I have owned it over the last 2 years, but with a new house and some other projects on the way I just can’t justify keeping it around, lovely as it is.

Some basic details:
-Comprehensive history folder including all maintenance and upgrade receipts from Maranello Motors under my ownership.
-2 litre engine on 40mm Webers (rebuilt early 2007), 2 litre gearbox, diff and brakes, upgraded cams (previous owner didn’t have specs available).
-Koni Red shocks (new fronts, rebuilt rears).
-Lowered suspension with stiffer springs.
-Electronic ignition and thermo fan.
-Semi-comp brake pads and braided hoses.
-Near new 185/65 Bridgestone tyres.
-Retrimmed Black vinyl seats (no cracks in the dashboard either).
-Autotecnica steering wheel with spacer to improve driving position.
-Fire extinguisher.

It has also just come back from having some small patches of rust removed and a couple of small dings ironed out and repainted.

My intention was to enjoy this car on country roads and also on the occaisonal track expedition. In actuality, I have enjoyed the roads immensely but it has only gone on track once, at Winton for the driver development day earlier this year.

The car has been completely reliable and is ready to be enjoyed on road or at the club sprints. It will come with a Victorian RWC and is registered until August 2010.

This is a truly regrettable sale.

Some pictures are attached, I can send more information and photos on request. The best way to contact me is via email: adam@lautista.com.au

Car is located in Craigieburn.

Asking for offers around $14,000 with RWC. Negotiable.

The new rules stipulated that 500 units of a Formula 2 engine had to be produced before an entry was accepted. Ferrari quickly reasoned that outside help was required and approached Fiat to assist in producing the requisite amount by collaborating on a new road car design.

This new design was to be simply designated “Dino”, in honour of Enzo Ferrari’s late son Alfredino. Dino assisted in the initial discussions of producing Ferrari V6 race engines in the fifties under the watchful eye of Vittorio Jano. A bright engineering mind in his own right, Dino passed away at the tender age of 24 when he succumbed to muscular dystrophy in 1956. Enzo was said to have never overcome the grief of this tragedy.

Romantically, it was intended to introduce the road cars under a new Dino brand however the all important US Ferrari dealers did not agree that this would attract enough customers. Enzo, who was reluctant to add the Ferrari name to a ‘cut-price’ model of less than 12 cylinders, eventually agreed and a compromise was struck whereby two separate model designations were created- the Fiat Dino (which actually never sold in the US) and the Ferrari Dino, though no Ferrari badge work appeared on these cars.

The first car produced under the new agreement was the Fiat Dino Spider 2000, which debuted at the Turin motor show in 1966, with the first production cars built from October that year. Its coachwork was designed by Pininfarina (who also actually manufactured the cars) and it was a truly curvaceous design even if the Ferrari Dino 206GT (first shown in 1967 with production beginning in 1968) was considered the more dramatic with its swooping mid-engined layout. The 1987cc, all-alloy, quad-cam V6, complete with a copy of Dino’s signature on its cam covers, was developed for road use by Aurelio Lampredi and utilised triple twin-choke Webers. Brochures of the time suggested 160bhp at 7200rpm in the Fiat model, 180bhp at 8000rpm in the Ferrari, though as the engines were actually built in Turin there is still some conjecture surrounding the difference in quoted outputs.

To keep costs down (which is relative as the list price placed it in the Pagoda Mercedes class), the Fiat employed the basic live axle rear suspension design found in their 2300S, but equipped their Dino with quite advanced options for the day, with a 5 speed synchromesh gearbox, limited slip differential and four wheel disc brakes.

2 litre Spider production ended in December 1968 after 1163 were built, however it had gained a reputation for its lack of build quality and reliability as it was rushed into production to meet the homologation requirements.

Later in 1967, the Bertone designed and manufactured coupe version of the Dino was released. A full four-seater in design, with a 27cm longer wheelbase, the coupe was a step up in quality from the Spider especially in build quality and interior design. The rear seats were of the split fold type and the wood finished dashboard allowed for a cleaner dash layout. Power windows and optional leather or velour trim added to its prestige.

