If until now Ferrari was producing only models that were about being as special and as exclusive as possible, now it was time for Ferrari to focus on reducing cost, but also on increasing the sales. Back in 1959 Ferrari was already using the 196 S Dino in the in the Formula 2 racings, so we might say they already have the experience of building small engines.
The Dino name was first used on Ferrari cars with vee engines in the late fifties, on Formula 1 and sports-racing models. It was the Christian name of the son of Enzo Ferrari, who had died in 1956, and was used in his memory as he was working on a vee-engine project prior to his death.
In 1965 at the Paris Motor Show Ferrari unveiled the Dino 206 GT Speciale prototype - a design study for a road car, based on the chassis of a sports-racing model, with an in-line, mid-engined placement. In 1966 the second prototype followed. It featured an elliptical radiator opening with the headlights now wing-mounted under perspex covers. There was a higher roof to the cabin, carrying a similar rear screen and sail panel profile to the original, with quarter bumpers at each corner, showing the evolution from concept car to production model. By the time the next prototype appeared during 1967, the body was almost in its definitive form. The engine cover and boot lid were still one panel, and the strake in the door scallop had disappeared, fitted instead with door handles straight off the recently announced 365 GT 2+2, and alloy wheels that mirrored those fitted to the Fiat Dino.
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Revealed in 1968, the Dino 206 GT saw its first evolution in 1969 in the version of Dino 246 GT. The new model came with a larger V6 engine and a wheelbase lengthened by 60 mm. During 1969 and 1974 Ferrari produced 2,487 units, with a price at the moment of $14,000.
The new Dino was a tribute to Enzo’s son Alfredo Ferrari, more commonly known as Dino, who died in 1956 from muscular dystrophy. The Dino 246 GT made its official debut at the Turin Show in November 1969, although the production run had already commenced. Like most of the Ferrari models it was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti at the Maranello assembly facility.
During the production period of the 246 GT from 1969 to 1974, there were no major changes to any features, although various smaller items and details did change, leading to the three series of cars referred to as "L", "M" and "E". The 246’s biggest change came with the March 1972 Geneva Auto Show introduction of the 246 GTS, which featured a one-piece removable targa top panel.
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With the Dino 246 GT already a very successful model on the market, Ferrari decided to increase its popularity by introducing a spider version for the model. The Dino 246 GTS made its public debut at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, and until 1974 when it was discontinued Ferrari produced 4,000 units, with 1200 in targa version.
Apart from the removable roof panel, The GTS version can be identified by the omission of the rear quarter windows, which were replaced by a plain metal sail panel with three rectangular cabin exhaust air slots.
Late in the production run, wider Campagnola wheels of a different design from the standard Cromodora ones, coupled with flared wheel arches, were offered, as were "Daytona" pattern seats, which had a different, more elaborate stitch pattern with thin horizontal bars to the centre, which earned the package the epithet "Chairs and Flares".
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With the huge success of the Dino 246 GT/GTS, Ferrari also decided to bring a 2+2 version of the car. And in 1972 at the Paris Motor Show Ferrari unveiled the 308 GT4 model. It was Ferrari’s first V-8 production model, and also the first mid-engined 2+2 model.
The 308 GT4 models were given chassis numbers in the particular Dino even number series, which they maintained even when being produced alongside the true 246 GT/GTS replacement, the 308 GTB/GTS series, which had chassis numbers in the standard Ferrari road car odd-number sequence. The production period lasted for seven years, until 1980, when it was superseded by the Mondial 8 model.
The car was designed by Bertone and featured a controversial styling at first, due to its angular lines, like the boomerang shaped air intakes on the sail panels that bordered the rear quarter glass, and the tunnel effect of the inner sail panels to the flat vertical rear screen. The left side intake ducted cooling air to the oil radiator, and the right side one ducted air to the carburettor air filter. The overall shape was very tight and well balanced, and has stood the test of time very well, certainly better than some of its contemporaries.
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The Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 is the smaller version of the 308 GT4 that was revealed at the 1973 Paris Auto Salon. The Ferrari was specially designed for the Italian market, because in those days taxation was particularly heavy on cars with engines above 2 liters, and remained in production from 1975 to 1980, with a total of 840 units receiving Maranello’s stamp of approval.
As this was a specific market model for the Italian market, all were produced with a left hand drive configuration. Just like most Ferraris that came before in the Dino lineup, the numbers in the car’s name refer to the engine’s total cubic capacity as well as the number of cylinders, in this case the Dino is powered by a 2.0 Liter V8, with the figure 4 relating to the Dino’s 2+2 layout offering space for up to four passengers.
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