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1969 Fiat Dino

The mid-engine Dino Ferrari and the front-engine Fiat Dino cars were both the result of changes in Formula 2 racing homologation requirements enacted by FISA for 1967. Ferrari's V-6 racing engine program of the 1950s and 1960s bought about a succession of victories including the 1961 Formula 1 Manufacturers' Championship, however, the Maranello-based company was unable to meet F2 production requirements. So they asked Italian industrial giant Fiat for assistance, whereby Fiat would produce a Ferrari-designed 2.0-liter (later growing to 2.4-liters) V-6 engine. This symbiotic relationship gave Fiat a potent V6 engine and for Ferrari - the numbers it needed to satisfy homologation (at least 500 examples within twelve months). The engine would power Ferrari's new 206 GT and subsequent 246 GT, plus Fiat's Pininfarina-built Dino Spider and Bertone-bodied Dino Coupe from 1967. The agreement between Ferrari and Fiat was made public on March 1st of 1965.

The 2.0-liter cars of 1967 and 1969 were virtually identical to the 2.4-liter versions (produced from 1969 to 1973), however, the Fiat Dino 2400 models had enhanced torque from their larger-displacement V-6 powerplant. Addition improvements included a larger clutch, a new 'dogleg' ZF gearbox with revised ratios, an independent rear suspension, enlarged brake discs and calipers, and wider radial tires. Exterior revisions included a blacked-out grille, five-lug wheels, and new identification logos.

The name 'Dino' was the nickname of Enzo Ferrari's son Alfredo, who had passed away in 1956. He had championed the Formula 2 V6 racing engine and its design is credited to Vittorio Jano. V6-engined Ferrari sports prototype racing cars have been named Dino since the late 1950s. Aurelio Lampredi was tasked with taming the racing engine for road use and series production.

The Fiat-built Ferrari V6 engines were installed in the front-engine Fiat Dino and assembled in Turin by Fiat. Ferrari's first series-produced mid-engined sports car was built in Maranello and sold under the newly created Dino marque.

The Engine

2-liter

The 1,986.6 cc (121.2 CID / 2-liter) V6 engine had a 86 mm bore and a 57mm stroke. It had an alloy block, aluminum cylinder heads, cast iron valve seats, special cast iron wet cylinder liners, and hemispherical combustion chambers. There were twelve poppet valves timed by two chain-driven overhead camshafts and a compression ratio of 9:1. Rather than a conventional 60-degree cylinder bank angle, the Dino V6 received an unusual 65-degree angle. The fuel was fed via three twin-choke downdraught Weber carburetors, normally 40 DCN 14 on 2.0 cars and 40 DCNF 12 on 2.4 cars.

2.4-liter

The 2,418cc (147.6 CID / 2.4-liter) V6 had a redesigned engine block formed from cast iron, the same 9:1 compression and 65-degree angle, a bore of 92.5mm and a stroke of 60mm.

Specification

The Fiat Dino used all-steel unibody construction and had a wheelbase size of 89.8-inches for the spider and 100.4-inches for the coupe. The coupe measured 177.4 inches in length and the spider was 161.8-inches long. The suspension had double wishbones at the front with the upper wishbones consisting of a stamped steel control arm while the lower one was of a stamped steel link and an adjustable forward radius rod. The upper wishbone was attached to hydraulic dampers and coil springs. The rear suspension on the 2.0-liter cars used a rigid axle, semi-elliptic springs and twin hydraulic dampers. Anti-roll bars were fitted all round. The 2.4-liters cars had an independent rear setup.

Both the 2.0- and 2.4-liter engines were paired with an all-synchromesh 5-speed manual transmission, with a hydraulic single-plate dry clutch, and a limited-slip differential. The transmission, however, was different. The 2.0-liter Dinos had a Fiat-designed transmission, and the 2.4-liter Dinos received a ZF-sourced S5-18/3 dog-leg gearbox.

The 2.0-liter Fiat Dino

Fiat introduced the pre-production Dino in 2-seater Spider configuration in October of 1966 at the Turin Motor Show. A 2+2 Coupe version arrived a short time later, in March of 1967, at the Geneva Motor Show. The design and coachwork of the Spider were courtesy of Pininfarina, and Bertone (Giorgetto Giugiaro) handled the design and coachwork of the Coupe.

