I have been drooling over the Ferrari Dino GT since I was 5 years old and had a little yellow toy Dino. I've seen a couple on the track and a couple in car shows but I've never seen one on the road until today.

I was walking home from the streetcar stop when I saw it parked down the street. The somewhat crappy photo is from my 19th floor apartment. I didn't have time to run down to take some street level pictures before I heard it fire up and blast down the road.

It got me thinking again.

There aren't many cars I'd trade the teener in for...
And any of the those select cars would eat the teener as a down payment only...
But is life really too short to not drive a Ferrari?



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Why would you trade your 914 for a crappy Italian 914 knock off??

Well, let's think about this. The Dino, like the 914, was a bastard child. Niether carried the forweard badges of the Factory. The Dino, like the 914, did not have a "proper" Factory motor in it. They were both stepchildren.

But, NOW, the Dino has become a darling & commanding pretty high auction prices. Guess that means the snobs have been croaking!

Same goes fr 914's - prices on the rise, just not at the Dino level. Guess the Ferrari mystique has stayed with low production numbers & the (OK, I'm going to piss some people off here) prevelance of "gold chain" Porsche owners ( read leasers) of contemporary times - sorta dirties the Porsche name when 60% are those that lease! I won't even bring up the chili pepper owners (gag).

Would I like to have a Dino? - damn right. Would I park it on the street? Not without Vinnie to watch it. Ist it collectible? Believe it!

And, since the 904, Porsche has not produced a car that compares in relative sexiness to anything Ferrari. Though, Porsches can be driven, without thousands spent annually in maintenance. And, they have made some nice looking cars too, though, for my taste, the 911 RSR was the last.

MHOB & you are free to take issue.
Pat

I had the opportunity years ago to drive the Dino 206 and 246's. The Italian styling is very sharp, but like our 914's very suseptible to corrosion. I think the 206 was aluminum bodied? I still prefer the driving personality of the Porsche cars.

They are cool cars but are not known for their reliability. All my money will go to Tony for veal parm subs and pizzas once I get to NYC this winter for three jobs we sold. If Tony made cars as well as he makes Pizzas, there would be more Firreros than pizza shops. Sorry, I'm a anticar exclusive 914 prick.

Hate to burst any bubbles but I have a friend who bought a 246 spyder a few years ago when they were cheap...he paid less than 10k...his maintainance costs have been reasonable and the damn thing is SEXY, also not a bad car to drive...it doesn't handle like a 914, but it sure as hell sounds better...and chicks dig it....of course he's old like me and that means less all the time.

I've always loved the 246 Dino too - saw plenty of then at this year's Concorso Italiano during Historics weekend. Very nice ones are going for close to $200K!

I have begun to really appreciate the sexiness of the classic Ferrari. I wouldn't trade a good 914 in for one because 1) You'd still have to come up with several 10,000 more dollars or so and 2) Even the Ferrari guys admit that the Porsche is the more reliable car

BTW, there are many Ferrari guys out there who do try to do their own work and many more complain about the silly high prices they gotta pay for parts. But just like we have our passion for Porsche they have their fever for Ferrari. The classic Ferrari guys appreciate all older cars and are fun to chat with, many have owned a Porsche and/or currently own one...which gets driven more than the Ferrari

Just my observations/experience based on FerrariChat.com BTW, my favorite Ferrari is the 4 person, MID-ENGINED Dino (later badged Ferrari) 308GT. Although, the Lamborghini Miura is one of my favorites as well (think 928 does a 914 doggy-style after steroid injections and Chianti)...

I think the Dino is one of the most timeless designs ever put on an auto. I actively searched for one to buy in '86 but the prices were climbing faster than my cheap brain could comprehend. Maintenance can be tough because of the way they are packaged, the cooling hoses go through the frame. The design will always make them desireable. I don't think anyone shopping for a Dino would name the 914 as "also considered". I guess the opposite is true also.

, except for the part of "actively searching for one". The Dino, both the road version and the SP racing example have many of the hallmark styling cues from Ferrari prototypes (250P/275P/330P) and GT cars (250LM/275LM) from Ferraris' golden age of sports car racing in the '60s before Ford and then Porsche dominated the landmark endurance races.

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Well, let's think about this. The Dino, like the 914, was a bastard child. Niether carried the forweard badges of the Factory. The Dino, like the 914, did not have a "proper" Factory motor in it. They were both stepchildren.

While correct that FIAT was involed in the project for both the Ferrari and FIAT Dinos, the reasons were not the same that brought about the 914. To meet numbers for homoglotion, Ferrari needed to produce a number well outside thier manufacturing abilities, so they contacted thier parent company to help out. Ferrari only produced a TOTAL of 3761 of the 206/246 Dino cars. And the old snobbery of if it is not a 12 cyclender car, then it just isn't a Ferrari has thankfully start to subside. Ezno nearly despised the road car division and only cared that the money kept him racing! So really any road car is a lessor Ferrari...

If I would have had $5,000 to spend 21 years ago, I would have had one. I looked real hard at a 246, but I was poorer then and had access to 914 parts and already knew them inside and out, so I ended up with my Silver 1974 914 that I still own today (although it is a 3.2 now).

I love this car! My uncle had a couple when I was a kid. they had a great sound and that is the car that sunk the hook for my life long obsession.