The Dino 246 was the first car to be produced in large numbers by Ferrari. It is widely praised for its interior handling qualities and pioneering design. In 2004, Sports Car International ranked the car sixth on its list of the best sports cars of the 1970s. Motor Trend Classic ranked the 206/246 seventh in its list of the 10 “Greatest Ferraris of All Time”.The Dino 206 GT, 246 GT and 246 GTS are V6 mid-engined sports cars produced by Ferrari and sold under the Dino marque between 1967 and 1974.

206 GT

The production Dino 206 GT was designed by Aldo Brovarone and Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. It had the soft edges and curving lines typical of earlier Italian cars, unlike its angular successor, the 308 GT4.

The 206 GT frame featured a light-weight, aluminium body, full independent suspension, and all round disc brakes and a top speed of 146 mph (235 km/h).

152 were built in total between 1967 and 1969, in left hand drive only.

246 GT

Calls for more power were answered with the 2.4 L Dino 65° V6 engine

Dino 246 production numbered 2,295 GT coupés and 1,274 GTS spyders, the latter being built after the Series III revision from 1972 to 1974 only, for a total production run of 3,569 cars.

The 246 had a top speed of 148 mph (238 km/h), which compared favourably with the 136 mph (219 km/h) achieved by a recently tested Porsche 911S. With a 0 to 50 mph (0 to 80 km/h) acceleration time of 5.5 seconds the Dino narrowly outperformed the Porsche again, although the Porsche was narrowly the winner on fuel economy.

The manufacturer’s recommended UK retail price of £5,485 was higher than the £5,211 asked for the Porsche. For comparison, the much larger, four-passenger Citroën SM high-performance luxury coupe sold for £4,700.

A Dino 246 GTS won the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in 1975.

In one 1978 incident, a Dino 246 GTS was discovered buried in a yard by some Los Angeles children. The car was later found to be the subject of an elaborate insurance fraud perpetrated by the owner.

The Dino’s 2.4 L V6 was also used in the Fiat Dino 2400 and the Lancia Stratos rally car.