First Ferrari Dino in 40 years like son of original
A ‘Dino,’ named after the son of founder Enzo Ferrari (below) , had all the breeding and curves of the company’s race cars, only with a smaller engine and price tag. The first iterations had six cylinders — Ferrari was known for twelve.
It was a prancing pony among thundering thoroughbreds, and it steered the company from the race track onto the road. It was the first road-going Ferrari to have its engine between the front and back wheels, which made for better, balanced handling, while letting designers sculpt a daintier, more aerodynamic nose.
Now, Fiat Chrysler has promised us another Dino, the first in 40 years. Sergio Marchionne told Autocar Magazine, it’s “not a question of if, but when.”
The Fiat chief is goosing the Ferrari brand in advance of an initial public offering later this year. But he also said a Dino 2.0 wouldn’t be “cheap.” Nor would it stretch the brand lower down the market. The expected sweet spot is €200,000, in exchange for 500 horsepower. In that range, it will square off against Porsche’s 911, as it did decades ago.
Still, prospective buyers shouldn’t expect to skip the standard Ferrari waiting list. These will be hot; vintage Dinos, these days, are among the more coveted Ferraris in the family. The seminal model, from 1967, is worth almost €700,000, nearly four times what it fetched five years ago, according to Hagerty Insurance.
