One interesting thing is that all of the development work on the 2L and 2.4L engines were done in the FIAT where the engine is placed longitudinally. When the same engine was placed in the Dino Ferrari transversely the fuel float bowls would now starve fuel on long left hand bends. This was only ever solved after Dino production ended with the Lancia Stratos (that used the same engine). The Stratos had different carbs and intake manifolds but sadly these cannot be fitted to a Ferrari Dino without either modifying the airbox or engine lid. The FIAT Spider is a lovely car and as a Ferrari Dino owner myself I can accept your praises for the FIAT variant. That said the Ferrari is just so achingly beautiful that it is difficult to choose the FIAT if there is only one garage space to fill.
One small detail, that car you refer to is not a Ferrari. It is a Dino 246 GT, but not a Ferrari. It was sold as a separate brand, and you will find no Ferrari emblems on it. The engine has FIAT cast into it.
@@pashakdescilly7517 The Dino 246GT was built on the Ferrari assembly line, Has a chassis ID plate with a prancing horse on it, and was sold through Ferrari dealerships. Even though the engine has FIAT cast into it the ID stamping is different for the 246GT. While I agree that it is not a pure Ferrari, referring to it as a Ferrari Dino 246GT is accepted terminology and in no way is an attempt to pass the car off as a Ferrari. It is funny because for years people put horse emblems on these cars to pass them off as Ferrari's and now it is the opposite as the Dino brand has more cache. Also 308 GT4 owners have recently jumped on the bandwagon with more people referring to their cars as Dino's whereas 10 years ago they would have all called them Ferrari's. I have both a 246 GT and a 308 GTB so I've heard it all before :)
@@pashakdescilly7517 The Stratos received IDF carburetors while the 246 used DCNF's. Totally different architecture and float setup. I have driven a 246GT with Stratos carbs and the difference is significant. I believe the Influenzo's misfire has been cured and it was down to an electrical problem cutting a bank of cylinders.
I am so lucky: small feet, short legs and long arms; so I love old Italian cars. I've only driven a few miles in 246 Dinos but the ride definitely wasn't harsh. In fact by today's standards it would be considered too soft, especially with those big, squidgy 70 series XWXs! Dino's and other old Ferraris do need regular exercise though and it's common to find the bushings have broken down, seized, or both. A hard riding 246 has likely just not been regularly driven.
Nice video again, Jack! The Fiat Dinos ,both coupe (which I once owned) and Spider ,shared the same Gemmer steering box as the Fiat 125 Special ,130 and 132 models - Fiat was very good at utilising there own spares ! It produces a very smooth action in rotation of the wheel when compared to the rack and pinion set up , although heavy at parking speeds lightens up once on the move. Fiat suspension is very highly rated , although on paper not such a technical “ tour de force” as perhaps some Alfa Romeos, but should not be overlooked , as it produces good ride characteristics with good driving responses. Colour does certainly suit the car!
Whole front suspension and steering is off a 125/132 Installing two way gas shocks for Argenta makes a world of difference. I'm also pondering a 2.8 turns lock to lock power steering box from Argenta but it takes a bit of fiddling to fit a power steering pump, pulleys etc
I always loved the Fiat Dino convertible. Another triumph for Pininfarina! You should have mentioned there is also the Coupe styled by Bertone...a very different and rather plain looking car. Be that as it may, I have a friend with two "Ferrari" Dinos, and I find them to be brilliant driving machines, and as far as the looks, I think they are second only to the Miura. Great video. Thanks!
I don't know why, but when I was doing my Grand European Tour, I was passed on the road by several Fiat Dino Spiders. It must be that owners just couldn't bear to let these cars stand!
I had a 1967 Fiat Dino 2.0 L spider.. I also owned a 77 Ferrari 308 GTB grp… I have to say the Dino Spider was the better drive, just the sound and feel of it The Ferrari was nice, but really Jack is right..The Fiat Dino is a fabulous drive. Sorry never had the pleasure to drive a 246 so I can’t say how good they are. I was never a fan of the front end view of the Fiat Dino myself but it sure looked good with the hardtop fitted.. Thanks for the video much enjoyed.
I find the nose of the FIAT DINO 2000 spider less attractive than the 2400 perhaps because the tyres don't fill the wheel arches and the bumpers are skinny. I actually have a Ferrari 246 nose clip hanging in my garage and yes., its shape is stunning.
@@drivinmenutsnuts3380 lol ..I appreciate these cars more as I get older. You just don’t see these cars anymore. He’s got the 84’ 308 quattrovalve which is nice but all it does is collect dust these days lol. Old Italian men for you lol
I've never heard or seen one of these things before, but the curves on the body, everything about it is fantastic, very individual looking too, engine sounds so nice, love to drive it round the lake district on a sunny day 👍
A difficult choice. If I could choose any vintage Ferrari it would be the Dino. But the looks of this Spider also hold a special place in my heart. And the fact that it's not a Ferrari is an advantage in my book.
