End of an Era – the Dino and Italia

This last March, I placed an order for a 458 Italia. The Italia was the first of the post “Enzo-Era” Ferraris whose styling appealed to me, perhaps because the Italia’s styling was evocative of those earlier Ferraris.

Sheehan ends the collectible Ferrari period, which he calls the “Enzo Era,” in 1972, with of course our Dinos marking the end of that era. 1972 is actually a milestone year in the automotive world. The last of the small-bumper 911s were produced then, the model conforming within a year, as with most brands, with the U.S.’s new safety standards. The 1973 gas-crisis and the clean-air requirements that kicked in in 1974 heralded new sensitivities, and cars evolved very quickly. Their shapes changed dramatically too, illustrated by the startling difference between the Dino and the Stratos.

The Fiat and Montezemolo Eras followed the Enzo Era, according to Sheehan’s history. He did not expect of course that Montezemolo would leave by October 2014, ending that last era. With the planned spin-off of Ferrari by Fiat and the anticipated smaller-displacement, turbocharged motors for the new models, 2014 appears a milestone year for Ferrari.

Ferrari posts production-line photos in a webpage private to each owner, with captions that say “here is your Ferrari about to be painted,” etc. In September (coincidentally on my birthday), Ferrari emailed, notifying me of this photo of “my” Italia at the end of production, about to be tested.

I did not know of course that Montezemolo would be gone by the following month and that normally-aspirated models would probably be absent from next year’s model line. It may be that my Italia will share more than just the curves of the Dino in that it is likely to be the last of an era, too.
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"Small bumper" 911s were through 1973. And some cars continued it further...Alfa Spider and MGBs had "small bumpers" through 1974. There were others too.

Overall though, I agree with and like your "our place in history" post.

 

Thanks, Brian. Most of the 911 models that spilled over to 1973, such as the "1973 RS," actually began production in 1972, I think. But, yes, the boundaries aren't clear lines. You're right I believe about the Spiders and the MGBs.

Best,

Andres

 

Congratulations on a beautiful Italia, Andres. Your collection is a veritable compendium of milestone Italian sports cars! I don't normally think about trading a car right after I've purchased it, as many exotic car buyers do, and frankly, I think that my 458 Spider will satisfy my needs for the forseeable future. Have a wonderful Christmas, and a safe, healthy, happy and prosperous 2015. Best regards, Fred

 

Congratulations! Its great that you see all the history here. I agree its likely we will look back on 2014 as a milestone year for Ferrari.

 

Thanks, Fred. I'm glad we have the same two cars. Yes, I hope also to be able to keep the Italia for a long time. It makes quite a change from the Dino, a pleasant one which makes driving the older car so refreshing in its simplicity and directness.

I wonder what the new era will be like, Caeruleus, and what it will be called. Since Fiat's shareholdings in Ferrari will be uplifted to its shareholders, perhaps it will be the Agnelli Era, who stand to be the largest eventual shareholder.

Best,

Andres

 

Here is a photo of the Dino with the Italia the day when I picked up the new car from the dealer. It is sitting in the Italia, with the front wheel arches visible, that reminds me of the Dino. The rear flanks are quite different, but they share the same fluidity of design.

Happy holidays, too, Fred, all.

Andres
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What always gets me is that the 458, considered small by modern standards, seems so much bigger than the Dino. Is that actually the case?

 

Congrats on a very beautiful 458, as always your taste remains impecable.

 

The 458 is wider by 9.1 inches (237mm), taller by 2.2 inches (78mm) and longer by 12.5 inches (292mm). I took this photo before I sold my 458 spider and it partially helps to show the difference.
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Many thanks, Pedro.

Yes, the 458 is a large car, as with almost all the new sports cars. Even the 1990s Testa Rossa, which I considered huge when it first appeared, looks small, parked next to a modern Ferrari. The same is true of the 911s; the current model is huge.

Our Dinos are exquisite in comparison.

Andres

 

I also wonder what this new era will be called and what it will be characterized by. We will just have to wait and see. I am a little concerned but thats simply borne out of uncertainty. Its a new era, new motor etc. I think there could me some missteps. Short term if I am a competitor I am excited about this opportunity. Long term, I expect Ferrari will be just fine.

 

The reason the concept of eras is fresh in my mind is that I gave a talk on the meaning of "vintage" and similar terms for the local sports car club, to help support the definitions it has had to adopt for historic racing, concours, and similar events.

Here is a slide I used on Sheehan's three eras; Sheehan begins the Fiat Era begins with the 308 GT4, whose manufacture commenced in 1973.
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Our own forum's definition of "vintage" draws a cut-off with a model whose manufacture ended in 1972.
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They may have changed the rules already, but Concorso Italiano defined the end of "Classic Ferraris" with our Dinos.
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Why did you sell the 458?
I hear they are wonderful to drive

 

I've had three - two Italias and one spider. They are great cars but weren't keepers for me. I replaced the spider with an F50.

 

Ask a silly question ...

 

Wow, Iain, three 458s! Did you consider the Speciale? And wow, an F50!

I hope to keep my Italia a long time. It will depreciate incredibly, and I figure that until I sell it that will just be a paper loss. It may take me that long, too, to understand all the controls.

I quite like Ferrari’s production line updates; they sent me this photo, with a note that “your” Ferrari is just about to be painted. At this point, as the photo is taken automatically by some robot, so the angles are the same, the car (and photo) is indistinguishable from the other cars on the line.

Andres
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Excellent replacement choice.

 

Here is the 458 after painting. The color I chose, Giallo Modena with black top, is now on, so it is clearly "my" car. The caption said assembly will begin with the components I specified. Quite exciting, as it took over five months from the time I signed the order to get to this point. The whole process from start to completed car I think took less than two weeks. I wonder how that compares with our Dinos.

I was worried the car would take till next year to get to me, since I live far from Modena on this island in the Pacific, but it arrived late November and was delivered just Sunday. So it is a wonderful Christmas gift.

The Dino seems very small next to the Italia in the garage, but the 40-year difference in design is interesting.

Best wishes for the holidays,

Andres
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Octane's feature on classic 911s draws the line at 1972.
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Styles evolved dramatically as the Dino ended production. The Dino indeed marked the end of an era.
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From the standpoint of "coachbuilt" cars, it's clear that the Dino, Daytona and 365 GTC/4 are the end of the line. Once the BB and the 308 models were introduced, "mass" marketing seemed to become the order of the day, more people became aware of the Ferrari marque, annual production was significantly increased, and the hand-built nature of the cars went away. With the advent of electronic engine controls, across-the-board adoption of fuel injection and stringent governmental emission regulations, it was clear that our Dinos are, and always will be, classic, in every sense of the word. Fred

 

Exceptional photo of your 458!

At the peak, they were cranking out 4 Dinos per day