1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

The new Dino 246GT was an absolute delight from all angles. Its beauty, handling, engine note, mid-engined layout, unusually good all-round visibility and comparative affordability made it absolutely irresistible. The voluptuous bodywork, which many people regard as the prettiest ever to grace a road-going Ferrari, was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti and covered a tubular chassis which carried wishbone independent suspension at each corner. The 190bhp engine, with four overhead camshafts, was mounted transversely behind the driver and in front of the rear axle. Power to the wheels was transmitted via drop gears to the transverse 5-speed gearbox, in unit with the differential and engine sump. With rack and pinion steering and a mid-engined configuration, it was a revelation in terms of road holding and stability, nothing had been made like this before and it left its larger V12-engined siblings in its wake.

There was an addition to the range in 1972 when the Spider version was introduced. With the exception of the detachable roof, there was little difference between the two models but the 246GTS, as it was designated, has become all the more desirable as a collector's car, particularly as only 1,274 were produced in its three years of production. Of those cars, only 16 UK-supplied GTS Dinos were specified from new with the “Wide wheel/Housings" option which refers to the flared wheel arches and sand-cast Campagnolo wheels fitted by the factory before despatch and are known, colloquially, as “Flares”.

Delivered new to Maranello Concessionaires, this rare Ferrari 246 GTS Dino was onward bound to Ferrari Dealer, Sytner of Nottingham, and subsequently to its first owner at his home, the Grade One-listed, Hazelbury Manor in Wiltshire. According to Order Number D/542, it was originally finished in Nero 20-B-50 with a Nero 161 interior, Nero carpets and specified with electric windows and 7.5'' wheels, making it one of the 16 original 'flares' cars. The history file includes the original Ferrari S.P.A order correspondence from May 1973 confirming the specification and extras.

It was later purchased by our, now deceased, vendor in 1976 from Mike Young of Romford and had been in his ownership ever since, encompassing 47 years of ownership on Mersea Island in Essex. A dedicated sailor, capable racer of Tornado catamarans, engineer and local entrepreneur, he was a well known resident of the Island and the Dino enjoyed similar status.

In 2014, he decided to change the colour to Rosso Corsa and this was entrusted to the contractors tasked with much of the Rolls and Bentley work for the renowned specialists, P&A Wood. Some nine years later, the paintwork continues to present really well, a tribute to the craftsmen involved. The history file contains notes of various oil changes and purchases and the car is accompanied by two boxes of spares and the original carpets and door cards.

OTO 69M has covered just 49,197 miles from new and is a very usable example, not too precious to be driven on a regular basis but, with a little detailing, able to offer a good account of itself on the showground. We doubt whether many other Dinos can match this ownership timeline, backstory and comprehensive history.