Driver Magazine - Issue 1 Dec 24 (3) - Flipbook - Page 20
This car, a 1973 right hand drive Dino 246GTS, is just 1 of 1274 GTS9s built. The GTS would only be available between 1972 and
1974. In mid-1971, the series 3 cars would begin to roll off the production line. This point in the cars life, production numbers
would skyrocket as the cars would become available in the US for example, 507 Series 2 cars were built.
However, 2705 Series 3 (or E-Series) cars were produced as demand for the car increased.
With a claimed top speed of 146MPH, although some sources say 150 was achievable, it was faster and slightly more
expensive than the Porsche 911 of the day.
Priced at around £5500, the car was not a cheap car by any stretch of the imagination. Although it didn9t wear the Ferrari
badge, its provenance and performance had to match that of its more illustrious cousins. Across the various markets the
car was sold in, changes had to be made to the cars to meet the specific safety and emissions regulations.
For example, in the US. US laws mandated that several aspects of the 246 had to be changed in order to be legally sold in
the US. With the engine, the 2.4-litre V6 was actually detuned to 175BHP and fitted with an emissions air-pump to meet
the new Smog regulations. Along with the engine changes, there were physical changes to the car as well.
The American spec cars would be fitted with a different style of indicators as well as the usual marker lights and reflectors.
Interesting fact, the US spec cars all have their serial numbers stamped on the steering column and are visible through the
windscreen which would also appear on later UK spec cars.
The rarest combination in a Dino is the fabled 8Chairs and Flares9 cars. Customers not only could option colours and wheels
for their cars, but also what style seats were to be fitted to the car – an option Ferrari still offers to this day.
But customers could request that their Dino be fitted with the seats from the Daytona along with flared wheel arches for a
wider more aggressive look.
These cars, known as 8Chairs and Flares9 are some of the most sought-after cars, not only in the Dino community but in the
Ferrari world as a whole with less than 150 examples ever being built.
The Dino name would be used once more in road car trim – with the introduction of the 208 and 308 in the 1973. But, by
1976 the name would be retired and all cars given their Ferrari badges from thereafter.
And there you go, that is the story of how the Dino name would play such an important and emotional part in the story of
the great Prancing Horse and create its own complex and evocative folklore.
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