Highlights
- Purchased new by Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant
- Accompanied by a carefully curated history file including original correspondence with Maranello
- A copy of the original logbook showing Peter Grant’s name accompanies the car
- Matching numbers example
- Very rare right-hand drive 246 GTS
The Appeal
Picture the scene. It’s the summer of 1973 and Led Zeppelin, by then the biggest band in the world, were playing the last few dates of their ninth North American Tour, which would go on to form the basis of the legendary “The Song Remains the Same” concert film.
Zeppelin’s formidable manager, Peter Grant, was undoubtedly a driving force behind the band’s rise to prominence. He had become (metaphorically and physically) a giant of the industry, feared and respected in equal measure. He who manages the trendiest band in the world would naturally want to own the trendiest car in the world. So on 28th August 1973, Grant made his way to HR Owen in Belgravia and after parting with £6,620.39, came away with the hottest new sports car of the day - a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS.
That’s quite the rock and roll story, but it gets better… The car still exists and better still, you could be its next custodian. We’re honoured to offer this piece of music history, which also happens to be amongst the most collectable classic cars of all time. Replete with paperwork documenting its early history, including original correspondence from Ferrari and even the first logbook bearing Peter Grant’s name, this Dino will be the envy of collectors the world over. Moreover, it's received a great deal of work in recent years and reportedly drives very well indeed.
The History and Paperwork
- Chassis number: 06040
- Order number: order D/431
- UK-supplied in right-hand drive by HR Owen via Maranello Concessionaries
- One of just 235 right-hand drive cars imported from a total of 1,274 cars reportedly produced between 1972-1974
- Ordered on the 23rd of November 1972 in (non-metallic) ‘Rosso Bordeaux’ with brown leather 846 as part of their February 1973 allocation of cars - one of only 114 ordered in this colour specification
- Maranello acknowledged the order on the 30th of November 1972 for a ''Rosso Bordeaux Dino 20.R.351 Salchi with Brown leather VM846 (Marrone) with an all-leather interior and electric windows”
- Registered ‘TGJ 239M’ by HR Owen on the 28th August 1973 to Mr Peter Grant
- On the 1st of August 1976, the registration number ‘JS 9142’ was applied to the car, having been removed from a Ferguson tractor!
- Accompanied by a collection of original paperwork from when the car was sold to Peter Grant
- Numerous invoices are present for servicing and attaining spare parts during later years
- Bidders should note that the car is currently undergoing the registration transfer back to ‘CRX 374M’ (as displayed) because the vendor is retaining ‘SPY 1C’
- Exempt from road tax and MOT testing
This Dino 246 GTS appears in the following publications:
- ‘Ferrari Dino’ by Anthony Curtis
- ‘The Car Past and Present’ by Ken Vose
- ‘The Illustrated Motor Car Legends Ferrari’ by Roy Bacon
- ‘Ferrari-The Ultimate Dream Machine’ by Paul W. Cockerham
After owning the car for a year, Grant sold it to Mr. H. Mould of London SW1 on the 7th of August 1974 and he would keep the car until the 8th January 1976. Mr D. Morton of Perthshire, Scotland would become the next keeper and after that the Dino made its way South, passing through the then Ferrari agents, Maltin Car Concessionaires Ltd of Henley upon Thames who bought it on the 23rd June 1976. Just five days later, on the 28th of June 1976, Mr J. Laidlay of The Hope Scott Garage Ltd of Midlothian acquired the car and it headed back up to Scotland once more
The car was purchased by Modena Engineering Ltd in March /April 1987. S. Greenwood - Modena Engineering's managing director, bought the car for his wife’s 30th birthday in February 1988, applying for a registration document on the 27th of May 1988, noting that he had acquired it on the 26th of February. Before unveiling this extravagant gift, the car was repainted by Calbrook Cars in Bookham, Surrey and retrimmed by G. Cooper with new black hide and red carpets. S. Moody, then of Modena Engineering rebuilt the suspension/brakes, fitting a clutch and servicing the car.
Mr G. Crowdy of Buckinghamshire purchased the car in mid-1990 (although he did not register the car in his name until the 14th of July 1991. The registration number JS 9142 was transferred back to S. Greenwood in March 1992, which is when the current registration CRX 374M was applied. The interior was re-trimmed by a company near Hayes in Middlesex, repairing the dashboard and fitting a new speedometer. Several Ferrari Specialists including DK Engineering, Parabolica and GTO Engineering worked on the car during this period.
Mr M. Morton of Nottinghamshire bought the car with 200 miles recorded (on the new odometer), on the 4th of June 2007 from a specialist classic garage in Buckinghamshire. It had been prepared once again by S. Moody, who was now the proprietor of his own Ferrari specialist workshop SMDG in Surrey. The car was trailered home and driven sparingly, covering a mere 400 miles during Mr Morton’s custodianship. It was sold to the vendor in 2016 who has also driven it very sparingly, completing any necessary work and simply enjoying having such a special car in their collection.
The Condition
- Still finished in non-metallic deep red
- Period-correct Cromodora alloy wheels (14'' x 6½'' front and rear)
- Trimmed in black leather with red carpeting to complement the paintwork
- Original/period-correct instrumentation and controls retained
- Presented in highly usable and well-maintained condition inside and out
With svelte curves designed by Pininfarina and bodywork expertly crafted by Scaglietti, a Dino is exquisite to behold and was surely the ultimate status symbol during the early ‘70s.
Having been professionally re-trimmed and repainted in the past, this example continues to present beautifully throughout. In recognition of its rich and interesting history, the vendor has opted to keep any small past modifications, like the 1988 fitment of red carpets as these finer details are all part of the car’s story. There’s no notable wear to the interior, besides a light age-commensurate patina and we understand all the cabin electrics to be in good working order.
On the outside, the red paintwork still looks marvellous and brings to mind the Dino driven by Tony Curtis in ‘The Persuaders!’. Besides a few superficial blemishes evident only upon close inspection, the paint and chrome are in lovely order and the underside presents similarly well.
The Mechanics
- 2,418 cc DOHC V6 engine with 40 DCF14 Weber carburettors
- Five-speed all-synchromesh gated manual gearbox
- Rack and pinion steering
- We’re informed that this is a matching numbers example
- Mechanical work has been undertaken during current ownership to meet UK MOT requirements
Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari’s 65-degree, alloy, twin-cam V6 sits transversely behind the driver’s head and allows the 246 to ramble on to a claimed top speed of 146 mph. Road testers at the time lauded the Dino’s well-balanced chassis and today’s petrolheads will surely delight in the eengagement offered by its five-speed gated manual gearbox. We understand this to be a matching numbers example, mechanically original in most respects and therefore offering an authentic driving experience.
In March 2013, with 640 miles indicated, the car was returned to S. Moody of SMDG for re-commissioning. Following the fitting of a high-torque starter motor, an initial compression test was carried out and returned good readings across all six cylinders. The cam covers were removed and the camshafts were checked, finding no issues. The brake callipers were removed also, and these were sent away for specialist overhauling as were the brake discs which were “skimmed'' sandblasted and re-fitted. The shock absorbers were sent to a specialist for rebuilding and a new header tank was supplied and fitted to complement the overhauled cooling system.
The previous registered keeper submitted the car for MOT testing and subsequently rectified any issues in order to attain a clean pass in 2016. After acquiring the car, the vendor submitted it once more in 2017, resulting in another clean pass. Since then, it has not been submitted for MOT since it qualifies for exemption in the UK. Covering very few miles during recent years, it has not been recently serviced although we’re informed that it runs sweetly with no apparent issues.
BEFORE YOU BUY
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