2,419cc DOHC V6 Engine
3 Weber Carburetors
195bhp at 7,500rpm
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*Originally delivered to sculptor Umberto Mastroianni
*Present ownership for 14 years
*Great driver's model
*Practical and fast tour car

THE FERRARI DINO 246

Introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1967, the all-new Dino 206GT was initiated due to the need of a Formula 2 power plant for Ferrari's racing program. A mid-engined layout with a compact, aluminum coupe body was chosen, and styled by legendary Pininfarina. The two-liter, 180bhp motor was good enough to propel the Dino to 142mph, and while there were few complaints about the car's performance, the high cost mandated 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 7,500rpm - 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..." The Dino, thus, was and remains truly a driver's car par excellence.

As the first series-produced, mid-engined Ferraris, the early Dino V6s are landmark cars. The line they founded would prove to be an immense commercial success for Maranello, production amounting to 2,487 GT coupes and 1,274 GTS spiders by the time the model was deleted in June of 1974.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The 246 GT Spider offered here arrived in the Oldenburg Collection in 2006. According to a Marcel Massini report on file, 07658 was completed on January 9, 1974, as such being one of the very last to have been sold. It was originally finished in the rich Rosso Bordeaux colorway, and had a black 'skai'/vinyl interior. As new it is understood to have been delivered through Italcar SpA in Turin to its first owner Umberto Mastroianni. This is quite possibly the famed Italian sculptor, who was known to have had a passion for these cars, and on his death in 1998 obituaries state "in moments of creative tension he would jump into his beloved Ferrari Dino and tear around the Castelli!" Mastroianni came from a noted artistic family and his uncle was the actor Marcello.

Some of this early history is supported by its Libretto (road registration document) on file. By 1978, the car had migrated to North America where we believe that it has resided ever since, first in Maryland, then by the mid-1980s it was with a Pennsylvania collector.

The Ferrari was purchased for the family through Symbolic Motors, and as reported then had undergone a bare metal respray in the early 2000s. In a similar period, the black upholstery had also been renewed to the correct patterns.

It is a car that has always been enjoyed by the Oldenburgs such that it has remained in stable beyond two refinements of their garages! While with them they have entrusted some of their maintenance to one of the nation's most renowned firms, Motion Products, who happen to be relatively close by to their Wisconsin base. This has included clutch and gearbox work, coolant system and attention to the electric/alternator/charging circuit.

Today the GTS presents cleanly, and the interior shows little age considering the time elapsed since its refurbishment. As the market sits today, in our opinion they represent terrific value, particularly relative to any brand new 'Prancing Horse', for their balance of drivability and looks as they make great and comfortable touring cars.