The early examples of the Spider were criticized for its interior, with many of the items sourced from lower-priced models. The interior switchgear was from cheaper Fiat models, the dashboard was covered in vinyl, and the metal-spoke steering wheel had a plastic rim. Following complaints, Fiat quickly addressed these issues, with Spiders produced after February of 1967 receiving wood-rimmed steering wheels and wood trim on the dashboard.

The Dino Spider went on sale in 1968 and was powered by the same all-aluminum DOHC 2.0-liter V6 engine as found in the Ferrari-built Dino 206 GT. Items found on the options list included leather upholstery, metallic paint, a radio, and a vinyl-covered hardtop (for the Spider) with roll-bar style stainless steel trim.

The 2.4-liter Fiat Dino

The Fiat Dino 2400 was introduced in October of 1969 at the Turin Motor Show. Along with the enlarged engine, improvements included an independent rear suspension with coil springs and two shock absorbers. There were different rear taillights, a new grille on the Spider with two horizontal chrome bars, new bumpers with rubber strips, and five-bolts instead of knock-off wheels. The silver honeycomb grille with the round Fiat logo on the coupe was replaced by a new black grille and a bonnet badge. The interior of the Spider remained unchanged; updates to the coupe included an entirely redesigned dashboard and new cloth seats. Leather seat upholstery was available as optional equipment, and front seat headrests were optional on the spider and standard on the coupe.

A total of 3,670 examples of the coupe and 1,163 of the spider were built between 1966 and 1969 with the 2.0-liter engine. 420 Spiders and 2,550 coupes were built with the larger 2.4-liter engine. Spider production accounted for approximately twenty-five percent of the overall production.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder by Pininfarina
Chassis number: 135BS.0001181
Engine number: 135C.0000005200

This 1969 Fiat Dino 2400 Spider is equipped with the larger 2,418cc DOHC V6 engine fed by three Weber carburetors and delivering 180 horsepower at 6,600 RPM. It is mated to a five-speed ZF manual gearbox and there are hydraulic disc brakes at all four corners.

This Fiat was sold new in Italy and remained there until 1972 when it was exported to the United States. It was acquired in 1972 by Michael Pietrzak of Vail, Colorado. At the time, the car had 11,300 km on the odometer. The car remained in Mr. Pietrzak's care until 2010 when it was sold to a Texas-based collector named David Duthu who retained it until 2014. The car's next owner was Herve Labesse, a California-based collector who treated it to a restoration. The Fiat was completely disassembled, stripped, and given a bare-metal repaint. The high-quality restoration totaled approximately $200,000 in restoration expenses.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1966 at the Turin Motor Show, Fiat introduced their Dino Spider. It was built in cooperation with the Ferrari Company, helping them achieve the necessary production numbers to homologate Alfredo (Dino) Ferrari's V6 engine for Formula 2 competition. A minimum of 500 examples was required. Ferrari was not in a situation to produce this many cars, as they were generally a low production, exclusive company; they joined forces with Fiat to create three different vehicles, a coupe and Spider Fiat version, and the Ferrari Dino 206. The V6 engine would be used by Ferrari for their road-going mid-engined cars, while Fiat used them in their front-engined, rear-drive sports vehicles. Fiat's production of the Dino began in 1966 and continued until 1973. A coupe version was shown at the Geneva Motorshow in 1967 with production commencing a short time later.

The V6 engine originally displaced 2-liters and produced 160 horsepower. Later, displacement size rose to 2.4-liters and horsepower followed a similar suit, rising to 180. The Dino was a sporty car, with its five-speed gearbox, live axle, and leaf springs, which were later replaced with coil-springs and an independent rear setup similar to the Fiat 130.

Pininfarina bodied the spiders while Bertone was responsible for the coupes. The Bertone-bodied cars had classic-1960s designs with rounded shapes and subtle hints of the 1970s, most noticeably in the tail section.

The Dino has made it to the 'Big Screen' on at least two occasions. It was seen in the movie, 'Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo' where it was painted red and had a few decades and a black numeral '5'. It also was in 'The Italian Job' where it was painted black and driven by the Italian Mafia boss.

by Dan Vaughan