A Beautiful and Legitimate Legend.(Escape Roads)(Ferrari Dino 246)

Byline: MIKE COVELLO

While some may question the Ferrari lineage of the Dino 246, it's doubtful any would disparage its stunning beauty. Spend some time behind the Momo steering wheel of this voluptuous gem, and you will certainly fall in love with its superb handling and polite manners. The Dino represented a departure for Ferrari SpA when it made its debut in 1967. Despite scoring numerous racing victories with cars powered by four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, Ferrari was known for its lusty V12s, mounted in front of the driver.

Ferrari needed a minimum of 500 production engines to qualify for homologation in Formula Two. Fiat could certainly use the prestige of having a "Ferrari'' engine in its cars. So, based on a brief marriage of convenience long before Fiat's eventual purchase of Ferrari, a 2.0-liter V6 was designed by Ferrari. It was manufactured by Fiat and then installed in the Ferrari Dino 206, Fiat Dino Coupe and Spyder. The 180-hp output proved to be inadequate, so in 1969, Ferrari introduced a 2.4-liter version in the Dino 246 GT. Fitted with three Weber 40 DCNF 13 two-barrel carburetors, this version was rated at 195 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque.

While Ferrari did try to pass off the mid-engine 250LM as a street car that evolved from the mighty GTO, most would concede that the Dino was the first mass-produced mid-engine Ferrari. The long-nose, short-deck look worked for the front-engine berlinettas, but a new design language had to be created for the mid-engine marvels. Pininfarina outdid itself with this exquisite jewel. The side profile is highlighted by a tapered nose, pleasing flying buttresses, and a Kamm, or sharply cut tail. The side intakes for the engine are sculpted into both the doors and rear fenders with a delicacy that matches the rest of the details. Coupe models had small side windows behind the ones in the doors, and those equipped with the lift-off fiberglass roof (246 GTS) had three vents in the sail panels, similar to the ones in ...