Look at the list of the most expensive cars ever sold at an auction and at least three-fourths of the cars on that list are Ferraris. That’s important to know because another classic Ferrari is about to join its peers on that list. A 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT is headed to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it will be auctioned off by Gooding and Company on August 24. The classic Ferrari is estimated to fetch between $2 million to $3 million, though given how much other classic Ferraris have gone for in recent auctions, that estimate could turn out to be conservative relative to our expectations.

Like most Ferraris that go up for millions of dollars in auction settings, this 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT has an interesting story to tell. The first, and most important, is that it’s actually not a production model. It’s a prototype model — the second one, in fact — that Ferrari used for testing and development.

Old-school Ferrari hats will likely notice that there are some noticeable differences between this particular example and an actual production model. The turn signals, for example, are smaller in the prototype than they are in the production model. They’re also found in different locations as the prototype’s turn signals are located below the grille. The production model’s turn signals, on the other hand, are more prominently placed above the bumper, flanking, it seems, the Ferrari Prancing Horse logo.

The prototype’s taillights also feature three round lenses. That’s not really noticeable until you realize that the production model only has two round lenses in it. Even the body looks a little longer than the production model, a byproduct of the 2.0-liter V-6 engine on the prototype Dino getting mounted longitudinally as opposed to the transverse mounted setup on the production model. The different body profile also manifests itself through its more tapered tail. Even tiny details like chrome bars across the side strakes and the large single windshield wiper are elements that only the prototype version has.

In some ways, these details are what makes this particular 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT. Ferrari only built 152 units of the production Dino Berlinetta GT, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after Ferrari models in history. Granted, this piece is a prototype, but there are way fewer of them in the world than the actual models. In a lot of ways, that kind of rarity and matching provenance is what’s going to propel this piece’s price tag when it hits the Gooding and Company auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance next month.

Think that $3 million estimate is attainable? I think it’ll end up being a low number compared to what I believe it’s going to sell for. In my mind, this classic piece of Ferrari history could fetch around $4 million to $5 million.

Further reading

Read our speculative review on the upcoming Ferrari Dino.

Read our full review on the 1967 - 1980 Ferrari Dino.

Read more Ferrari news.