1971 Ferrari Dino – Auction Car of the Week

Some things represent a universal truth. The sun will rise and the sun will set. A sandwich from the motorway services will take longer to pay off than your mortgage. And the Ferrari Dino will always be one of the most beautiful, most sought after classic cars in the world. And deservedly so. It might have only packed a V6, but at 1,080kg it was light, it was agile and the V6 was laden with soul and a willingness to rev. And did we mention it was, and still is, one of the most beautiful cars to ever grace the road?

Happily, we have one available right now on Car & Classic Auctions, and it is a captivating example. A 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT, it the more powerful (192bhp) version and this particular example has been subject to an eye-wateringly expensive restoration. No nut nor bot has been left unturned from what we can gather. It’s a genuine UK-supplied car, too, which makes is a further rarity. But the best bit is that restoration…

The shell has been stripped, blasted and repaired to an incredibly high standard before being lovingly coated in a few litres of unapologetically bright Giallo Fly paint, the chrome parts have been restored and rechromed, the wheels are new, modern, safe reproductions of the aging magnesium parts, the interior is new with reupholstered seats, doors cars supplied from Italy, a MOMO Porototipo steering wheel, and of course, the lucky left hand of the winning bigger will fall upon a gated manual transmission.

But what about the engine? Did that just get some fresh oil and some new plugs? No sir. A full rebuild was carried out, including a re-bore, new camshafts, new pistons, rebuilt Weber carbs, there’s a stainless steel exhaust, new fuel tanks, the list goes on and is exhaustive to say the least. Grab a brew and immerse yourself in the incredibly detailed auction listing for this 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT and you’ll see how no single element has been ignored. It’s really a benchmark of just how through a restoration can be. But then, who wouldn’t want to do right by a classic Ferrari? You can’t get this done under the arches with a couple of grand.

The restoration took twelve years and was carried out in excruciating detail. Since its completion, this 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT has covered a mere 1,100 miles, which means the new owner will be getting a Dino fresher than any other out there. It’s a work of art on wheels, a captivating example of just how perfect a car can be, and one that will surely be kept forever by the next owner. And rightly so. But, will that next owner be you? The only way to be in with a shot is get your bid registered, so go on, off you go…