As we have seen in Part 1 of the Fiat Dino Spider the stunning Pininfarina body was used for both the 2.0 Liter and the 2.4 Liter Fiat Dino Spiders. The overwhelming factor in either case is the body--prone to rust, as were most steel Italian bodies of the era, but no doubt one of the finest designs to have left the PF drawing boards in the 1960s. (ed.)
I have always loved Pininfarina designs, and aspired to someday own a 275GTS, but then I saw a 275GTS parked near a Fiat Dino Spider and a 124 Spider. The contrast was surprising, not at all what I had expected. The 275GTS looked more like the 124 Fiat Spider, the Dino like nothing else; it was enchanting, a perfect blend of sensual lines and aggressive snarl.
Aside from the V6 engine, for the later cars there was a further link to Ferrari. All three 2.4 liter cars (Fiat and Ferrari) were assembled at the Maranello factory. In July of 1969 the daily factory output was 15 Dino spiders and Coupes, 3 Ferrari Dinos, 3 Daytonas and 3 365GTs. The Ferrari output was so low because those bodies were finished at the plant (wiring, interior and instruments) whereas the Fiat bodies came from Pininfarina and Bertone completely finished, a practice Fiat intended to apply to subsequent Ferrari production cars.
Our 2.4 Dino Spider was to be a surprise birthday present for my wife Barbara. I really wanted a 2.4 liter car as they were built in the Ferrari factory aside its 246 siblings, with independent rear suspension, a ZF transmission and several other improvements. I was surprised how scarce they were. Most of those survivors are in Europe, and those in the US are tightly held by collectors.
As best as I can tell, our Spider was the second on the U.S. market in about three years. I found the car about an hour outside of New York City, in a private collection. This car had been featured on a car calendar after its full up restoration of the body and interior, but the motor had a host of issues, as it had been driven but a few hundred miles over the previous 10 years. I have about completed the engine work, and have moved to the "tweaking" stage, getting all the little bits right, such as a proper vintage radio, etc.
The Pininfarina Fiat Spider could be ordered with a
very nice hardtop.
Rare to begin with, these PF tops are almost impossible to find today.
The Dino is very tractable in town and on the open road it is amazing to speed, the engine sounds at 7000 RPM are wonderful, and its as fast as my Ferrari 330. Nearly every passing car stares. In and about town, people walk out in the street to ask what it is. The trunk holds a lot, the dogs fit on the back bench seat, the wind noise with the top down is minimal. All in all, it's one terrific car.
