Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 00268
Engine No. 0004888
Transmission No. 86
By the late 1960s, Ferrari had been racing V6-powered sports racing
cars for nearly a decade - the front-engined Dino 196 S being the
first to carry the "Dino" script on its front wings. Its 65-degree
V6 engine was developed in 1956 with the input of none other than
Vittorio Jano, designer of the Lancia Aurelia's industry-first
production V6, as well as numerous Grand Prix-winning race cars
over his illustrious career. The introduction of new Formula Two
regulations in 1967 mandating production-based engines coincided
with Ferrari's desire to build a relatively small displacement road
car to rival the Porsche 911. After appearing on a pair of
mid-engined concept cars at the 1966 and 1967 Turin Motor Shows, as
well as on the front-engined Fiat Dino in 1966, the Dino badge made
its way onto the production Dino 206 GT by 1968.
Its elegant Pininfarina-designed silhouette was inspired by its
sports racing counterparts with its low nose, curvaceous front
wings, and buttressed sail panels sweeping down into a Kamm tail.
Situated amidships the lightweight, aluminum body was the Dino V6
with a displacement of two liters, topped with three twin-choke
Weber carburetors and producing 180-horsepower. Despite the Dino's
position in the brand hierarchy, the 206 GT represented a number of
firsts for the Italian firm, including being the first mid-engined
road car produced by Ferrari, the first to feature direct
rack-and-pinion steering and electronic ignition, and the first
Ferrari product produced on an assembly line.
Approximately 150 examples of the 206 GT were produced over a
nine-month period before shifting production to the 246 GT in late
1969, making it by far the rarest and most desirable production
Dino variant. Apart from its smaller displacement, the 206 GT can
be distinguished by its all-aluminum coachwork, aluminum engine
block, and slightly shorter wheelbase, making it lithe and nimble
in contrast to its steel-bodied and cast steel engine-fitted
successor. The Dino 206 GT is now appropriately recognized as being
instrumental in Ferrari's expansion from opulent gran turismos to
mid-engine sports cars, as well as a spectacular driver's car in
its own right.
This Classiche-certified Dino 206 GT, chassis number 00268, is an
Italian delivery example completed on 5 December 1968 and
dispatched to Italcar S.p.A. in Turin. Finished in 106-A-31 Blu
Notte Metallizzato (Night Blue Metallic) over a 161 Nero (Black)
vinyl interior, the Dino sold to its original owner Rifometal
S.p.A., a Turinese mining company, on 22 January 1969. According to
the Marcel Massini report on file and available to review upon
request, the car enjoyed a series of subsequent owners, all in
Turin, before being exported to Switzerland in 1973 where it was
eventually purchased by its fifth owner, Bernhard Frei of
Mellingen. Chassis 00268 would remain in Frei's possession for an
impressive 31 years, appearing in September 1983 at a Ferrari Days
meeting in Modena still wearing its original color scheme. Frei
finally parted with his cherished Dino in 2006, selling it to the
consignor - a lifelong Ferrari enthusiast, world-renowned restorer
of Enzo-era Ferraris, and class winner of multiple top concours
events including Pebble Beach, Cavallino, and Villa d'Este. He,
with additional help from Swiss specialist shops, embarked on a
comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration. The car's delicate original
aluminum body panels were taken down to bare metal and
professionally resprayed in the fabulous and incredibly rare
factory shade of 106-A-71 Viola Metallizzato Dino, and the interior
was fully re-trimmed in as-delivered Nero vinyl. Mechanically, the
Dino's numbers-matching engine and transmission were carefully
disassembled and rebuilt to factory-correct specifications by
Marcel Wettstein which is well documented in a digital file of
restoration images.
Since its completion in 2008, the consignor has treasured and
enjoyed the exquisitely-restored Dino for the remainder of his
17-year stewardship. Today, the car presents in wonderful overall
condition which is complemented by a number of correct details
including 14-inch, knock-off Cromodora alloy wheels, a three-spoke
wood-trimmed steering wheel, correct Dino 206 GT shift knob,
owner's manual, spare parts book, jack, and tool roll. Furthermore,
chassis 00268 was issued a Ferrari Classiche Red Book on 11
November 2015, certifying that the aluminum body panels, chassis,
engine, and transmission numbers are recognized by Ferrari to match
factory records. As the Dino grew to become the 246 GT, the
earliest, aluminum-bodied 206 GTs remain the most coveted among
collectors as the purest iteration of Ferrari's first mid-engined
sports car. This numbers-matching, beautifully restored example of
the breed presents an exceptional opportunity to acquire one of the
approximately 150 produced, in a rare and eye-catching color, no
less.
