1971 Fiat Dino – Auction Car of the Week
July 24, 2022
The name Bertone is synonymous with beautifully styled, late ’60s coupés. From Ferraris to Aston Martins the famous Italian design house could do no wrong back then and the Fiat Dino is certainly no exception. Arguably one of the most beautiful cars to ever grace an Alpine pass the Dino was penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro and was actually the result of a collaboration between Fiat and fellow compatriots Ferrari.
You see, Ferrari needed to homologate a six-cylinder engine in order to be eligible for Formula 2 racing. The rules stated that these engines could have no more than six cylinders and must be derived from a production engine from a road car, 500 of which were to be produced. If you’re a regular reader of our The Homologators series then you’ll know all about these rules and regulations but for Ferrari at the time they didn’t have the capacity to be able to meet production numbers and so it turned to Fiat for help in actually making the engines.
Not only did Fiat build the engines – named after Enzo Ferrari’s son Alfredo (nicknamed Dino) who had a hand in the design before his untimely death – but they also decided to build two cars to fit them in to. The convertible, two-seater Spider came first, designed by Pininfarina, followed a few months later by the slightly longer, four-seater coupé. Both cars, as well as Ferrari’s own Dino 206 GT, featured the 2.0-litre V6 Dino engine.
1969 saw an increase in displacement of the quad-cam six-cylinder to 2.4-litres, pushing the peak power output to around 180bhp. This meant a sub-nine second 0-60 time and a top speed of almost 130mph. Other improvements included a beefier 5-speed manual gearbox and independent rear suspension. All of these upgrades are featured in the 1971 Fiat Dino 2400 Coupé we have available via the Car & Classic auctions platform.
Not only is this example a highly desirable, late model car but it has also been extensively restored. With only 3 UK owners and a mere 35K on the clock this particular Fiat Dino has been truly cherished. Although an older restoration the car has been attentively looked after and maintained. Kept in dry storage and never driven in the wet the metallic blue paintwork still presents incredibly well and the underside of the car is solid. All of the chrome trim is excellent and the original wheels are in top condition.
The car simply exudes quality and charm and this extends to the cabin. The interior is gorgeous with re-trimmed black leather seats and that stunning three-spoke, wood-rimmed steering wheel taking centre stage. The dash has not cracked or become weathered and the door cards and carpets present well. It’s a wonderful place to be and along with that gorgeous V6 exhaust note is a celebration for the senses.
Mechanically speaking this Fiat Dino is as good as they come. That wonderfully sonorous six-cylinder engine starts on the button and the car drives exactly as it should, thanks in part to being comprehensively serviced and diligently maintained. The Dino has been part of a private collection for the past few years, having been purchased by an enthusiast who had an itch to scratch. As part of a streamlining exercise due to storage limitations the car is now up for grabs and presents a wonderful opportunity to own an elegant Italian masterpiece with a fantastic engine.
The 2.4 Coupé is the one to have in our humble opinion. Not only is it faster but it’s also more reliable and generally better built than the earlier, 2.0-litre cars. With the later improvements to the suspension and a larger, more powerful engine it ticks a lot of boxes whilst being surprisingly practical for a ’60s Italian sports car and there’s no pesky convertible roof to worry about. Parts and specialist support is good too so you can bid on this beauty, safe in the knowledge that if something were to go wrong (which is unlikely given its condition and history) you’ll be covered without the need for parts hunting or lack of expertise.
So, if you fancy a beautiful and rare Italian coupé without the prancing horse price tag then the Fiat Dino should definitely be in your wheelhouse. It’s definitely in ours and if it’s good enough to be featured as peak Dino material for TV’s Car SOS, as well as ferry Mafia bosses about in The Italian Job, then it’s good enough for us. As far as great ideas go, bidding on this wonderful 1971 Fiat Dino 2400 Coupé is a belter.
