Description
From a very close friend of David this car was handcrafted in Modena by the same skilled artisans who had previously built the iconic Dino 196s for racing in 1959. Originally, nine partially assembled chassis and bodies were left from a halted production order in 1960. The decision was made to complete these nine cars as continuations of the original works cars, utilizing standard Ferrari Dino 246 engines and various Fiat Dino components, such as the gearbox and running gear. The car’s body was painstakingly crafted using the original moulds by Fantuzzi. In 2013, the narrator had the privilege of visiting these workshops alongside their friend Mario Vincenzi from Motor Services Modena. Despite lacking official Ferrari approval, these workshops exhibited exceptional craftsmanship and capabilities, even transforming a Dino 246 GT engine into a 206SP engine with twin plug heads, similar to the originals. These workshops were essentially the ‘factory’ team workshops for the original cars, with staff who had been there since the mid-1950s.
Upon returning to the UK with the car, David at Forza 288 in the New Forest assisted with UK registration and added a mohair tonneau cover. The car has since toured France, Italy, and Switzerland, with only minor issues like a faulty fuel pump and a brake system replacement in France, later adjusted by Motor Service of Modena. The original Dunlop tyres were replaced around 4000 miles ago. The last major journey included travelling from Tremezzo on Lake Como, Italy, through Slovenia, Hungary, and into Romania in July 2019.
