The story of the Ferrari powered Fiat Dino is nowadays well known, the cars having long since achieved classic status. The Fiat Dino came about as a result of new rules imposed by the FIA upon the marques competing in the 1967 Formula Two championship, in which Ferrari was a prominent contender. These rules stipulated that all F2 engines would henceforth have to be built in 500 units at least, something Ferrari could not hope to achieve without the assistance of a large manufacturer such as Fiat, itself no stranger to the sporting scene - who could ever forget the immortal 8V?
The resulting Fiat Dino was introduced at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, along with the first prototype of the Dino Berlinetta GT, which later evolved into the Ferrari Dino 246. Both cars used the superb V6, four-cam, two-liter engine whose lineage could be traced back to the Dino 246 Grand Prix engine and the Dino 166P sports-racing unit.
The Fiat Dino was built either as an elegant, curvaceous spyder by Pininfarina (who else?) or as a 2+2 coupe by Bertone. The spyder is one of the prettiest designs to emerge from Pininfarina's studio in the 1960s.
The very early spyder pictured here was imported to the UK in 1989 having previously undergone restoration overseas. The current owner bought the car in 1992 and continued work upon it, much being carried out between 1994-1995 including a specialist rebuild of the engine and gearbox. Since then just 500 miles have been covered.
Overall condition is described as excellent and the car comes with some bills and copies of the workshop manual and parts catalog.
Coachwork is in Rosso Corsa with contrasting beige upholstery, making this a particularly handsome example of Pininfarina's classic Ferrari-engined spyder.
SCM Analysis
Detailing
| Vehicle: | 1967 Fiat Dino |
SN 188 was offered at the Coys 13 June [1996] auction in London and sold at $23,395. While the market appeal of the controversially-styled coupe will always be a question mark, the beautifully-proportioned lines of the spyder insure a continuing, if small, marketplace.
The most desirable spyders are the later models with the 2.4-liter engine and independent rear suspension, but they are difficult to find in the U.S., never being officially imported.
The price paid was at the top of the market we have experienced. While they will never be a first-tier exotic, their values should increase along with the market. – ED.