Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Race Retro 2025 - Collectors' Cars on Saturday the 22nd of February, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh Rd, Coventry, CV8 2LG. The Fiat Dino was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in 1966 alongside the Dino Berlinetta GT, later to become the Ferrari Dino 246. Powered by a shared four-camshaft, 2-litre, V6 engine (Tipo 135), both cars benefited from a racing pedigree that went back to Ferrari's Dino 166P sports-racing unit and their 246 Grand Prix engine. However, when Ferrari decided to race in Formula 2 with its new V6 engine designed by Enzo Ferrari's son, Dino, the company had a problem. Under the current homologation regulations, manufacturers were required to build a certain number of road cars to satisfy the rules for racing. Ferrari could not hope to build enough cars to homologate the Dino, so a deal was struck with Fiat for a joint venture and the Fiat Dino was born.
The Pininfarina-bodied Spider was first to appear in early November at Turin with the Bertone-designed Coupé the following year in March. Nowadays, it is the Spiders, both in 2-litre and later 2. 4-litre form, that have become most sought after amongst collectors. In the words of Sports Car Market - 'The Spider is one of the prettiest designs to emerge from Pininfarina's studio in the 1960s and even accelerating in top gear from low revs, there's a seamless delivery of power'. A mere 1, 163 Fiat Dino Spiders were originally built, but far fewer are left in existence today.
The car presented here a left-hand drive, 1967 Fiat Dino 2. 0-litre Spider, #226 of the 1, 163 built, which was imported from Italy to the UK in April 1980 (hence the V-suffix registration), with our vendor’s late husband acquiring it in December 1998. He subsequently used it for a few years of 'gentle summer use', however other commitments meant that the car was laid-up and put into storage temporarily and before you know it, 13 years had passed before it saw the light of day again (August 2017). After some recommissioning it passed its MOT and was again only used sparingly on dry days, before again being stored in an improved air-conditioned storage facility and last used by our vendor’s husband in 2019. Sadly, only a few years later, our vendor’s husband passed away, with the car continuing to slumber in storage. In an attempt to get the car 'back on its feet', it has recently been treated to some work on the carburettors and it now starts and runs, hence the top cover of the engine is missing in some of the images attached, but the parts are safely with the mechanic.
The car is not a concours-ready example, but is wholly honest, unmolested and ready for a marque enthusiast to take on as the perfect candidate for further detailing. With its years in storage helping to preserve its originality and integrity, there is real latent potential here to bring on a rare and desirable Italian classic car that, when in tip-top condition, can command well in excess of £100, 000.
