I just picked up a 1999 360 Modena and have started the long walk into obsession! I have spent the past few weeks learning as much as I can about Ferrari's History, design and car line-up. What a history! Half the beauty of these cars is the passion and history you feel with everyone single one of them. On my journey I came upon a photo of a Dino 246GT, and WOW! Instantly in love... This is the most beautiful car I have ever seen, from any manufacturer, past or present! I am now trying to learn as much as I can about the Dino series and the 246 specifically. Internet searches are a no brainer. But does anyone know a good web site to really learn about the Dino? Also, does anyone know of a good book focused on the Dino 206 and 246 with tons of photos for me to drool over? Finally, is there a place to go that is considered the most reliable source when the time comes for me to buy into the Dino club? Thanks guys! -Matt
So what's the average price of admission? And is that number on the rise or coming down? With a recently acquired 360 in the garage, my wife would add a hyphenated 2 letter prefix to her current title if I came home with another Ferrari!! -Matt
This is impossible to answer without knowing what quality of car you are looking for. If you want a concours winner it will be WAY more than a nice, clean driver. I'm sure people who follow the market will answer too, but my perception is that nice but not perfect Dinos are in the 120-160K range in general, the higher ones being the GTS. Every so often you hear of someone who gets a great deal or pays big money at an auction, but those do not define the market. I think prices for collector cars of this type are stable and will rise as the world economy improves. Prices went crazy high then crashed, like they did in the 90's, and are pretty steady now. One thing that most people would agree on is that a Dino is an investment while a 360 is sure to continue to depreciate. The main reason is that the Dino and Daytona era cars were the last ones Enzo was directly involved in before he sold the street car division to Fiat and they were hand made. For books, I like Ferrari Dino, The Complete Story by Anthony Curtis and the Brooklands Books road test collection Ferrari Dino 1965-1974 Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks! It's a little blurry because it was taken with a film camera (remember those?) and scanned. Jim
I took my car for a drive this last Sunday and remember thinking, "What more could anyone want in a sportscar?"-- No power steering, no electronic nannies-- you can feel the car change attitude in the corner as you add and remove power, the wonderful sound of the engine, the breathtaking looks. Matt- this is what they sound like from inside. The sound does turn to a scream around the redline, but actually I like that growling sound heard a bit lower, as in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9qCDN1GKtc Jim
We have one member here who did the exact opposite of you; sold his Dino to Urotrashy so he could buy a 360. The best Dino website is the Official Denny Schue/Matthias Dino Register. Scroll down on the inside frame over half way down and you'll see some great facts about the different variations of the modern road cars. This website really has it all! http://www.dinoregister.com/production.php Welcome to Dino Land
Thanks for all the info! I don't need a showstopper, but I do want a jawdropper. A nice driver to enjoy. Does it end up costing less or more to buy something that needs a lot of work and reconditioning vs buying something already reconditioned? Besides the obvious advantage of doing it exactly the way you want if your doing the work.... I would try to keep the 360 and slowly save for the Dino as long as my boss would let me. -Matt
Wise words. Matt. Do your homework and ask lots of questions. You will get great replies as you are in Dino land. Do get a PPI on any car you intend to get serious about. Good hunting! Regards, Alberto
Unless you can do professional quality work yourself you are better off buying a car in the condition you desire. You will always end up paying more if you buy a sad looking or poorly driving car then have to pay someone by the hour to make it nice / repair it. Also, it may end up costing WAY more than you estimate if the dull paint is hiding bondo and rust or the not so great brakes require all new parts all around, etc. Any Dino with shiny paint and clean interior and engine bay will be a jaw-dropper-- that's the design.
Dr.Matt, You also should start reading thru the threads in the subsection here called Corbani's Corner. John Corbani (sadly deceased) wrote many excellent technical threads and "how to"s there. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=189
WEll, not exactly. I sold the Dino becuase I no longer loved it like I once had, and Dean clearly would love it forever. Now if I could have just worked the same deal with him for my ex wife. I had no intention of buying a 360 when I sold the dino. 100% true. And it has a great listing of articles and books to read, too. Some are out of print, but almost all can eventually be grabbed on ebay or at alibris.com You sure did!!! DM
Spirit of Enzo: Uro, will you take Dino for better or worse, in mechanical disrepair or tuned, whether you are richer or poorer, until death do you part? Me: I do.
