The return of the Dino? | Page 3 | FerrariChat

The return of the Dino?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by WJHMH, Jun 27, 2004.

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?

Should Ferrari reintroduce the Dino?

  1. Yes!

  2. No!

Multiple votes are allowed.
Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Steve B

    Steve B Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    521
    Naperville
    Full Name:
    Steven L. Biagini
    Ferrari will not produce a "mass market" sports car, which is what a $50K car would become in today's market. Ferrari has neither the production capacity nor the desire to compete in this very competitive segment when it can earn a nice profit in the exclusive upper bracket segment it has chosen.
     
  2. Mojo

    Mojo Formula 3

    Sep 24, 2002
    1,293
    Washington St.
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    Joseph
    Ferrari should mass market a SUV and a 4 door economy car, 4 cyl. 40mpg
    they should make them all red and put shields on them, maybe around $12k
    Shape the SUV like the kia sport and the car like the honda civic.
     
  3. Ira Schwartz

    Ira Schwartz Formula 3
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    May 20, 2003
    1,961
    Brooklandville, MD
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    Ira Schwartz
    #53 Ira Schwartz, Dec 14, 2004
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    In order to maintain the relative pricing between, say, a late 246 GTS and a Daytona, a "new" Dino would be priced more like $120K. That's a tough market segment, but if the car were as beautiful as the original Dino (read, much prettier than any current Ferrari), who knows? My old flared-fender GTS (#05828) was easily the best-looking car I've ever owned. Small and light-weight, now that's the ticket . . .
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  4. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

    Dec 14, 2003
    2,307
    The Borough, NJ
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    Jason Kobies
    Luca has steadfastly insisted they will not make a new Dino, that is to say a car priced below the current Dino line. It will dilute the brand.

    Ferraris are expensive because of their high R&D costs and low volume production. Just to break even on a new car priced below $100,000, Ferrari would need to make far more of them than any of us would ever want to see.

    Additionally, cheaper reads slower, and with the horsepower game that is going on these days, it would stand to further dilute the brand. Do any of us really want to see a new Ferrari model that stuggles to keep up with a 350z?

    Ferraris are fast, expensive, exclusive.... remember: "one less than they can actually sell." It should stay that way.
     
  5. jimangle

    jimangle F1 Rookie

    Nov 5, 2003
    2,501
    Haverford
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    James
    Instead of a 6. How about a 3 litre 12 that revs to 10k.
     
  6. enjoythemusic

    enjoythemusic F1 World Champ

    Apr 20, 2002
    10,676
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    Steven
    Birdman, fully agree but the 'cheap' Ferrari is indeed the Maserati. For cheap thrills forget Italy and get the Lotus :)
     
  7. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
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    THE Birdman
    I respect all your opinions, but I will bet that Maserati would be insulted to be called the "cheap Ferrari"! I don't think they have any aspirations to be the cheap Ferrari. They are a brand all of their own, priced below Ferrari, but only because they probably can't sell cars at that level. If they could, they would.

    Alfa is a great Italian brand, but they are not Ferrari and I'm not interested in a $100K Alfa and I doubt very many peole are. There was a time when Ferrari thought it was a good idea to have a Dino line of cars like (I hesistate to use this analogy) the Scion line from Toyota. I guess these days now that they are building cars as fast as they can, and every single one, no matter how expensive, is sold before it is built, they don't need to. But my POINT is that as the "low end" from Ferrari climbs to 500 HP and $200K, as well as north of 3200 pounds, the thing that many people loved the Dino line for is gone (lightweight, zippy cars like the modern Lotus Elise). Of course I could buy a Lotus (funny looking though it is) but it would be cooler if Ferrari made a 2,500 pound, 250 HP nimble little car for $100K. (Makes no difference to me, I couldn't afford that one either until it was 10 years old and 1/4 the price!)

    Birdman
     
  8. Mojo

    Mojo Formula 3

    Sep 24, 2002
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    Washington St.
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    Joseph
    I did the math online and $100,000 now is equal to $28,400 in 1975.
    Is that what a Dino cost in 1975?
     
  9. rob

    rob F1 Rookie

    May 22, 2002
    4,130
    Vt
    The closest price info. I have is on a 1977 308 GTB which was
    West coast : $29,525
    East coast $28,500
     
  10. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    Have to agree with the others; as much as I would like Ferrari to pursue the "dino" concept, the idea of a "volume" car is not the direction they are going...nor is a "lower priced" model a direction they are going. As others said, the Maserati Coupe is supposed to fill this void, though it does not seem to be hitting the sales figures they would like.
     
  11. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

    Jul 6, 2004
    2,274
    Bangkok, Thailand
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    Patpong Thanavisuth
    I read it somewhere that they are coming out with the Elise version of the new Ferrari. They will surprise us all...
    They should, if they realize that a good fun driving we don't need a 1300 kg car, just big enough to get us in and go...
     
  12. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
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    THE Birdman
    Knowing that my opinion is worth nothing to Ferrari, the point of this thread is just to poll people to see if they think it would be a good thing for Ferrari to do. I'm asking anyone to predict if it will happen. I think I know the answer to that!

    Birdman
     
  13. jaturon

    jaturon Formula 3

    Oct 25, 2004
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    Zane
    Couldn't agree more.
     