The inherent advantages in chassis stiffness and added wheelbase (not to mention a roof) made the early coupe a more complete tourer than its spider stablemate, however issues with oil pressure and cooling of the race bred 2 litre engine meant reliability was still a concern. By 1969, with 3670 Spiders built and its original reason for being satisfied, Fiat decided it was time to make the Dino into the flagship it should have been from the outset.

In enlarging the V6 to 2418cc and converting to an iron block, the Dino 2400 series specification produced 180bhp at a more relaxed 6600rpm. This made it vastly more tractable and wet sump lubrication along with an enlarged radiator and electronic ignition were intended to further enhance reliability. The adoption of the famous dog-leg ZF 5 speed manual coincided with a cable (rather than hydraulic) clutch but the biggest news on the ride/handling front was the adoption of the Fiat 130’s fully independent rear suspension.

Again the Spider was the first to be introduced; now being built in Ferrari’s Maranello factory to ensure consistency of quality with the 246GT released in the same year. 420 Fiat Spiders were eventually produced from September 1969 to January 1972 and today they are seen as the most valuable of the Fiat badged vehicles.

It is, however, the 2400 coupe that enthusiasts rate as the most complete from a driving perspective.

Our feature car is one of 2398 2.4 litre coupes made. It is a 1971 Italian market LHD model and has travelled less than 60,000kms. The current owner, Shayne, imported it from a collector in Italy some eight years ago and the first thing that jumps out at you is its sheer originality. It is currently for sale at the recently reduced price of AUD$35,000.

“It was never crashed, though it had been resprayed in its original Argento Metalizzato (Silver Metallic, 606 made in this colour) before I purchased it,” says Shayne as he takes me through the exquisite design details these 2400 cars are well known for. He speaks of the manual override for the electric windows (there is a winder behind the door lining), the opening louvers behind the rear glass to allow flow-through ventilation, the fold-down rear seats that “allowed the previous owner to take the car skiing without having to strap the skis on the roof like the 911 poseurs!”

You have to love the deep red carpeting and how it offsets against the sumptuous blue velour, which is itself the perfect foil for the Silver exterior. As Shayne invites me to take a seat (I am only a passenger today) the interior continues to impress with its airy spaciousness as I admire the woodgrain finish of the steering wheel and dash. The driving position looks typical of its Italian roots- a layout designed for long arms and short legs; however it is not as cramped as other Fiat products of the same era.

Shayne stirs the V6 into life, and it quickly settles down to a smooth idle. As we pull out onto the road and warm everything through I immediately notice its superbly resolved ride. At around 1380kg it is a reasonably heavy car for its time. This may assist in damping the impact of a brace of speed humps, but it is so well controlled that the Fiat simply dismisses with disdain. Shayne goes on to explain the inherent advantages of the independent rear suspension over the live axle of the earlier 2.0l cars. “It is far easier to drive, a better ride/handling compromise. It’s no racer in the corners but it wasn’t designed for that. There is some roll but the balance is inherently pretty good. Also, the larger engine is so much more tractable. Out on the open roads it is just magic!”

Now showing some life on its vital gauges, a break in the traffic allows us to stoke the fire within the Ferrari V6. In my youth, many a daydream was spent imagining how fun it must be to play the throttle of a Lancia Stratos off the trees surrounding a rally stage (it shares the same engine). Now I make a mental note to savour the operatic range of the Dino as the revs rise. It doesn’t disappoint – a cultured yowl and so silky you almost feel it. The all-wheel Girling disc brakes, recently overhauled, bring things to a halt in undramatic fashion and the whole car feels tight.

Soul suitably stirred, we return the Fiat to the garage, noting the cast alloy headlight surrounds, grilles and external vents where one normally expects plastic, and the Bertone scuff plates. The fact that all these little details remain in place, along with all its original glass, have assisted in the car receiving runner up best original coupe twice over in the Fiat Car Club of Victoria concours. Evidence of its patina develops upon closer inspection, with faded patches on the twin exhaust mufflers (it runs a complete twin exhaust system) and under the bonnet, but there is no denying the car has been loved and maintained over its 38 years. For such a rare and exotic Ferrari built jewel, the asking price appears more than justified.

As Shayne himself says: “The only thing left to do is drive it.”

Shayne can be contacted on 0418226666 or via info@lautista.com.au