share of Ferrari’s principle ethos, the model was essentially a success.
Today, the ‘Dino’ Ferrari is extremely expensive, so they did become appreciated after all. Notably, you’ll currently need from $300,000 upwards for one, whereas the subsequent ‘308’ Dino - incidentally, the last car to bear the Dino name - which debuted with an angular, more modern design, can be bought for a quarter of that price.