  14. boxerman

    boxerman F1 World Champ
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    May 27, 2004
    18,660
    FL
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    Sean
    Going with the flow, if lotus can make money on the elise how much more expensive does a ferrari have to be.

    Lets examine whats needed, taking the elise concept to the next level, we need a really fast car legaly drivable to the trasck and then home, something for sunday mornings. In other words the ultimate fun car without too many bells and whistles. Think elise with real ferrari engine like that from a 355. Lets say 50k for the motor and 20k for the body. if these cars cost 120 at a dealer profit is probably good. The real problem for ferrari is a 2200lb car with a 355 motor is going to blow away everything they make up to 160, especialy on a track.

    Should ferrari build such a car, well it is in their dna, a modern interpretation of the 166 barachetta through 250swb concept.

    Think of the future non poseur owner. To really enjoy your car the track is going to become more acessable and more relevant. Something for track days and weekend blasts, forget stereo, leather, ac,electronic shocks egear etc.

    Such a vehicle does not dilute the brand anymore than a 166 barachetta does or a 250tr these are rudimentary cars with exceptional emotion and performance too. Ferrari is all about performance and this is a new untapped niche where ferrari would simply be the best. For what I need it would certainly be ideal. Light beautiful emotional the best performance, no dilution of the brand an enhancement of all that is good. And if theyre worrying about dilution call it a dino.
     
  15. jaturon

    jaturon Formula 3

    Oct 25, 2004
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    Zane
    Dino is a great looking car which is one of my favourites so if there would be a revival then it is great but it should not be the issue of entry level Ferrari.
    Dino is exceptional, good looking, radical when it was first launched.
     
  16. millemiglia

    millemiglia Formula Junior

    Jan 14, 2003
    925
    Stockholm, Sweden
    Full Name:
    Peter B.
    IIRC, the original Dino (206/246) was *not* a Ferrari, it was a brand in itself!
    It wasn't until the 308 GT4(?) that they put the dino badge on a Ferrari.

    If they would recover the Dino brand it wouldn't dilute the Ferrari brand even if they would sell for much less.

    I'm not sure if it would be a good idea though...

    /Peter
     
  17. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
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    THE Birdman
    Boxerman,
    Well put, I agree 100%.

    Absolutely true, but it was made by Ferrari (except for the engine) and everyone knew it. The engine was built by Fiat to a Ferrari design.

    Birdman
     
  18. 1975gt4don

    1975gt4don Formula Junior

    Nov 5, 2003
    665
    Peoples Rep of CA
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    Smog Exempt
    good heavens.

     
  19. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    246GT/S in 74 was a $16K+- car.

    First ones to the US were a hair under $15K east coast. West coast was a little more.
     
  20. BERTONE

    BERTONE Formula Junior

    Aug 20, 2004
    662
    THE NORTH
    Full Name:
    ENZO
    You been drinking?????
     
  21. Ira Schwartz

    Ira Schwartz Formula 3
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    May 20, 2003
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    Ira Schwartz
    Actually, '74 was the last year for the 246. List on a loaded GTS in the US (a/c, p/w, Daytona seats. flared fenders/Campy wheels) was a bit over $17K, although Ferraris (even Daytonas) were available at a discount back then- those were the days!
     
  22. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 4, 2004
    39,601
    Texas
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    David
    Ferrari has tweeked the Supply/Demand formula better than anyone else. Sure it would be nice to have such a car, but because they havent done it means there is a reason.
     
  23. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 3, 2002
    6,370
    Toronto / SoCal
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    Rob C.
    Yes they should provided that it is branded 'Dino' exclusivley . I hate seeing Dino's with horses and Ferrari badges on them.
     
  24. McNab

    McNab Rookie

    Dec 8, 2004
    10
    Scotland
    Full Name:
    Ian Stewart
    The problem was that no-one would buy them without a Prancing Horse on the tail and a Ferrari centre button on the steering wheel, and I think exactly the same would apply today.

    Apart from the engine the entire car was made 'in house', and the reason for farming out the engines to Fiat was lack of engine manufacturing capacity. Ferrari needed to produce 500 Dino V6 engines for homologation purposes under the new Formula 2 rules, and that was the solution. Ironically the Fiat Dino was later assembled by Ferrari for Fiat!

    Ferrari intented to establish a separate marque with the Dino, and the idea was to beat Porsche at their own game, but it didn't work out. I can't speak for America or Canada, but in Europe the Dino customer knew his car was made by Ferrari, and he insisted on having the badges - and he got them. The same applied to the Dino 308 GT 2+2. It became a Ferrari very quickly indeed!

    The only solution I can think of would be to use Lancia as the producer of a revitalised Dino. Their Stratos was brilliant, and a modern version would be a stunning track car/sports car, without devaluing the prestige of Ferrari.

    With so many marques to play with it's easy to see how Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa, Fiat and a specialist Lancia could comfortably fit into a logical hierarchy.

    Or maybe I'm wrong (again)!
     
  25. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    ira, i think you would agree that a car to replace the dino would be a lost cause. similar to the name stradale that the alfa tipo 33 had and will be forever known as...neither the the 360 or any attempt to replace the dino could compare to the great shapes of the past.
     

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