Ever dream of owning a Ferrari but you can’t afford the cost of entry? Does the possible idea of oil changes make you cry? Our Pick of the Day is the solution to temper your Italian desires without fear of bankruptcy: a 1972 Fiat Dino 2400 Coupe. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Miami. (Click the link to view the listing)
The genesis of the Fiat Dino came from Enzo Ferrari’s son, who had suggested the development of a Ferrari V6 for Formula Two racing. Alas, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari passed away at age 24 due to muscular dystrophy, but the seed was planted and it spurred a marque called Dino. Dinos initially were race cars produced by Ferrari powered by engines with fewer than 12 cylinders, and its first road-going vehicle was the Dino 206 GT. It’s perfectly possible you have called this vehicle a “Ferrari Dino” in the past, but it’s more properly referred to as a Dino 206 GT because Ferrari didn’t want to cannibalize its name with a cheaper product. As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about.
The Pininfarina-designed, mid-engined Dino 206 GT debuted in 1967 and featured a 2.0-liter V6 with 178 horsepower. It was updated as the Dino 246 GT and GTS, upon which Ferrari went the V8 route (its first) with the Dino 208 and 308 GT4s until it was decided to fold Dino into the Ferrari brand.
But even before Dino introduced the 206 GT, the V6 appeared in the Fiat Dino. The reason that Ferrari shared this engine was for homologation purposes, with the rule being 500-plus examples within a year. To handle the robust output, it was agreed that Fiat would produce the V6 for installation in the new, Pininfarina-designed Fiat Dino Spider, which was introduced in the fall of 1966, and the Bertone-designed Fiat Dino Coupe followed in the spring of 1967.
The Coupe shared no resemblance to its Spider counterpart thanks to coming from different design houses, but the differences went beyond styling as the Coupe featured a wheelbase more than 10 inches longer. Aside of the aluminum V6, the Fiat Dinos featured a five-speed manual transmission. In the fall of 1969, Fiat introduced the Dino 2400 with a larger, cast-iron 2.4 V6 that was now built at Ferrari’s Maranello facility. Additionally, the rear suspension was changed from a rigid axle with semi-elliptic springs to an independent design.
This 1972 Fiat Dino Coupe is a 2400 finished in silver with an interior consisting of red cloth and black components. “Acquired from long-term ownership, it presents very well, both cosmetically and mechanically,” says the seller. This Dino-powered Fiat features the original Cromodora wheels and is characterized as having “good gaps, no rust, and a blast to drive!”
There’s some debate on proper production numbers so, depending on who you talk to, he/she may state around 7,601 Fiat Dinos were built through 1973. Of those, approximately 2,414 were 2400 Coupes like this vehicle. In order for you to obtain a bit of Ferrari charm without becoming homeless, you will have to spend $69,900.
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