The coupe (Bertone) is nice too.....that's what the bad guys drove in The Italian Job....and my dad had one back in the day. Both a very under-valued and not properly appreciated car. But I'd prefer a proper 246 Dino
Another great video Jack and a good comparison with the 246. Remembering that Ferrari were selling their mighty V12 Daytona at the same time which both shared that unique interior design...
You can pick up a decent Fiat Dino Coupe for around £50k which seems remarkable value compared to the Ferrari. I have my eye on a 130 Coupe - more in my price range!
I remember when the 130 coupe came out. I was blown away by it then and still am. Late 60s and early 70s Fiat's were stunning. The little 850 convertible of that time was another gem I'd love to own.
I remember seeing these in the for sale sections of UK car magazines in the 80's for 3-5k no one wanted them, mind you this is when a ferrari dino was 35k for a excellent example... should of bought a couple of each , ho hum such is life.... great video as usual cheers from New Zealand
I first saw these cars in Switzerland as a 13 year old on a school trip and there seems to be several in Lucerne where we stayed. I've loved them ever since - a beautiful beautiful car-but don't remember seeing one on the road. I'm afraid they're beyond my pocket so I'll just need to love them from afar. Thanks for this.
I find the front end design a bit of an acquired taste. The Bertone version (coupé) is prettier, as I think it's a perfect match of the boxier style with some elegant curves. Great to see this rare car though.
I love the Fiat Dino! The first spider I saw was Kevin McLeods at a Bristol Italian car festival about 4 years ago, that had a similar colour. The Fiat Dino I would want to own is the 2.4 litre Coupe.
My Uncle in Malaysia owned a right-hand-drive 246GTS for a good many years. It was in good working condition, if a little sweaty to travel in because of the Malaysian climate. In 1996, he decided to offer it for sale at the Malaysian equivalent of about 60 grand sterling. Nobody wanted it! Absolutely no one! It took him ages to find a buyer. Some time after it was finally sold, the values went stratospheric!!
Fiat Dino’s are such good looking cars! I remember I first ever saw one on wheeler dealer in that same blue colour as the spider you’ve got there Jack and I thought wow I love that car! ……. Cracking video as always bud 👍
It’s lovely car and well reasoned argument. The only niggle is that the headlights don’t sit particularly well, they look a bit goofy to my eye. I drove a 246 the year I passed my test so I wasn’t qualified to compare it but naturally it blew me away and started my love of Ferrari.
Driven a few dinos about 15 years ago when they were £40k. Thought they were crap to be honest.. but a 512bb carburettor car .. yes give me one of those
I love all Dino's. I'm in shock after seeing the asking price for Mike Morrises book. I spent a brilliant afternoon talking to him at his house and he signed the copy I have. We took his Dino for a blast, but I recall him talking more about the 911 Targa he had as his everyday car.
Wherever you fall on the main call of this vid (preference), I will say, the quality and entertainment of your videos is excellent as always. I have a tiny idea of what you put into these. I really appreciate it! Absolutely gorgeous car btw, underrated imo. Tasteful, great proportions.
As the years go by some earlier Ferrari’s become far more valuable I owned several Ferrari’s that were not expensive in their day. But today you could buy Fort Knox with them...sadly I sold them years ago Berlinetta Boxer 512 as an example I also owned a Lamborghini Contach 5000s... Sold it for £30,000 Today that particular car is heading for the £ 500,000 mark. But who knew back then !
Calm down from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia and in California and New York too
I personally like the Fiat Dino Coupe than the spider, but I must agree the Ferrari Dino definitely wins regarding aesthetics. I could spend the entire day staring at one ;)
It’s all in the eye of the beholder but the Ferrari gets my vote, reminds me of a fair few years back when a friend against my advice ignored a Dino for 50k, and then an F40 for 300k, I remind him of those two mistakes often 😂
The sitting position in this car would be perfect for me. I have very short legs, so short that I could not push the clutch in an early Countach! I may be an idiot, but I preferred the Bertone Coupe design to the Pininfarina Convertible. It looks really like the small sibling of the Iso Grifo, a car that in my opinion is among the top five car designs of all times.
One of my friends was given a 246 Dino by his dad when he passed his driving test at 17. They were not as expensive then as they went on to be. It was quite a car.
@@mattbettany1174 Busso and this might be the exceptions to the V6 rule yeah. Then again on some VQs I like the burble they have but it's definitely rare to hear a well judged/set up one Different sort of sound altogether
Bernard Cahier was the head of IRPA, International Race Press Association. I was the last person to join IRPA and as soon as I had given Cahier the ‘dues’, he closed IRPA down . . . By that, time press credentials were being handled by FOCA.
I was also concerned when the rain came on, I could hear the car dissolving as you drove along🤣....those cars rust like no other, if this one lived in California that would be a clue to its survival, hopefully the British owner has gone through the car with a wax-oil lance because they didn't get any rustproofing at the factory.
