Enzo Ferrari’s late son, Alfredo, known to his family as “Dino”, inspired the Ferrari of the same name. Dino Ferrari, who had been groomed and educated to eventually assume the reins of his father’s company, was an early proponent of small displacement six-cylinder technology. After earning his engineering degree, he began to develop a new V-6 racing engine before his untimely death at the young age of 24. To honour his son’s memory, Enzo directed legendary engineer Vittorio Jano to finish Dino’s work, thus creating a series of very successful six-cylinder engines that ultimately powered various Ferrari Formula One and Two and sports racing cars.

A number of years later, Ferrari built a prototype Dino 206 GT, which was first displayed at the 1965 Paris Salon. This was followed by an updated concept shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1966, which was later put into production in 1968. It was powered by the 180-horsepower, 1,986-cubic centimetre V-6 engine, and it was not only Ferrari’s first mid-engine production car, but it also represented the debut of a new Ferrari-based Dino brand that, in keeping with Enzo’s intention to honour his son, was entirely devoid of Ferrari badging. When the production Dino 206 GT first appeared, numbers were so limited that almost all were sold within Italian borders, with very few escaping to other parts of the world. Regardless of marketing, the car’s Ferrari heritage was clear, and its performance became even more exhilarating in 1969. The V-6 was enlarged to 2,418 cubic centimetres and its output was increased to 195 horsepower in the Dino’s ultimate evolution, the 246 series.

This early European-specification Ferrari Dino 246 GT was originally finished in red with a black interior, and it was first delivered, wearing registration number TVU 5K, in February 1972 to a motor dealer in London. The car soon moved out of the city with the first registered owner, a Mr D. James, of Cheshire. In June of that year, the car was sold back to London to a Mr Price. It is believed that Price sold the car to Tim H. Walton, who resided in Maidenhead, in 1978, and he subsequently sold the car to Richard H. Young, also of Maidenhead, in 1979. The Dino was then purchased by Leslie Meek, of Young, in 1985. It was bought in the UK before Meek decided to move to the United States and import his Dino to Tennessee. Recently, the car was treated to a mechanical freshening before being shipped from Tennessee back to London. The car remained with Meek until 2011, and service records from Ferrari specialists in both the UK and the U.S. during his ownership are included with the car’s file.

This Dino was then acquired by its current owner, who sent it to Grimaldi Engineering in Essex in July 2014, where it received a major service to ensure that it would be ready for road use in the hands of its next custodian. At this time, the carburettors were overhauled, the valve clearance was adjusted, a new fuel pump and steering rack were fitted, the brakes were overhauled, and the car received its annual MOT inspection. Several minor non-original parts, including the washer bag, washer pump, and indicator stalk, were replaced with factory-correct parts.

The Dino marked a turning point for Ferrari. It was the only production car that combined the dynamic advantages of a mid-mounted engine without the angular wedge-shape designs that would characterise Ferraris from the mid-’70s well into the ’90s. The design is truly timeless, and the Dino’s driving characteristics truly rival its looks. In either hardtop or open-air configuration, the Dino 246 genuinely delivers the driving sensation only a Ferrari can deliver. Following a recent service by Ferrari specialists, this example would surely provide a fantastic driving experience for its next owner.