Lot 128

Arizona 2024

1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS 'Chairs & Flares'

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$650,000 - $850,000 USD | Not Sold

United States | Phoenix, Arizona

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Chassis No.
05830
Documents
US Title
  • Authentic “Chairs & Flares” Dino 246 GTS, distinguished by its Daytona-style seats and widened wheel arches; believed to be one of fewer than 150 examples so equipped
  • Finished in factory-correct Giallo Fly over Nero Connolly leather
  • Notably retains numbers-matching 2.4-liter V-6 engine
  • US-market car equipped from new with Borletti factory air conditioning, electric windows, and Campagnolo alloy wheels
  • Documented by report from marque historian Marcel Massini

After years of podium finishes with his “junior” engines, Enzo Ferrari, who long desired a roadgoing production car to directly challenge archrival Porsche, charged his development team with designing a new car from the ground up, using the principles advanced by his beloved son Dino. The resulting car was both mid-engine in layout and V-6-powered, with “Dino” proudly cast in each camshaft cover. His son’s dream come to life, Enzo saw it only fitting that rather than the revered Ferrari stallion, it would be Dino’s own signature adorning the car’s nose.

The Dino 206 GT first went on sale in 1967, wearing a body designed by Leonardo Fiavoranti of Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. The chassis was powered by a 2.0-liter, double-overhead-camshaft, all-aluminum V-6 mated to a five-speed transaxle. The first major update came in 1969 with the debut of the 246 GT. The engine displacement was increased to 2.4 liters and the body construction switched to steel. Other minor updates continued throughout production, resulting in three distinct series, referred to as L, M, and E. The buying public and motoring press alike fell head over heels for the Dino, with near-universal praise for its gorgeous design and razor-sharp handling.

Chassis number 05830, presented here, is an outstanding US-specification, E-series 246 GTS, with a long list of desirable factory options. Completed by Ferrari on Independence Day, 4 July 1973, the car was originally finished, as it is today, in Giallo Fly (20-Y-490) over Nero Connolly leather upholstery. Chassis 05830 wears the ultimate 246 Dino package of “Chairs and Flares,” consisting of widened steel fender flares and leather Daytona-style seats. Of the 1,274 E Series 246 GTS models produced, fewer than 150 are so equipped. In addition, this Dino was further outfitted from the factory with Borletti air conditioning, Campagnolo alloy wheels, and electric windows.

After completion, the car was delivered to Williams Harrah’s West Coast Ferrari distributorship, Modern Classic Motors of Reno, Nevada in July 1973 before being sold to its first owner Mr. Whitelan, but he quickly returned the car to MCM soon after. The Dino would remain on the west coast until the late 1980s when it was eventually brought to New Jersey still finished in the factory yellow paint. In 2005, Joseph T. Seminetta of Kenilworth, Illinois took ownership of the 246 GTS and it would remain under his care until 2009. Over the next decade, the Dino was offered for sale several more times, and eventually brought back to the west coast. Adding to the desirability of this 246 GTS, the car retains its original numbers-matching engine. Recent service includes an oil change and fuel filter replacement in October 2023.

The “Chair and Flares” specification of this Dino and the stunning Giallo Fly exterior make it immensely desirable. A suite of factory options further sweetens the deal, while recent service will allow its next fortunate owner many miles of enjoyable of motoring.