I don't disagree with anything you say. However, I would have the Ferrari any day. Not only is it one of the prettiest cars ever, it's also the first Ferrari I ever got to have a ride in when I worked as an apprentice for a Ferrari dealer when I was sixteen. I utterly adore it.
I have serviced FIAT Dino coupes and spiders, and Dino GTs and GTSs. They are all fabulous, and different, cars. My personal favorite is the Dino GT though.
The 206/246 were never, officially, badged as Ferraris. Back in the late seventies, a friend had an ally bodied 206 in right hand drive, apparently, they only ever made two and his was the sole survivor, he was only an ordinary mechanic and I don't think he knew what a rarity he had so he sold it for six grand!
Only thing that boils my piss, a Dino wearing Ferrari badges or that poncey prancing horse!. Someone must have a fragile ego to put the badges on what Enzo wanted to be a tribute to his son so, a DINO not a FERRARI. Putting the wrong badges on is like pissing on Dino's grave, shame on these sad people!!. The 206 / 246 Dino is much too beautiful to be a Ferrari.
@@kevinparker461 Enzo initially didn't want a car with less than 12 cylinders, but his top executives convinced him to do it as Porsche were doing well with their new 911 & Ferrari were in financial difficulty at the time (which was almost always all the time). His only concession; not to badge it as a Ferrari. Selling a car like this in high volumes & at a reasonably low price could be profitable. It turned out to be a top seller for Ferrari, with more than 4,000 made. Designed by Pininfarina, built by Scaglietti, engine & transmission by Fiat. It was something of a first for Ferrari; their first mid-engined road car, their first high volume seller & their first & only car with a cast iron engine block.
You make some great, rational points and what a truly desirable classic this Fiat must be. However, the Ferrari wins hands down in the looks department.
Number 27, I would have to disagree with you. While Fiat Dino is a nice looking car, I would rather go with Ferrari Dino any day. The only thing I would change is adding a glass cover for the headlights like David Lee did with his Ferrari Dino. Anyhow, I will give you TWO THUMBS up for making this video, not for your opinion. One question... when you drive downhill and have to downshift, would you shift backwards from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1? Or would you put it in neutral and match shift to revving?
I always thought the FIATs were better cars than the Ferraris, not that I've ever driven one. It's almost as if FIAT felt they didn't have to try too hard. A bit like Bentley to Rolls Royce.
That’s true for the Fiat 130 coupe/sedan with its 3.2L V6, but alas not for the Dino coupe and Spider. These cars are now generally for sale between $100-300k plus. 105 Alfa GTVs generally sell for between $40-100k. Naturally there are the odd exception to these price range, but condition, originality, low mileage etc all play into this part of the equation.
@@seancain7305 No worries Sean. Yes, from my perspective I am disappointed that the Fiat Dinos have gone so far up in price to be well beyond my means or even dreams of having one. I missed the boat. Top condition 130 coupes and sedans are also on the rise out here in Oz let alone probably Europe and the UK. Out here now the best coupes are around $60k and sedans over $30k !! I had a sedan some years ago, sold it for next to nothing. My brother has a couple of 130 coupes and sedans. Over the years i have owned 5 x 105 series Alfa’s, Giulia’s (still have one), Berlina and a ‘69 S1 1750 GTV. Sadly i sold my GTV some years ago for $6500, it needed work but was very sound. I can’t afford a GTV anymore as they have become too expensive.
I didn't realise for a long time, but it's almost exactly the same as the 365 Spider California (abelt a bit de-stetched) but with Aldo Brovarone's dino berlinetta speciale's front end.
Hey Jack, how about a 1970-ish Maserati Ghibli Spyder (not the coupe). It looks like the big brother of this one (which is a gorgeous car, BTW). I know there are a few in the UK, even though there are only 125 in existence. The other one I’d like to see is the Bora.
Between us, Dear Old and I owned eight or nine 124 Spiders, the only model car I drove for the first 11 years I had my license. To have had a Fiat Dino would have made me explode. It's looks so much like the king to the 124's prince. However rare they are, I've seen a couple over the years. But I also wish that I had the Ferrari Dino a neighbor owned in 1968 or so, casually parking in the apartment parking lot. That was shortly before my own awareness of cars and gone by the time I realized that I should have at least gotten a ride in it.
I love both Dino’s, although the Ferrari is just a better looking car. I’m not sure it’s right to compare though just because they both have ‘Dino’ in the name?? They appear as different cars to me. Different design and price bracket along with the way they drive. If I had the money I would buy them both on there own merits, although I would have the Ferrari first😃 Keep up the videos I always enjoy your positive outlook 👍
@@petercampbell3828 unfortunately they were buying cheap steel from Romania or Poland at the time or maybe both countries. Shame so many lovely cars were lost over the years just to save a bit of money.
