Ferrari's Bastard Child Needs Your Love!

"-Amateur" (amateur) 10/02/2013 at 10:43 • Filed to: None

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If you're father Ferrari and have a son that embarrasses you and sullies your name, what do you do? You disown him. Time to show the man what he missed out on!

The Dino was Ferrari's doing, the DNA test doesn't lie. Dino was conceived as an affordable sports car by Ferrari. Ferrari's pride and ego stopped it from slapping the Ferrari badge on it...didn't even want to risk this kid tarnishing the family's reputation of exclusive elegance. Father of the year award right here.

But as a young rebellious teen the Dino is, it doesn't understand the whole story. Papa is still embarrassed of you, so get used to it...yet your name has meaning to him. He named you after his son who lost his life battling muscular dystrophy at the young age of 24. That has to mean something right?

Nope, Ferrari still hates you. It sent the Dino off to live with uncle Fiat; Fiat co-produced the Dino as a technicality to make homologation cars to allow Ferrari to use the Dino V-6 engine in Formula 2. It has a 2.0L V6 front engine, RWD configuration while in the Fiat clan.

Then the heat was on as those close to Ferrari pressured him to love his son enough to give him a mid engine layout. Ferrari was opposed to this...like hardcore. He felt that it was too dangerous for customers to handle. He eventually caved in, rationalizing to himself that people won't kill themselves in the car since it had just a V-6 ....but insisted that the Ferrari name stay off of it. The Dino takes the form of the 206S prototype:

This leads to the the rise of the Dino 206 GT. The Dino's growing up! The car looks stunning and had the build of an athlete. It weighed only 1980 lbs and had a mid-engine all-aluminum DOHC 2.0L V-6 rated at 160 HP at 8000 rpm with 135 LB FT at 6500 rpm. It's making a name for itself too, being the first "Ferrari" to have electronic ignition and a direct rack and pinion setup. It also had a top speed of 146 mph and was incredibly balanced. The Dino was extremely popular. Including its later iterations, the car sold damn near 4000 units!

" Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't" - Dino 246 GT

The Dino became the 246 GT. It bulked up on muscle weight (195 hp Euro-Spec) and when going toe to toe with the 911, it was almost dead even in sheer performance with a top speed of 148 mph and a 0-50 sprint in 5.5 seconds. This was the last of the Great Dinos as it was replaced by the uncharasmatic Dino 308 GT4.

The Dinos didn't officially get acknowledged by Ferrari until May 1976, when the Ferrari prancing horse finally was put on the hood. By that time, the Dino already proved to the world that it didn't need Ferrari's name or prestige holding it back.

photo credit belongs to their respective owners

McMike > -Amateur 10/02/2013 at 10:49

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I loved the 246. I used to circle listings in R&T classifieds for my Dad when I was a kid. They were going for $20K or so back in the early 80s.

YSI-what can brown do for you > -Amateur 10/02/2013 at 10:52

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Don't forget! Ferrari used the 65 degree Dino V6 to make a V12 in the 90s.

They also made a V8, the one in the 348, 355, and 360. It was called the Dino V8. and it first appeared in the 268SP. It also sounds pretty amazing.

-Amateur > YSI-what can brown do for you 10/02/2013 at 11:02

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That is super cool! It was also neat that the Dino V6 found its way in the Lancia Stratos.

YSI-what can brown do for you > -Amateur 10/02/2013 at 11:05

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Pretty much an engine that has done it all.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > -Amateur 10/02/2013 at 11:08

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Holy crap, that 206S prototype.

Mash_Tun > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 13:09

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Love love love the 246. My dream car, for a long time, has been the 246 GTS in silver, with oxblood interior and the perspex light covers.

pasoguy > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 13:40

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I am lucky enough to be born into a Dino family. As a kid my family had a 246 and vintaged raced the 206sp (sn 002) shown above in coupe form. We also had a GT4 that stuck around while a lot of other cars came and went. My dad is gone but I still have the GT4 - she is a family member.

Big Block I-4 > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 13:51

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Man now I want one of these! Blast you!

Maxxuman > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 14:05

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So were you aware that Enzo Ferrari actually had an illegitimate son who he named Alfredo, after his grandfather? His nickname was Alfredino, (the "ino" at the end of an Italian word applies the diminutive, so it meant "little Alfredo"). Alfredino was later shortened to Dino. I was surprised to see your bastard son story about the Dino without any reference to the man from whom the name derived and wondered if you were aware of him. Sadly he died quite young.

As to the cars, I wasn't so impressed by them back in the day. But either my tastes have evolved or the years have been kind to the Dino, as I now find the shape and the configuration very appealing.

-Amateur > Maxxuman 10/03/2013 at 15:04

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Oh, but I did in the 3rd paragraph. I totally agree with you with tastes changing! There are so many cars I really like now that wasn't the case in my younger years.

Maxxuman > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 15:14

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Ah, missed that!

Maxton86 > Maxxuman 10/03/2013 at 16:42

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Are you sure about this? I thought Dino was Ferrari's legitimate son and Piero was the illegitimate son. When Ferrari's wife, Laura, died Ferrari then legally adopted Piero. Piero Ferrari then inherited his father's remaining shares of the company after selling most of them to Fiat. Piero is still involved with the company today as part owner.

Maxxuman > Maxton86 10/03/2013 at 17:33

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Oops, you're dead right. My apologies for any confusion - seems I got the 2 muddled in my memory.

MJAB > -Amateur 10/03/2013 at 18:45

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Yes, all the powertrain from Ferrari Dino 246.

The FIAT Dino cars:

Fiat Dino Spider (2000 e 2400)

Fiat Dino Coupé (2000 e 2400)