You guys suck! I just found 12 new screen savers!!! I'm amazed! I always thought my dream Ferrari was a 512TR. Had a poster on my wall when I was 8. And I'm sure i have seen images of a Dino before thinking it was a 308 variant. But since my 360 (which I love) and learning more, I am blown away by the perfect lines of the 246! Its like looking at a perfect female body. Almost erotic curves! The ideal shape to catch the eye. Take the best designs from Lamborghini, Aston, Porsche and Ferrari and you'll get the 246. Nothing since then has got it quite right, although the 458 comes the closest yet. It's a steep price if I also want to keep my 360. And my RS4 daily driver will be replaced by a Lotus Evora S once the kids are all out of car seats. But I'll start saving... I'm young, so I'm gonna plan on getting this for myself for my 50th! That gives me time to save. In the meantime, gonna read and learn. But I can't afford a divorce and a 246! -Matt
Just got confirmation from Amazon: Dino by Doug Nye, Ferrari Dino: The Complete Story by Anthony Curtis and Fiat Dino - Road Test Portfolio by R.M. Clarke are on the way! -Matt PS - so far I seam to be drawn to Rosso Chiaro, Nero and the silver in the image above (Argento Auteil I think). I love the Fly Yellow but my 360 is that color, and I gotta do something different! There is also a spectacular midnight metallic blue (bleu sera metallizzato). Probably go with the Rosso when the time comes.
"Nothing since then has got it quite right, although the 458 comes the closest yet." 458 is the next most beautiful since the Dino........you still have a lot to learn young lad! Just my opinion but let me give you some clues.....308 GTB, 288 GTO, and F355. Don't even bother to ask what came before Dinos! I still haven't gotten used that there 458 Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think they are all beautiful. In fact, I happen to think my 360 is one of the nicest they made (that's why i bought it). But I think that the lines became much more aggressive and masculine starting with the 308, more angular and less soft. They started coming back around to softer lines with the 360, and the 458 really takes it back to a softer, more feminine line. I like the 458 a lot. I wouldn't throw any of them out of my garage!!! Except for a quick romp around the parkway... -Matt
In the 1970s, around the time when Dino production ceased, two design trends emerged as a result of changing US safety laws. These were the adoption of shock-absorbing bumpers and the fitting of retractable headlights. The bumpers had to meet uniform height requirements designed to lessen the disparity between the bumper heights of variously-sized vehicles. Hidden headlights were utilized to allow a gradual downward slope of automobile fenders toward the larger "safety" front bumper, somewhat disguising its greater bulk. These safety bumpers first appeared on a Ferrari with US introduction of the Dino 308 GT/4 2+2 coupe. The later 308 GTB and GTS had similar, though smaller, black rubber bumpers. Later US GT/4 models had somewhat smaller "safety" bumpers. The loss of the exposed headlight deprived Ferrari of a stylistic element (the recessed headlight in a fender scoop covered by a clear plastic fairing) that dated back to the fifties, and cars such as the 250 Testa Rossa, the 250 GT California Spyder, and various Super America and Super Fast models. All US 246 Dinos were sold without covered headlights, as such coverings were prohibited by DOT regulations. With the 360 and 430 models, produced under new and more sensible US lighting regulations, something akin to the old covered headlights appeared. A renewed sense of power and grace was evident on all new Ferrari models. The new lights, coupled with "hidden" bumpers covered by deformable covers, restored a beauty and aggression unfortunately diluted by the early safety regulations. No one era has a monopoly on good design, but current regulatory requirements (including the need for crumple zones, side door impact beams, etc.) make it quite clear that a car with the diminutive size and extreme beauty of the 206/246 Dinos will likely never be seen again.
After submitting the above post, I looked at its number. It struck me as ironic that it is #666, the "Sign of the Beast," which denotes the exact opposite of the Dino! Fred
That was awesome Fred! Thank you... "the diminutive size and extreme beauty of the 206/246 Dinos will likely never be seen again." - I guess you must be right. Even Lotus, who represent the pinnacle of light and small, is moving away from it's tiny version of the Elise/Exige towards a slightly larger and more substantial newer Elise (coming out in 2015). Keep in Mind that before I was an owner and learned of the 246GT, the 512TR was my ultimate dream Ferrari... -Matt
