Property of a deceased's estate
1972 Ferrari Dino 246GT Berlinetta Project
Coachwork by Pininfarina/Scaglietti
Registration no. Not UK registered
Chassis no. 05328

In the mid-1960s, Ferrari needed a production-based 2.0-litre engine for the new Formula 2 and conceived the mid-engined Dino to provide the necessary basis. The first of these 'junior' Ferraris – the 206GT – debuted at the Turin Motor Show in 1967. A compact, aluminium-bodied coupé of striking appearance, the Pininfarina-styled Dino - named after Enzo Ferrari's late son Alfredino Ferrari and intended as the first of a separate but related marque - was powered by a four-cam V6 engine, mounted transversely and driving through an in-unit five-speed transaxle. The motor's 180bhp was good enough to propel the lightweight, aerodynamically-efficient Dino to 142mph, and while there were few complaints about its performance, the high cost enforced by its aluminium construction hindered sales.

A 2.4-litre version on a longer wheelbase - the 246GT - replaced the Dino 206 in late 1969. The body was now steel and the cylinder block cast-iron rather than aluminium, but the bigger engine's increased power - 195bhp at 7,600rpm - was more than adequate compensation for the weight gain. Top speed increase slightly to within a whisker of 150mph. While not as fast in a straight line as its larger V12-engined stablemates, the nimble Dino was capable of showing almost anything a clean pair of heels over twisty going. Truly a driver's car par excellence.

Originally finished in Giallo Fly (yellow) with black vinyl interior, this left-hand drive, European-specification Dino 246GT was delivered new in Rome, Italy in December 1972 to the official Ferrari dealership, Carla Allegretti & Co. Its first owner was one Mario Coratti, a resident of Monte San Giovanni Campano in the Province of Frosinone, Italy. The Ferrari had two further owners in Frosinone: Sergio Perna and Vittorio di Giampietro, before being sold in 1976 to Giovanni Gagliardi, resident in Rome.

The Dino was acquired by the late owner in the early 1980s. Some time later, the car was fitted with a replacement engine, which had been rebuilt and dynamometer tested, and was in full working order when installed. In addition, the paintwork was re-sprayed. The car has sat in a Midlands lockup garage for the last 35-or-so years and will require a certain amount of re-commissioning before returning to the road. There is no registration document with this Lot, which comes with a Massini report and is sold strictly as viewed.