Lot 594: 1970 Ferrari Dino 246GT Berlinetta

The classic and nowadays much sought after ‘junior’ Ferrari was named ‘Dino’ after Enzo Ferrari’s son Alfredino, who tragically died of muscular dystrophy in 1956 aged only 24. Before his death Dino Ferrari had been involved in a factory project to create a V6 race engine, and the road-going version is a descendant of that 1956 original.
The definitive Dino 246, with its 2.4-litre V6 engine, appeared late in 1969. Fewer than 3,000 were built before the model was replaced by the Bertone-styled V8-engined Dino 308 in 1973. The delightful bodywork was designed by Pininfarina and built in steel by Scaglietti. It clothed a straightforward chassis of tubular steel, which carried double-wishbone independent suspension at each corner. The compact engine, with four chain-driven overhead camshafts, was mounted transversely above the five-speed gearbox and just ahead of the rear axle line, allowing both a comfortable cockpit and usable boot space. With its flexible engine, strong chassis, outstanding handling and superb looks, the Dino 246GT is a true classic.
The car we offer here is one of only 488 right-hand drive examples produced. First registered in October 1970, it is believed to be one of the oldest Dinos still in active use in the UK. During the late 1980s the car was owned and raced with considerable success by Hew Dundas’s HRD Racing. HRD entered the DK Engineering-prepared Dino in Maranello Series and FOC races for driver Jeff Simpson, who drove it to overall victory in the 1987 FOC Championship, taking the Anthony Bamford Trophy. The car carried race number ‘46’, a reference to the near standard 246GT that finished 17th at Le Mans in 1972 and was placed 7th on the Index. 1986 saw Jeff with 6 wins in 7 starts and numerous class lap records.1987 saw a clean sweep with class wins in all eight Maranello races, and 2nd overall in the series. It has featured in a number of magazine articles and been depicted by Dexter Brown, the well know Ferrari artist.
Restored in 1990 and described as one of the nicest 246GTs around, ‘01500’ is back in road trim and presented in the classic colour combination of Rosso Corsa with black vinyl interior. Having covered only 44,000 miles from new, it is in excellent condition having recently been serviced. Presented with the car is a large history file documenting a full service history together with receipts and bills with DK Engineering for all mechanical work totalling approximately £50,000, plus all bills from the earlier restoration for a further £30,000. The vehicle comes with the original owner’s handbook, a spare set of keys, current MoT/road fund licence and Swansea V5.