Uh oh...I have a BAD feeling about this!!! LOL I bet it's an old picture. There are SO few nice Europas left and we keep really good care of them. Still, accidents do happen. Ken
First mid-engined road going Ferrari. Yes, Ferrari. Check the mfgr. plate. This debate is a dead issue. Dual overhead motor homologated for F-2 racing. Brilliantly styled by one of the world's best, if not THE best, designer. Hand made and assembled by Scaglietti. Smooth as honey gated shifter. Purposeful, elegant interior executed on par with big brother Daytona. A view from the windshield second to none. An unforgettable sound from over your shoulder. Nimble, precise and perfectly balanced. The title of this thread should be forever banished.
Using the Pinto as a comparison only makes sense if the Dino were prone to explode in low- to moderate-speed rear impact collisions, as the 1970-72 Pintos especially were. I wrote a book about the Ford Pinto called "Reckless Homicide," which chronicles the landmark court case in which Ford was criminally charged in the fiery deaths of three teenagers in a Pinto. Ford was acquitted, primarily, in my opinion, because the car was a 1973 Pinto and much of the evidence against the car came from earlier models and was therefore inadmissible as evidence.
here you go, Ken. We bought this beauty from the insurance company in '76. (We had another twin-cam and created a single nuts-and-bolts restored one from the two). You are correct that the most typical Lotus Europa fires were from the plastic T connection where the line from the fuel pump split to the two carbs. This particular fire happened when a longshoreman in Norfolk, VA was extremely sloppy in fueling the car before driving it onto a ship that was going to take it to Japan. The other longshoreman in the driver's seat rolled out in time! There was a guy in Texas (Avante, TX?) who kept the Europa register and was like the Tom Shaughnessey of the Europa world who had about 2 dozen pics of toasted Euorpas. Image Unavailable, Please Login
DINO = One of the most beautiful Ferraris ever constructed. PINTO = One of the most ____________ Fords ever constructed. ( Insert your own adjective )
syncro, you should choose your topics with greater care in the future. While you may have found someone elses comments entertaining you had no idea that this would be taken to the extent it has. You have a 246 right? Be proud and bring its best attributes to bear and dispose of any naysayers from the getgo.
At least by 1972 the Ferrari was calling them "Ferrari cars" albeit "smaller" in the brochure. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hmz... now reading the other languages than just the English, its remarkable that the English section talks about "the smaller Ferrari cars" while the Italian and French version talk about (freely translated) "Ferrari built in small series". Wasn't the Dino exactly the opposite and one of the best selling Ferraris of its days?
Wow! Yes, in Europaland we all are warned over and over about the plastic T's and fuel line. Actually there are 2 T's; the other is in the line joining the gas tanks. It's plastic too. I think anyone with a vintage car should replace all the fuel line as a matter of course. Lots of cars had it made from something that reacts with modern gas and causes it to eventually crack, although most vintage Ferrari fires seem to be from either one ignition system quitting or the filler neck leaking. At least they are the two leading causes as reported here. Ken
To be more accurate, only the 2.4 series Fiat Dinos were built in the new Ferrari building alongside the 246 Dinos. The 2.0 Fiats were assembled at the Fiat plant (and I assume the 206 were done at the regular older Ferrari factory). As for the Fiat Dino Coupe, it's body was by Bertone, not Pininfarina. The build quality of the fiat coupes (body, interior, etc.) is much better than the Pininfarina spiders though most prefer the look of the spider. I kind of like the big Bertone fast back styling though. A classic GT design if you ask me. I'd rather have one than any American muscle car.
Didn't know that. I've heard horror stories about parts scarcity for both, probably worse for the coupes? I personally prefer another bertone beauty, the 2300. So when are they going to put a Ferrari "Dino" V-8 in a Fiat or Lancia or Maser or all of the above??!! That'd be one cool pinto
Agreed! Here's the 1969 brochure, reading "Tiny, brilliant, safe... almost a Ferrari" Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ferrari 206GT, 246GT and GTS bodies were built at Scaglietti(but designed at Pininfarina) and were assembled at a special building at Ferrari, Fiat Dino Coupes were designed built and assembled at Bertone and Fiat Dino Spyders were designed and assembled at Pininfarina. Freeman
almost 20 years ago, it was called a Lancia Thema 8.32 and had a detuned 3x8 motor, cool car, unfortunatley not much quicker than the thema turbo.....which was far cheaper (if you liked cars that halved in value every time you drove them )
Did the brochure "kill" the debate over who's to blame for some people not thinking of the Dino as a "true" Ferrari?
Ferrari's official survey of "The most beautiful Ferrari of all time" where the 206GT/246GT won by a large margin on their owner's site; www.ownersferrari.com, acknowledges the Dino as a "Ferrari Dino". So apparently it has matured into an official "Ferrari". Freeman
I love the lines on the dino.It has really stood the test of time over a 308. Both beautiful but the dino is has much more class. My wife would love to have one. Its the perfect vintage sports car for a woman.
I'm sorry but this is incorrect according to the published literature on the Dinos (mike morris, doug nye, etc.). Like I said before, the 2000 series Fiat Dinos were assembled at the Fiat factory but by the time the 2.4 series came out the new building at Ferrari had been built and 2400 fiat dinos (both spider and coupe) were assembled next to the 246 there. The books have photos that confirm this. The bodies themselves were indeed built by Pininfarina or Bertone but then the cars went back to Fiat (fiat 2000) or Ferrari (206, 246 and fiat 2400) for assembly.
You could be correct on the Fiat Dinos. I have never seen pictures of 206GT's or 246GT's being built/assembled next to Fiat Dino's or 2400's. I would love to see images if any one has them. Freeman
