1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Highlights

Matching numbers
Factory right-hand drive UK-market Dino
In present ownership since 1994
Bodywork restoration and repaint by Haynes International Motor Museum in 2016
Accompanied by a vast history file and recent Dino Compendium report

The Appeal

Motor racing was Enzo Ferrari’s first love. Rising through the ranks as a driver for Alfa Romeo during the early 1920s, it was after the birth of his son Alfredo ‘Dino’ Ferrari in 1932 that Enzo stepped back from the grid and focused his efforts on building a team. Scuderia Ferrari is still the most successful constructor of all time.

Naturally, Dino joined the family firm and by the 1950s, he was working in Maranello’s engineering department. Reportedly taking inspiration from the Lancia Aurelia, Dino is credited with designing a DOHC V6 for Formula 2 racing - a project he remained enthralled in right up until his tragic death from DMD aged just 24. Dino would never see his engine run, but it would go on to power a score of successful sports and racing cars, eventually spawning a subsidiary of the Ferrari brand known simply as ‘Dino’.

And this is the car Enzo felt was fit to bear the name of his dearly departed son. The Dino 246 is a magnificent machine. A featherweight, mid-engined sports car penned by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, it is still regarded as one of the greatest Ferraris of all time.

Our matching numbers 1973 example is the GTS - signifying that it’s the open-topped ‘Spyder’ variant. It’s often cited that just 750 were supplied new to Great Britain of which just 250 were Spyders. This car was built to European specifications in right-hand drive and supplied via Maranello Concessionaires Ltd.

The car has been in current ownership since 1994 and the owner has greatly enjoyed their time with it. Judicious servicing throughout their custodianship and professional bodywork restoration undertaken during recent years ensure this is a splendid example and one of the most usable Dino 246 GTS in the UK. There’s an enormous history file which spans back to 1986, while some of the car’s earlier history has recently been uncovered thanks to a certificate attained from Dino Compendium in September 2024.

It’s not often a matching numbers, right-hand drive Dino comes to market, making this an inimitable opportunity.

The History and Paperwork

Factory right-hand drive UK-market car supplied by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd
Production date: 13th September 1973
Exempt from road tax and MOT testing
Just three former registered keepers prior to our vendor’s acquisition in 1994
Confirmed matching numbers
Exempt from road tax and MOT testing
98,294 miles indicated
The current owner's cousin is Robbie Walker, (son of Rob Walker, Formula 1 legend and owner of the highly successful F1 racing team from 1953-1970) - we’re informed that he often drove the car and offered his expertise on upkeep

Serial numbers - (see photographs of the engine and gearbox stamps which correspond to the factory data from Dino Compendium):

Chassis no. 07140
Engine no. 135 CS 000 0011365
Gearbox no. 2491 E

Ownership history:

1973 until 197? D. Wood (Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB)
197? T.A. Ward (Camberley, Surrey, GB)
1986 until 1994 J. Maughan (London, GB)
1994 until 2024 (London, GB)

Previous registration numbers:

XGC957M (current)
246D
WPH756M
UPB54M

Paperwork includes:

UK V5C
Dino Compendium certificate dated 5th September 2024
Vehicle registration transfer information/correspondence
Professional car storage invoices
£5,059.34 with Webster & Lancaster dated August 2020: MOT, major service and cooling fan repair
£31,162.57 Gearbox rebuild and other associated mechanical work 2012 with Maranello, Egham
£21,982.91 Engine rebuild in 2002 with Talacrest
Numerous significant invoices from specialists in Germany and Maranello, Egham
Several invoices from Haynes International Motor Museum for bodywork restoration and paintwork totalling £37,615.59
Dyno reading printout
Correspondence between the vendor and various specialists
Assorted invoices from various leading specialists and most MOT certificates dating back to 1986

The Condition

Presented in very usable condition - a testament to the vendor who has enjoyed and maintained the car in equal measure
Significant bodywork restoration and refinishing in 2016
Highly original and delightfully patinated interior
Now sporting Ferrari script and Cavalino Rampante badge at the rear
Correct EU spec bumpers and indicators
The petrol cap is not original and neither are the brake lights although the vendor has retained the original lights
Original car didn't have wing mirrors; the current wing mirror is therefore a later addition
Original colour: Argento Auteuil Metallizzato 106-E-1 (metallic silver)
Previously painted red (c.1994), but finding blue underneath, the vendor opted for this colour during the 2016 respray
Upholstery: Nero 161 (black vinyl) - which the car retains
Audio system upgrade with corresponding door speakers
All electrics and instrumentation reportedly in good working order besides the clock

It’s refreshing to see a Ferrari that isn’t red. This 246 GTS has been several colours during its lifetime and currently sports a rather attractive shade of blue which complements the yellow Dino badges fore, aft and in the wheel centres. Speaking of wheels, it retains the oh-so-’70s Dino-branded Cromodora alloys which continue to present well with a light age-commensurate patina. This car has been exercised regularly since the refinishing work and so sports a few small paintwork imperfections as you’d expect to find on a car that’s been driven properly. It really isn’t right to shut these cars away in garages…

The Dino has a typically Italian driving position with close pedals and a wheel at arm’s length - a configuration that is alien to some but well-suited to spirited driving. The interior fits like a favourite pair of shoes, with just the right amount of wear to the upholstery that the material becomes supple, enhancing its comfort. The vendor notes that the back of the passenger seat has separated slightly from the body, so needs to be glued together again - but otherwise, there are no other issues to report. The electrics are also said to be in very good order, with everything working correctly besides the clock which has a stubborn hour hand.

The Mechanics

2,418 cc DOHC V6 engine
Five-speed gated manual gearbox with ‘dog-leg’ first gear
Gearbox rebuild in 2012
Engine rebuild in 2002
Regularly serviced and exercised throughout current ownership
Retains its original engine and gearbox
Smart and original-looking engine bay

Unlike Ferrari’s front-engined V12 GTs, the Dino is all about agility. With its lightweight, punchy V6 engine mounted transversely amidships, the weight distribution is near-perfect resulting in superb high-speed handling. The driver controls that power via a glorious five-speed gated manual gearbox and the Dino was capable of an advertised 146 mph straight from the factory.

As with the bodywork, this car has received a great deal of mechanical attention over the years. As the invoices show, any faults have been investigated by leading specialists and a great deal of routine servicing has been carried out to ensure the car is eminently usable at all times. Foibles like a hot starting issue encountered in 2015 were doggedly pursued and are as a result no longer a problem. The engine and gearbox have both been rebuilt (at least once) and we’re informed that the Dino continues to run and drive very well.

Having used the car extensively over the past three decades, the vendor has found it to be very reliable overall and has been an exhilarating, responsive driver’s car that they’ll sorely miss having around.

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