1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GT

Youthquake

Few cars scream 1970s sex appeal like the Ferrari 246 Dino GT, a model conceived to inject some welcomed sporting youth into a 12-cylinder range which very much appealed to the marque’s older clientele.

How beautiful is that sultry soap-bar body? It could only be the work of Pininfarina, which, in the face of the angular geometric aesthetic trends of the time, still managed to make it look fresh and contemporary. Arguably the best thing about the Dino is that it’s every bit as good to drive as it is to look at – something that certainly can’t be said of every late-1960s/early-1970s sports car.

Chassis no. 06096

Every now and then, the cars we encounter , whether that’s because of their condition, their history or their specification. This right-hand-drive 1973 Ferrari 246 Dino GT is one such example. Allow us to explain.

Finished in Argento Auteuil (106.E.1) over a Red (VM 3171) full leather interior and with optional electric windows, this final-development E-series 246 Dino GT – chassis number 06096 – was ordered on 30 November 1972 via Maranello Concessionaires, which subsequently sold the Dino to Dick Lovett in Swindon.

Chassis number 06096 was acquired by the first of its mere three owners, a Manchester-based metal magnate by the name of Robert Cooper, in May of 1973. Despite Cooper only keeping it for six months and covering a mere 1,270 miles, he did return the car to Lovett for its two scheduled complimentary services, as shown in the original Dino Warranty Card.

On 13 October 1973, Cooper sold this Dino to William John Charles Ford, a prominent British collector of motorcycles and, as it turns out, an incredibly diligent owner. Not only did he painstakingly log every single journey he completed over the course of his 17-year ownership, but also when he charged the battery and routinely ran the engine up.

These original logs, the latter of which was scrawled on both sides of a Graypaul Ferrari business card, can be found in the accompanying history file, which also – unsurprisingly – includes maintenance invoices and MOT certificates. By the time he parted with chassis number 06096, Ford had added only 4,283 miles to the overall total. To say he cherished his Dino would be a serious understatement.

This 246 GT’s third and final owner – a prominent UK-based Ferrari collector who counts, among many others, a 250 GTO in his stable – assumed custody of 06096 in October of 1990. And in the 33 years that followed, the car has travelled less than 300 miles, spending the majority of its time carefully stored at The Light Car Company in Faringdon.

Unsurprisingly, this sheltered life has, today, resulted in a Dino that beguiles with its originality. This is no ‘barn find’ – the metallic-silver bodywork has aged beautifully, in generally excellent condition and showing only a handful of small stone chips around the nose and the expected signs of gentle patination. The windows are all original, showing the correct hallmarks in the correct locations.

Inside, the leather hide has aged incredibly well. The headlining is taught and not sagging at all, and because it’s spent almost its entire life indoors, the original mouse-hair dash has not faded. Parts of the interior such as the forward transmission tunnel and the driver’s side sill are actually still covered in their factory plastic protective wrapping. The 8-track stereo remains functional and in the glovebox you’ll find the manual contingency winder for the otherwise electric windows. These are incredibly rare.

Peer behind the steering wheel at the column and you’ll even find the sealed customs tag from when the car was originally imported to the United Kingdom. We shouldn’t be surprised with the condition. This Dino has only covered 5,850 miles and has always been carefully stored and maintained.

It should go without saying that chassis 06096 retains all its accompanying factory paraphernalia: its tool roll, jack (complete with leather pouch), and leather books pouch, containing the warranty card, service book, owner’s manual and spare-parts catalogue. The latter documents are all in excellent condition – a credit to the car’s former keepers.

“Peer behind the steering wheel at the column and you’ll even find the sealed customs tag from when the car was originally imported to the United Kingdom.” 

Finding 1970s Ferraris in such condition and with such provenance today is an increasingly rare occurrence, which goes some way to explain why we’re so excited by this Dino. Chassis 06096 is certainly a car that needs to be seen in the metal to be truly appreciated.