Ferrari Dino 246 Price Guide

The Dino 246 is the Ferrari that was not called a Ferrari. It was badged as a ‘Dino’ rather than Ferrari because Enzo Ferrari felt that a car without twelve cylinders was unworthy of the prancing horse.

This off-shoot was named after his son Alfredo (Dino) who died in 1956 and whose work on the formula for a V6 engine for Formula 2 contributed to the Dino project. It is one of the finest mid-engined sports cars ever made and one of the most honest: beautiful, driveable, and at a human scale that the larger Ferraris cannot claim.

The Car

The Dino 246 GT launched in 1969 with a 2,418cc twin-cam V6 transversely mounted behind the driver, driving the rear wheels through a five-speed transaxle. Power was 195bhp at 7,600rpm. The Pininfarina body is among that studio’s finest work: a shape of perfect proportion that looks correct from every angle. The GTS targa variant added a removable roof panel from 1972. Around 2,487 GTs and 1,274 GTSs were built between 1969 and 1974. The chassis was the first mid-engined Ferrari road car, previewing the architecture that would define the company’s sports cars from the 308 onwards.

What Goes Wrong

The cam chain tensioners require attention and failure causes expensive engine damage. Rust attacks the steel body comprehensively; wheelarches, sills, floors, and the area behind the rear wheels are all critical. Any 246 must have a thorough structural inspection before purchase.

Buying

The 246 GT is more valuable than the GTS despite the targa roof’s apparent appeal as the coupe’s proportions are superior. The Dino 246 has appreciated substantially over twenty years and shows no sign of reversing.