1972 Fiat Dino

A problem quickly arose when Ferrari wanted to use its new V-6 engine in the European Formula 2 Championship, when it was unable to build in sufficient quantities to satisfy homologation rules mandating 500 units be produced with the engine over a one-year period. A beneficial solution was found with Fiat, where homologation requirements allowed Ferrari to compete in Formula 2, and Fiat gained a 'Dino' sports car.

Alfredo 'Dino' Ferrari was the first son of Enzo Ferrari, and his diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy led to an early death at the age of 24. He was working on an engine at the time of his death, so his father dubbed it the 'Dino' in his honor. The 'Dino' series of racing sports cars used this V6 engine, and road cars under the same marque soon followed.

Fiat's sports car with the Ferrari V6 engine was aptly named the Dino. It was introduced in October 1966 at the Torino Motor Show as an open-top spider penned by Bertone; a 2+2 coupe version styled by Pininfarina and residing on a 10.6-inch longer wheelbase arrived a short time later, in March 1967, at the Geneva Motor Show.

The all-aluminum 2-liter (1,986.6) DOHC V6 engine had a 65-degree angle between the cylinder banks, an alloy block, aluminum cylinder heads, cast iron valve seats, hemispherical combustion chambers, and 9:1 compression. It had three twin-choke downdraught 40 DCN 14 Weber Carburetors, a 3.4-inch bore, a 2.2-inch stroke, and 12 poppet valves timed by two chain-driven overhead camshafts. It is believed to have been designed by Vittorio Jano, and Aurelio Lampredi converted its applications from racing to road-going. Production was handled by Fiat at their Turin facilities. The engine was paired with an all-synchromesh five-speed manual Fiat-designed transmission and produced a claimed 158 horsepower. It had a hydraulic single-plate dry clutch and a limited-slip differential. Servo-assisted brakes provided stopping power, while a front wishbone suspension with anti-roll bars helped body control. Steering was of the worm and roller type by French manufacturer Gemmer.

Between 1966 and 1969, a total of 3,670 examples of the 2-liter coupe and 1,163 of the 2-liter spider were produced.

Fiat Dino 2400
A new 2.4-liter version of the Ferrari and Fiat Dino were introduced in 1969, with the latter arriving in October 1969 at the Turin Motor Show. Production was moved to Ferrari's Maranello factory, and the 2.4-liter engine used in the Ferrari 246 Dino was made available. Reflecting the larger engine, the Fiat Dino added '2400' to its name. Engine output increased by 20 horsepower and 39 lbs/ft of torque, improving low-speed driveability.

Along with the 2.4-liter engine, other revisions included electronic ignition, seats with headrests, an updated dashboard, wider wheels and tires, larger brakes, and a fully independent rear end. Exterior styling differences included a new grill, tail lamps, and the loss of some of the chrome trim.

The 2,418cc (2.4 liter) 65-degree DOHC V12 engine had a cast iron block, a 3.6-inch bore, 2.4-inch stroke, 9:1 compression, and produced 178 horsepower at 6,600 RPM and 159 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 RPM. The transmission was now a ZF-sourced S5-18/3 dog-leg gearbox with a larger-sized single-plate dry clutch.

Production of the 2.4-liter Fiat Dino continued until 1973, with 420 examples being Spiders and 2,550 being Coupes. The total number of Fiat Dinos (combined 2.0 and 2.4-liter) was 7,803 units, with the majority (74%) being coupes.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2024