Any Imperfection in the Dino Form?

Clearly, those six openings are not a very elegant solution – hot air exits or not. Yes, I think they could in fact be considered as a minor flaw in an otherwise totally successful design. By the way, did you know why there are six of them and not any other number? Not that anybody ever asked that question, but at the 1994 FCA Annual Meet in Monterey, Sergio Pininfarina himself was visiting and volunteered the answer: He said they had debated the number of openings, but settled on the number six because the Dino is a six cylinder car. And, no, I am not making that up.

 

Never heard this before. Very good story!!!

 

Hello Lars,

as far as I know this option was only possible to order with Maranello Concessionaires in GB. It seems to be the head light covers were fitted from that dealership and not in the factory. You were also able to order Ferrari Labels, also fitted by Concessionaires.
They did everything clients ask for ;-)

Regards Matthias

 

Of course not.
For me in regards which is "original" (and this is the meaning of the FIVA technical code too)
there is no difference between the factory and the country specific distributor.
Both did any modufication BEFORE the customer gets the car.
I have bills from new Dino 246 delivered with the headlight covers, so for me it is "original". If someone would say that is not original, then any mirror is original ;-)
Regards Nicolai

 

Uro is correct.

the vent air enters through the radiator, circulates past the engine, loops back past the radiator and finally enters the cabin at a pleasant 140 degrees.

Wonderful if you're considering a drive, TODAY, but not so swell in July or August.

In fact, doesn't the cabin air enter through the small openings under the front bumper? The ones that are sometimes round and sometimes oval?

Unless I miss my guess, the front louvers are more cosmetic than anything else. They reside past the foam strip that is supposed to isolate the radiator from the rest of the front compartment, so all they do if funnel some air into the front boot.

As to form, Dino, Jaguar XKE, and a couple others are unrivaled for looks. I too dislike the flairs on the Dino, they spoil the arches of the wheel wells, I also think the GT is a better looking car than the GTS, although in July/Aug that pop out roof would be delightful.

Uro, you're a lucky man having such a beautiful car.

I'd add, that the 360 takes many styling cues from the Dino, and is, in my opinion, the best looking of the modern Ferraris, the 430 being a bit over the top. When the 458 arrives, will see if that STILL holds true.

DM

 

Matthias:

I believe that you are correct. However, I should point out that Maranello Concessionaires, although they did have a dealership in Surrey, were the exclusive importers for Ferrari in the UK. For example, my father purchased our Dino from H.R. Owen in London, but it came through Maranello Concessionaires. Therefore, anyone purchasing a Dino in the UK could have ordered the headlight fairings. I clearly recall that although my father liked the look of the covers, the engineer in him didn't care for the attachment method.

Dan

 

No, I don't think so. The louvers are located in the area in front of the wall separating the boot from the radiator area. The air enters through the radiator, then curves along both sides of the front boot and exits through the louvers. Without them, air flow through the radiator would be severely restricted. There would be no place for the hot air to exit. They are probably a necessary evil, definitely not a cosmetic addition.
The foam strip on top of the radiator is there to force the air through the radiator instead of passing over it (less resistance) and out the louvers, without providing any cooling.

As always, these are just my own conclusions, but the thinking behind this layout is quite obvious when you look inside the front compartment.
Lars

 

Yes, Much as i like the clean "completeness" looks that the covers offer, i too would not bring myself to drill into the wings to fit the bracketery required......Horror of Horrors!
G P

 

I 100% agree Dan, regards Matthias

 

E-Type series 1 OTS.

Jack.

 

I second that. D-type and E-type!

 

Matthias, attached are copies of the Maranello concessionaires sales brochure showing the headlamp and badge bar opional extras. I zoomed in on the photo and it also shows both options. I understand from various conversations that the prancing horse to the left of the number plate and FERRARI badge above the number plate was an option from the UK dealers but not factory. However, I have not seen written evidence of these dealer options.

With ragards to the intitial thread question, I cannot find an obvious weakness in the visual design, which I guess is why i ended up buying one. Of course any comment is a purely personnel view. I don't like the badge bar option, it is too fussy. I do like the head lamp covers they emphasise the natural fall of the wing and hint at a racing pedigree. I do prefer the GT to the GTS as the GTS butress removes the elegance of that fantastic rear windscreen. I agonised over the latter vs a targa top and nearly bought a GTS, but stuck to the search for a GT and glad I did. Perhaps of all the angles I less favour, it is the front from say 5m at head height. There is an element of a boat or dare I say it a frog! My favorite angle is from the side/rear at low level. The cam tail and rear haunches are simple superb and more eligant than that of a Miura. Very difficult to fault the design of the Dino, a view that is often expressed by obserevers, but then again we all know that.

Kevin
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Do you have this part?
OMGjon's restoration shows it as the critical part in blocking heat from entering the cabin through the pedal footwells.
http://www.dinorestoration.com/4946/pictures/disassembly/gallery/64.jpg
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I don't know, Enzo sure felt the car was more than a "little" less than perfect.

 

great Kevin, many thanks.
Does no car taxes proves, that these options were fitted in the UK and not factory exported?
;-)
Regards Matthias

 

No it doesnt. Car tax applied to everything regardless who fitted it.

These options were fitted in the factory if ordered with the cars build. Why would they fit standard seats/ wheels and then rip them out in the UK.

Tony

 

I wouldnt say it was a critical component Scott.mac. Necessary but hardly effective

 

But no car taxes applied on headlamp covers and nose bar, but on all other options according to Maranello Concessionaires price list ?!
So it seems logical there is a difference.
Tony, seats, standard or Daytona were certainly fitted at the factory.
Regards Matthias

 

Hi Nicolai,

In my view, and regardless of FIVA codes, a dealer installed òption does not fit in the same category as an option provided by the factory.

If that were the case, you could call the Ferrari badges "original", because Maranello Concessionaires provided them to their customers "before they got the car", if they felt too insecure to be seen in a mere Dino. We know that the badges are most definitely NOT original.

If the South African (or Danish, or American, or whatever) distributor had decided to optionally offer Dinos with a wooden Nardi instead of a Momo steering wheel, that would not make Nardis steering wheels original to the Dino; they would just be a non-original option offered by one specific dealer.

Whether you like them or not, in my opinion headlight covers and Ferrari badges are not original, because they were only available at one specific dealer and never left the factory with them.

I do believe (not sure) that the front badge bar could be installed at the factory. That's why I left it on my Dino (it was original) whereas I removed it on my GTC (it was dealer installed).

Cheers,

Julio

 

Yes, they are beautiful!

But...

More beautiful than a Lusso? Than a California LWB? Than an E type Series I?

I don`t know...

 

Here's an interesting observation: MC's headlamp covers seem to have a straight profile when viewed from the side. The prototype's covers bulge out to follow the profile of the fender. MC's version would certainly be simpler to make and fit.

 

The reason why some Dino headlight covers have a straight profile from the side is that they were improperly cut. The correct procedure is to cut from top, bottom and sides in small increments, so as to get the best possible contours all the way around the covers. Bob Z. did this on my red Dino, taking a total of seven hours to trim the two covers. He and I agree that the final result was worth the time and painstaking labor. Fred

 

Yes, yes and yes,

 

Fred, do you have in close up pics of the covers and brackets?

 

pictures sometimes say more than words

In regards to the most beautifull Car:
As I remember the Dino won a some years ago (2006 ?) a survey
only amoung Ferrari Owners (Ownerssite) against all other Ferrari.
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