Dino The V6 Ferrari
By Brian Long
$69.95 USD plus S&H
176 pages, 250 Photos Hardback 10 inches by 10 inches
ISBN 978-1-904788-39-3
Published by Veloce Publishing, UK, October 2010
Order from: www.veloce.co.uk
Tel Number 01305 260068
Also available next month from U.S.Distributor
Review by Pete Vack
2015 is the 50th anniversary of the Dino 246, apparently due to the introduction of the Dino Berlinetta concept car at Paris in October of 1965. Of course one might claim that is a bit premature, and several other dates since then could well be claimed as potential birthdates; much room to hype and celebrate down the road.
But to a good cause no doubt because the Dino 246 in its various guises is a car worth celebrating. Even Enzo would have been happy, for when the car is remembered and honored so it its namesake. A point of contention over the years, the lack of the name “Ferrari” on the Dino no doubt kept prices low (at least until after I sold mine!) for years until it was clear to all and sundry that in fact, this Dino 246 was in fact one hell of a good Ferrari and one of the most beautiful small cars of all time.
To commemorate the 50th (at least this particular 50th) anniversary of the Dino, long time journalist and author Brian Long has written a new book about the car, covering all aspects of the V6 engined Ferraris in including the Fiat Spider and Coupe. Apparently it was a long time in the making; VeloceToday put out a request for photos for such a book way back in 2007. But it is finally here and let there be no doubt that even in this day and age, to put together and publish a print book is neither easy nor quick. Our call to camera apparently worked as Long’s book takes good advantage of some of the VeloceToday crowd, including Vince Johnson, Ken Vissar, and Graham Gauld while other excellent photos are done by Matthias Bartz, Matthias Urban, Claudio Feuermann and others.
Long covers the entire spectrum of the V6-engined cars with accuracy and enthusiasm; but at only 176 pages long, brevity is necessary. There is not the depth of the totally committed book, Dino, the Little Ferrari by Doug Nye, which covers the racing history in great detail. Long recounts Ferrari history leading to the development of the racing V6 and the ensuing involvement with Fiat to produce enough V6 engines to meet the 1967 Formula 2 rules, which stated that the engines must be based on production units. Hence the Fiat Dino Spider, introduced at the 1966 Turin show. This would lead to a further stake in Ferrari by Fiat in 1969, and the production of the Dino 246GT in 1970.
Along the way, Long provides a wide variety of illustrations, brochures, factory shots, ads, and current hi res images. He carefully leads the reader through the multiple variations of both the Fiat and Dino 2 liters to the transformation to the 2.4 liter cars, along with serial numbers and specifications. There is chapter on buying and restoring a Dino, but it is on the light side. Many of the contemporary road tests are quoted and it is interesting to read the comments fifty years on; most testers really nailed it, and saw its virtues immediately.
The reproduction is at times uneven, but at least the photos are included. Information about and references to the Fiat Dinos appear in several places throughout the book and one chapter inclusive would have served the book better. Prices listed are by country; in Pounds Sterling, USD and Australian dollars depending on the reference.
By chapter, then:
1 A Brief History of Ferrari (up to the Dino)
2. The Dino Concept and Fiat Line
3. Debut of the Production Car
4. The 2.4 Liter Models
5. Dino Specials and a Special Dino (more Fiat info)
Particularly helpful are the three appendixes; a concise buyer’s guide, Dino specifications and chassis numbers and production figures (listing only the 246 series).
Although not part of the book, a look at Dino prices over the years is of interest; the rise from the initial cost of around $14,500 in 1972 was followed by a huge increase in value up to around the crash of 1990 and dropped to a low of 40K followed by the spectacular rise in the 2000s to nearly $300,000.
There are other books about the Dino, though some may be hard to find. Osprey published Ferrari Dino 206GT,246GT & GTS by Ian Webb back in 1980 which though slim features and excellent “Living with” chapter that illustrates the ravages of rust on the 246 body.
Dino, the Little Ferrari, (Osprey 1979) as mentioned documents the racing side of the V6 history and pays short shrift to the production cars. Finally, Ferrari Dino by Anthony Curtis, Crowood Press, 1990, is the most comprehensive of the three books insofar as production cars go and is well worth finding a copy.
Long is in good company here, and does a credible job in telling the Dino story and informing the reader of what is really important. Overall, Long’s book is helpful, well researched, indexed and is a must have for any Dino owner and potential buyer.